What does it take to cultivate joy—not as a fleeting feeling, but as a steady presence—even in times of deep uncertainty? In this luminous conversation, Dr. Heidi Brooks is joined by psychologist and author Emma Seppälä and artist Clara Nartey to explore the resilient, regenerative power of joy. With insights drawn from neuroscience, personal experience and artistic practice, Emma and Clara reflect on how inner sovereignty—the ability to return to center amid chaos—can help us meet the world with greater creativity, calm, and connection.

From Clara's practice of beginning each day in prayerful gratitude to Emma's decades of meditation and breathwork, Heidi and her guests share how joy can be cultivated as a discipline of attention and care, and reflect on joy as an "inside job"—one that begins with how we treat ourselves and ripples outward in our relationships, our work and our communities. Together, they invite us to consider: What might it look like to build a "circle of delight" around ourselves and others—a nest of safety, authenticity and beauty?

This episode is for anyone seeking a more rooted, soulfully sustainable way to face uncertainty—and to offer something healing to the world in return.

Learning Through Experience is produced through the Yale School of Management. What resonates with you about this conversation? We'd love to hear from you—reach out to LTEpodcast@yale.edu. And subscribe to the monthly LinkedIn newsletter for additional insights and reflections about episode topics and questions to ponder.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Resources

Read "Sovereign: Reclaim Your Freedom, Energy, and Power in a Time of Distraction, Uncertainty, and Chaos" by Emma Seppälä
See Clara Nartey's artwork, including her "Joy of Living" installation at Yale School of Management's Evans Hall
Follow Emma's Psychology Today blog series, "Feeling It"
Listen to Clara's first Learning Through Experience conversation with Dr. Heidi Brooks: "The Power of Art to Cultivate Joy"

Show Notes & Key Moments

00:00 – Welcome Back to JoyHeidi sets the stage for a conversation about joy as a practice of resilience during uncertain times–and a shared realization that joy often appears where you least expect it.

02:14 – Boarding School, Pandemic, and the Birth of JoyClara shares how hardship shaped her commitment to joy: "You either succumb to the situation—or find a way out using joy."

03:42 – Inner Wealth, Outer PovertyEmma reflects on cultures where joy thrives in the absence of material wealth: "You can't put the human spirit down."

08:45 – Training the Mind for TurbulenceEmma offers practices like breathwork and meditation as tools to cultivate resilience and unlock creativity: "The quality of your life depends on the state of your mind."

14:35 – Art as Emotional TranslationClara describes how her joy—or pain—flows directly into her textile work, regardless of what's visible on the surface. Both Clara and Emma speak to the mystery of creativity: "It's like the work is asking to be made—and I'm just the channel."

23:19 – The Trouble With Toxic PositivityThey explore the power of authenticity over forced optimism: "Sometimes the most uplifting thing is just being present through the hard stuff."

33:37 – What Is Sovereignty?Emma defines it as reclaiming our inner space from inherited self-criticism: "You can't unsee what you've seen."

37:23 – Joy Begins With You

Clara reminds us: "You can't give joy to others from a place of emptiness." And something to sit with: Something to sit with: "Gratitude will float you through the rushing waters."