Meet Jamie Muscato | Card Maker & Shift Starter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jamie Muscato and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jamie, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Commode To Joy shines a light on that little space between crappy situation and decent outcome (even if the decent part only happens within you). It helps people take shifts, emotionally and mentally. Whether through a salty quip on one of our empathy cards, a laugh-out-loud one liner, or an honest share on my online spaces, CTJ taps into the feeling part of life. When you feel seen on an emotional level, or pick up a tip on how to rethink something? Shift taken. It’s good stuff.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
This isn’t a glass-half full space. It’s taking life exactly as it is, including the crappy, and coming out happy anyway — not despite circumstances, but because of them. Thus the name, Commode To Joy. Even when life throws a curveball and you land on, or in, the metaphorical pot, there’s still opportunity for joy.

I’m most proud of how telling it like it is resonates with people. By tapping into how situations make me feel and then turning that into cards, other people are able to share empathy with others. From a breast cancer diagnosis in a thirty-something mom, to a coworker taking a long-stretch of personal time off, unexpected death, birthdays, to buying a new home, these cards translate to showing up for people. Hearing stories of why they’re given brings the most delight to what I do.

When I was in my 20s, my dad died in a car crash. That sucked. Then, in my early thirties, I became a secondary infertility statistic thanks to endometriosis. Life has thrown me curveballs, as it has, or will, to all of us. Here I am, still standing, and also? Still smiling.

There’s heart behind this space. It’s not book knowledge or theoreticals. It’s hard-earned, real-life wisdom.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When posed with this question, the natural planner in me needs more information. What time of year is my best friend visiting? If it’s summer, there’ll be a lot of time spent on the lake, at the pool, and dining alfresco. Are they bringing the spouse and kids, or is this a girls’ trip? If kids are involved, we’ll go to a trampoline park at one of our neighboring cities, explore in our woods, and either go tubing on the lake or sledding on the hills depending on the season. If it’s just us girls, then lots of walking and exploring, maybe a good workout (or two), a little shopping, lots of good food, and for sure playing my favorite card game, Dutch Blitz.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Any person who’s shared how this space has impacted them; they’re the furthest reaching part of this web of support. Then there’s my inner circle people; the folks who care for me, including mentally and emotionally, in all aspects of life. Shortly after starting Commode To Joy, I joined a writing group. They taught me a lot about the craft and, equally importantly, gave me an outlet outside of the home during those long and often lonely toddler days. At the core is my son, and my husband, Mark, who’ve been here from the start. Mark’s always encouraged me to create because I enjoy it, plain and simple.

Website: commodetojoy.com

Instagram: @commodetojoy