C.T. Luna is a writer and creator known for her work exploring the intersections of identity, travel, and creative mastery. She is the founder of Brown Beyond Borders, a platform where she shares reflections on the “biracial journey,” global belonging, and the “visual soul” of storytelling.
Core Themes & Projects
Golden Creatives Talk: A series and podcast where she interviews experts—such as designer Sophia Chunn and storyteller Janna A. Zinzi—to discuss narrative power, the alchemy of book design, and owning professional expertise.
Global Perspectives: Her writing often contrasts “Western” productivity with the “Global South” vibration of simply being. Born in Trinidad and having lived in Switzerland, she frequently documents her travels, recently reflecting on journeys through Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire.
Media & Advocacy: She writes critically about media funding and the “geography of belonging,” focusing on how financial and structural choices impact marginalized voices in the creative industry.
Philosophy
Luna’s work is grounded in the practice of “allowing” and practicing the art of “doing nothing” to find creative momentum. She often references the Abraham-Hicks teachings as a catalyst for her “cosmic homecoming” and her approach to multidimensionality.
“Love. Write. Learn. Read. Laze. Travel. Laugh. Intuit. Listen. Grow. Live.” > — C.T. Luna
Talking Points: Returning to Joy
1. Let’s get clear about what joy actually is
Joy is not constant happiness or excitement.
It’s a steady sense of aliveness, lightness, and inner okay-ness, even when life isn’t perfect.
It often shows up as:
Contentment without needing more
A quiet sense of “this is good.”
Moments where you feel yourself fully
2. Joy is subtle; most people miss it
We’re trained to look for big, peak moments.
Joy is usually quieter:
A deep breath that lands
A genuine laugh
Feeling present in a simple moment
If you’re only looking for “big happy,” you’ll miss 90% of it.
3. How to spot joy in real time
Look for these signals:
In your body: relaxed shoulders, deeper breathing, a sense of ease
In your mind: less noise, less urgency, more clarity
In your emotions: lightness, gratitude, or calm satisfaction
In your behavior: you’re not rushing, proving, or performing, you’re just being
If you feel even a slight “this feels good,” that’s it. Don’t overcomplicate it.
4. Joy vs. happiness (don’t confuse the two)
Happiness = often tied to outcomes (you got what you wanted)
Joy = available in the moment, independent of outcomes
Happiness comes and goes. Joy can be accessed anytime if you’re present enough.
5. Joy isn’t gone, you’re just disconnected from it
It gets buried under stress, pressure, and constant thinking.
You don’t need to chase joy; you need to remove what’s in the way.
6. You can’t feel joy in survival mode
If you’re constantly in “go, fix, produce,” your system is too tight.
Joy requires space and safety in your body.
Translation: slow down, even a little.
7. Stop outsourcing your joy
If your joy depends on results, people, or validation, it’s unstable.
That’s not joy, that’s relief or reward.
Real joy is internally accessible.
8. Track what blocks it
Pay attention to what consistently shuts you down:
Overcommitment
Draining relationships
Harsh self-talk
Awareness here is power; you can’t change what you don’t notice.
9. Your body is the fastest way back
You don’t think your way into joy; you experience your way into it.
Try:
Movement
Music
Nature
Laughter
These cut through mental noise fast.
10. Make space for it on purpose
Joy won’t survive in a life that’s packed and pressured.
If there’s no space in your day, there’s no space for joy.
11. Start small and actually notice it
Joy grows when you acknowledge it.
Most people feel it, then immediately move on.
Pause and register it: “That felt good.”
12. The hard truth
If you constantly choose obligation over alignment, you’re choosing distance from joy.
Not always avoidable, but often more within your control than you admit.
Thank you Mandy Ohman, Nabanita, Ms.Yuse, Bluesin’ Bob, Notarize Mama, and many others for tuning into my live video with C.T. Luna! Join me for my next live video in the app.
