Picking Joy: Why Sunflowers Remind Me of Resilience

This week, I found myself wandering through a field of sunflowers just outside of Cleveland. Their golden heads tilted toward the sun, their stems swaying in the wind it was simple, and yet it felt like medicine.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how joy can be a choice, especially in seasons when life feels heavy. Picking sunflowers reminded me of that. Each bloom felt like a small reminder that no matter what storms pass through, we can rise again, turn toward the light, and keep growing.

Sunflowers have always symbolized resilience to me. They don’t shy away from the sun, they seek it. Even on cloudy days, they lean toward where the light will return. There’s something deeply spiritual in that: the act of orienting yourself toward hope even when it’s not yet visible.

As an artist, I see myself in these flowers. Resilient, rooted, reaching for light. My practice has always been about transformation, turning memory, vulnerability, and even pain into something beautiful. Walking through that field, I felt connected not just to nature, but to that part of myself that insists on blooming, no matter what.

So here’s my little reminder, from me to you: joy doesn’t always arrive on its own. Sometimes, you have to go out and pick it. 🌻✨

Artist Asia Armour finds resilience and joy in a Cleveland sunflower field, embracing nature’s beauty, healing, and soft life inspiration