What brings you joy, Dianna Cohen?
On making a birthday playlist, lessons from get-togethers, and Dianna Cohen's small joys.
If you follow Dianna on Instagram or read her Substack, she is also the living embodiment of her brand. I especially love how her Substack not only offers a glimpse into her life as an entrepreneur, but also as a creative person in pursuit of a fulfilling life. She writes about everything from manifesting your vision board to building a brand. I’m so thrilled that she is the first interview in the revamped and extended version of the series, What brings you joy? Here’s what she shared.
Three things that are currently bringing you joy:
The small things that bring me the most joy are the whimsical, magical objects I surround myself with. I love working beside my tiny Marcel, a few favourite crystals, and beautifully sculpted dishes from Dinosaur Designs—I have at least ten scattered throughout my home.
A few things that never fail to bring you joy and why.
A book you love: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron is one of those rare books that truly transforms you. It’s a 12-week program designed to unlock creativity, but it’s so much more—a space for honesty, vulnerability, and real accountability. I’m going through the journey again now, sharing the process on TikTok and in a Substack Chat. I’ve done it multiple times, and each time, it meets me exactly where I need it.
Feel-good TV show or movie: Ooo, this is a tough one because I love film and TV. Anything by Sofia Coppola or Wes Anderson is an instant feel-good for me. And then there are the movies I grew up on—Harriet the Spy, Center Stage, Get Over It, Clueless, Legally Blonde—the kind that always brighten my day.
A meal that brings you comfort: I grew up with a mom whose love language is creating beautiful meals, morning to night. Anything she makes feels like home, but her scallop Provençal is pure comfort—it instantly takes me back.
A place you love to visit: LA will always have a special place in my heart. When I was living in NYC full-time for 12 years, escaping to LA felt like a deep exhale—the moment I landed, my shoulders would drop, and time there felt almost sacred. Now that I’m based in Miami, I don’t rely on LA in the same way for balance, which, ironically, makes me love visiting New York even more. I’m there every eight weeks or so, soaking up my favourite parts of the city. I miss walking as my primary mode of transportation, the spontaneity of popping into a museum, a show, or a tiny bookstore on a whim. No matter where I am, NYC will always have my heart.
A smell/scent that makes you happy: The Crown Affair signature scent brings me joy every time I catch it—whether it’s woven into my own hair journey, lingering after hugging my husband fresh out of the shower, or filling a room with our Nette candle collab. I also love the scent of The Standard Spa in Miami—if you know, you know. They even have a candle that captures it perfectly—it’s heaven.
Something in your closet: Always my vintage pieces—the ones that took time to hunt down and feel like little treasures. My Crown Affair green Chanel tweed jacket from the 2003 Lagerfeld collection (with the matching tweed medium chain bag) is a forever favourite. And then there’s my 1986 vintage Star Trek tee, a piece I’ve had since college and will never part with.
Make yourself a birthday playlist
When my son turned one, my friends created a birthday playlist for him to play during his birthday party. I added songs that represented the first year of his life—songs I listened to in the background while we played, songs I hummed while putting him to sleep, and songs that he bopped to all by himself. That playlist became a time capsule for his first year.
The following year, I did the same for his second birthday, and then again this year for his third. His current playlist has everything from “Hakuna Mata” from The Lion King soundtrack, to “APT" by Rosé and Bruno Mars. Like his mom, his taste in music runs the gamut.
This year, I was inspired to make my own birthday playlist. Kind of like my own Top 50 with songs that represented me best in the past year. Some are meaningful, others are earworms. It includes the Gracie Abrams song I played on an endless loop while working, the Bad Bunny song I listened to on repeat for workout motivation, and the Chappell Roan song I sang loudly in the shower, the acoustics giving me a false sense of confidence. Oh, and Enya because Enya will always be on the playlist. I love that it serves as an aural diary of sorts, and am excited to continue making them going forward.
Three lessons from recent get-togethers
After back-to-back illnesses and a busy work season, I finally got around to making plans to meet up with various friends over the past few months. Not only was every gathering bookended with us saying, “I really needed this,” I also realized a few things.
Almost everyone is not doing okay in varying degrees. That’s basically what Hannah Sung said when our pandemic newsletter crew met up for dinner (for the first time in IRL! Imagine that!). Social media is only a highlight reel and we’re all probably only living our best lives 25% of the time. Especially these days. We’re all struggling in different ways so let’s not take the shiny, impeccably curated feeds at face value.
Dream for your friends when they’re not able to. Sometimes, when you’re too close to something, you can struggle to see the silver lining. It’s when you need someone else to help you imagine the possibilities. Almost every time, I left a hangout feeling buoyed and inspired, whether it was because of a fresh perspective or some much-needed encouragement. Let your friends be your cheerleaders. They know what you’re capable of, even when you can’t see or believe it for yourself.
Reach out with a spontaneous plan. As I get older, doing anything spontaneously will make me break out into hives. I need advance notice! I need to figure out child care! I need rest! But I’ve learned that it can be weirdly easier to text someone randomly and asking them to hang on a random day instead of trying to meticulously plan a date that’s far away and Tetris your way to a date in multiple calendars.
One last thing!
France wins at pastries and stamps. These scratch-and-sniff postage stamps with Pierre Hermé’s famous Ispahan—a rose, litchi and raspberry macaron—were released for Valentine’s Day. J’adore!
Jeremiah Brent made me cry in every single episode of Queer Eye. Loved this interview with him on the Who What Wear podcast.
As a winter baby born in February, I appreciate these ideas for a winter birthday.
The state of the status soap (okay, so what’s the new Aesop)?
Tia Williams, who has written one of my favourite second chance romance novels, shares her faves in the New York Times.
10 low energy hobbies to try instead of scrolling on social media.
I love the idea of creating birthday playlist 😍
Enya forever!