Hi! Welcome to the first installment of Winding Down, an interview series where interesting people share what’s making them happy in their downtime and how they’re finding balance in their busy lives.
I’m excited to play around with this series and get your feedback after a few interviews. Audio is new for me, and I’m hopeful these will get better with time and practice! Hope you enjoy. —Alisha
The full audio chat is available for paid subscribers. If you’re already a paid supporter, thank you so much! If you’re not, sign up here for the paid tier for access to audio posts, the comments section, the book club, and more.
If you’ve been reading blogs for as long as I have, you probably know Joy Cho of Oh Joy!, who I consider to be one of the “OG’s” of the blogging era. Launched in 2005 as a graphic design studio, Oh Joy! is now a lifestyle brand and design company that brings a whimsical, fun, and—of course—joyful touch to everything they do, whether it’s a new product line collab, a DIY tutorial, or a roundup of Joy’s signature bright-colored style picks. Through our chat, I also learned that Joy is also the author of seven books, including the most darling children’s books.
As an Asian American woman in the creative field, Joy has been a source of inspiration for me over the years, so I was delighted to chat with her about all the things that’s helping her wind down at the end of a long day, how she sets boundaries, and her passion for mental health within the AAPI community.
You can listen to our full conversation on audio here (for paid subscribers), plus read a few highlights from our chat below. Enjoy! –Alisha
What is your after-work wind-down routine?
My wind down is probably not a typical one. I used to play on the tennis team in high school, and I recently started playing competitively again as an adult in the last couple of years. I’m the co-captain of my women's USTA team (ed note: a nationwide recreational league, if you’re looking to join!), and that’s my wind-down. Sometimes it's the first thing in the morning, sometimes it’s in the evening. I'm running around for two hours instead of sitting and relaxing, but it relieves my stress so much.
Tennis is a place where I can be somebody else. I'm not mom, I'm not Oh Joy. I'm not any of the things that anybody normally needs me for. I'm just a person playing tennis, and I love that so much. A lot of time, we attach our identity to our children, our jobs, and our role in everyday life, which is totally fine because I think that all those different things make up who we are. But sometimes it's nice to do something that's just for you, that's not for anybody else. And so for me, that's tennis, and it has been very therapeutic.
My more traditional wind-down would be in the evening when my kids are in bed—watching some terrible reality show or a good show with my husband and just really shutting my brain off.
Me too. Have you watched anything good lately?
I just finished the second season of The Bear last night. So good. And then Beef, which is on Netflix. That was so good. Both these shows are very intense, so I'm not sure why I mentioned those 'cause they're anxiety-inducing, but very good.
What are some of your favorite spots to visit in your downtime in LA?
The Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena (2nd Sunday of the month) and the Pickwick Vintage Show (once a month at The Row in DTLA). I am Thai, so I love Thai food, and there is a newish spot that many people don’t know about yet called April 90’s Something in Silver Lake. It’s one of my go-to spots! My favorite dishes to order there are the Fried Chicken Larb and Coconut Shrimp.
What have you done recently to nurture your mental health?
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