Happiness Sprinkles + Book Club ZOOM Link
17th C. art meets modern science, Disney behind-the-scenes, & more
Hello, Protagonists!
Welcome to this month’s edition of Happiness Sprinkles—a soft, joyful roundup of small things worth smiling about.
In this post, you’ll find:
🌸 Happiness Sprinkles
🔦 Protagonist Spotlight—where you’re the hero of the story
📖 Book Club Details + Zoom Link
Reminder! Our Book Club meeting is this Sunday, January 25th at 8pm ET / 5pm PT
Zoom Link at the bottom of this post
🌸 Happiness Sprinkles
A few quiet delights we’ve loved this month—and hope you will, too.
Spare Time with Evelyn Skye - Last month, I started a new, more personal newsletter. I thought that I’d added everyone from the Creative, Inspired, Alive subscriber list, but apparently, Substack deleted a lot of you (including some of the most loyal readers of CIA) from the email list. No idea why, but if you’d like to follow along, here’s the link.
Watch out… incoming! - This adorable li’l guy will put a smile on your face. Here’s some love for you today, because you’re amazing:
Behind-the-Scenes of Disney Classics - This is one of my favorite things I’ve watched in a while! Not only was it a walk down memory lane of the songs my brother and I used to belt out from the backseat during road trips, but it was also a fascinating glimpse into the process of songwriting from one of the world’s greatest modern composers. I love seeing how other creative minds work.
Dutch Painter’s Art = Treasure Trove for Scientists - Rachel Ruysch’s still lifes from the 1600s reveal historical botanical information unknown until now. It’s amazing what you learn when you slow down and change your perspective.
Still Life of Exotic Flowers on a Marble Ledge, about 1735, by Rachel Ruysch | courtesy of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri, gift of James and Virginia Moffett
Is Classical Music Still Relevant? - I admit I had all but forgotten about classical music. It was relegated to the dusty annals of childhood memory (piano lessons). But this TED Talk and performance reminded me that classical music tells stories just as much as modern pop songs do. That, and this talented, diverse orchestra’s beautiful musicianship brought me to (appreciative) tears.
🔦 Protagonist Spotlight
Every month, we love highlighting what you are creating. Here are a few wonderful projects from our community:
👏🏼 Congratulations to Shruti Reddy, who is officially a published poet!
👏🏼 Haley Adams launched a newsletter for her debut novel. Way to go, Haley!
Want to be featured in a future post?
Just reply to this email or leave a comment with a 1–2 sentence description of what you’ve been working on. Or, hang out in our community chat, where we share our recent smiles and successes.
📖 “Reading with Wonder” Book Club— This Sunday!
🗓️ Sunday, January 25th at 8pm ET / 5pm PT - ZOOM link below
📚 Book: The Favorites by Layne Fargo
The “Reading with Wonder” Book Club is for our community members who want to dive even deeper into how great books work. Come nerd out with us! 🤓
During the book discussion, we’ll chat about:
The novel is a retelling of Wuthering Heights. In what ways do you see those influences? Where does The Favorites carve its own lane?
Kat and Heath are bound together by trauma, ambition, and shared goals. What makes their connection compelling? What makes it problematic?
The story uses multiple formats: Kat’s first-person voice, flashbacks, interview transcripts of a fictional documentary.
How did this structure affect your experience of the book?
What were its strengths and weaknesses?
The title The Favorites suggests many layers—favorites in competition, fandom, media, “favorites” that people root for. What does the title evoke for you and how do you see it playing out?
During the Mini Creativity Coaching portion, we will talk about:
A Guided Creative Goal Imagining in the New Year
Reflecting and celebrating our biggest accomplishments of 2025
Centering on our deepest desires for 2026
Distinguishing our outcome vs process goals
We think this is going to be a wonderful conversation!
Zoom link is posted below the paywall to keep our gathering cozy and private.
(This also prevents any non-book-loving Zoom crashers!)
If you’d like to join us in the Book Club, you can upgrade to a paid membership here:
or:
Refer friends to receive complimentary months:
1 referral = 1 month free
2 referrals = 3 months free
3 referrals = 1 year free
✨ Note for fellow introverts:
You are welcome to come as you are—cameras on or off, display names changed or unchanged. No pressure, just presence.
📹 This session will be recorded for those who can’t attend live.