The Joy Scout
Cart 0
Cart 0
The Joy Scout

Finding relief from grief, anxiety, and loneliness through connection.

me.jpg

Hi! I’m Nicole Kozas.

Writer, artist, and founder of The Joy Scout.

I believe that joy is rarely derived from the things we acquire, but rather the connections we forge with people and the world around us.

My journey back to childlike joy began at age 22, when my dad died of cancer…

Joy scouting pulled me through the loss of my father. It helped me turn my attention outward and reclaim the ability to see tiny wonders in everyone and everything.

 

Here are some of my recent observations

Join me in joy scouting

But what, exactly, is joy scouting?

Joy scouting is the practice of attuning yourself to the people in your community and to the rhythms of nature. It shines light on the small, ordinary pleasures of everyday life.

It’s a free activity available to everyone. You can start today, without even leaving your neighborhood. Not sure how to start? Stay tuned. I’m working on a Joy Scouting Guide that has prompts to help you recognize joy around you and cultivate it from within.

color-3.png

Visit the joy scout shop

Pick up a notebook and tote bag to support your joy scouting or browse Nicole’s original art and prints.

color-3.png

Follow @thejoyscout on Instagram

The first Father’s Day after my dad died, I scrolled through social media with a tear-soaked face and a cinched brow. All those alive dads, hugging their daughters. Envy and despair curdled within me but I couldn’t stop. I didn’t kn
Snow crunching underfoot. Wind shaking powder from the branches. Neighbors saying hi, hello. If I could sum up this morning with one word it would be: aaaahhh ☺️
I can’t stop looking at this photo of my dad, and his longtime friend, Fawaz, who died last week. ⁣ ⁣ In their faces, I see a million memories and I am flooded with a bittersweet feeling where sorrow and gratitude blend. To have known these two
🌈 A sign of brighter times ahead. Merry Christmas to you and yours — may 2021 tip the scale in favor of goodness and light ❤️
As snow falls like powdered sugar from the sky and Christmas draws near, I find myself thinking of my grandmother, Christina, and her buttery almond cookies. Those stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth kourabiedes. They were my dad’s favorite.⁣ ⁣ Som
In early grief, I struggled to converse with people. Every topic seemed trite, every word meaningless. What use was talking, if it wouldn’t bring back my dad? ⁣ ⁣ I kept mostly to myself for two, three years. My communication skills degraded &m
Each day, I venture outside before the sun falls behind the mountains. I want to impress upon my mind that last bit of light.⁣ ⁣ Craving the sound of water brushing over sand, I walked to the lake. It was cold. Quiet. An empty beach. I walked along t
I was 22 when my dad died. Grief incapacitated me. Once happy-go-lucky, I withdrew from my relationships and threw myself into my work.⁣ ⁣ Detached from friends and family, I sank into depression. Yet somewhere deep down I believed that joy existed.
Is this the news you needed today, too?? Drop a ❤️ to let me know
A month ago, someone close to me asked, “What’s your favorite memory of your dad?” The question warmed my whole body. I told her the first memory that came to mind. ⁣ ⁣ Dad and I, in the car, singing Oh Come All Ye Faithful at the t