Rediscovering Joy Through the Image of Your Inner Child

Explore the concept of joy through the image of your inner child.

Step 1: Meet Your Inner Child

Who were you before the world told you who to be?
Before expectations or fear took the front seat?

Imagine yourself as a child—maybe at a specific age, or just a felt sense of that younger version.
Let yourself sketch, paint, or collage an image of this child.

• What were they curious about?

• What lit them up?

• What did they wear, hold, or dream of?
  Use colors, lines, and shapes that reflect that version of you.

Step 2: Show Them in Joy

Create an image of your inner child doing something that brought them joy—or still might.

It might be:

• Running barefoot through grass

• Singing loudly to no one

• Building forts, painting walls, spinning in circles

What does their joy look like?
Use bold colors or gentle ones—whatever feels true. Don’t worry about realism—let feeling guide your hand.

Step 3: Add Words or a Message

If this inner child could speak to you now, what would they say?
What might you want to say to them?

Write down a message, a phrase, or even a conversation.

Examples:

“I’ve missed you.”
“It’s okay to play again.”
“You were never too much.”

You can write the words directly into your image or on the side of the page.

Step 4: Reflect on What You Carry

Take a moment to sit with your artwork and ask:

• What parts of that joy still live in me?

• What do I do today that feels even a little bit like play?

• How can I invite my inner child into my daily life—maybe just for five minutes?

This exercise is a way to reconnect to something sacred: your ability to feel joy, even in small and quiet ways.
You were not born to be only responsible. You were born to feel alive.