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The Public fully opened in August 2009

It's interesting how wide-ranging people's responses are to the concept of happiness.

Everything from family and travelling to food, and even the decade that fashion-sense forgot, the 1980s, have been mentioned by those featuring in the art exhibition at The Public.

One woman even cited the late actor, Patrick Swayze, as the source of her happiness!

Jon works as a data analyst for the NHS

Indeed, happiness is so abstract that it's hard to sum up as a whole, but if pushed I think it can be expressed most simply in the enjoyment of the little things in life.

One of the first things I think of is something I find very important, and necessary - coffee! I find coffee a source of so many different forms of happiness, especially my first cup in the morning before work.

It wakes me from a sleepy state of delirium, comforts me like my favourite woolly blanket and finally shakes me into action.

There's coffee and then there's drinking coffee in a coffee shop. For me there's nothing I love more than sitting watching the world go by.

Jon needs his early morning cuppa!

On my little trips to my regular haunts in Wolverhampton I love to ‘people watch’ and my attention is always drawn to one particular middle-aged lady.

A specific glass

It’s this lady’s ritualistic approach to her newspaper-reading, coffee-drinking extravaganza that fascinates me.

Each day, on arriving just before the café gets busy at lunchtime, she happens to sit in the same spot alone and is quite methodical in her preparation.

She collects her coffee, which she always asks for in a specific glass, and is rude if she doesn’t get it just right.

She then proceeds to one of the few four-seater tables and turns her Daily Mail into a tablecloth.

West Park, Wolverhampton

West Park

This makes me smile to myself, mostly in anticipation of what's to follow.

As the café tables are filled, groups of people looking for one always hover near her expecting she might move to a smaller table.

She just ignores the coughs, and other less-than-subtle hints directed her way. Nothing makes her budge and I hope nothing ever will!

Chased by geese

Being outdoors brings just as much happiness though. West Park is my 'local' and I find it a great place to observe the ducks, and clear my head.

Seeing the schoolkids charging around, kicking piles of leaves at each other makes me smile as it reminds me of my own childhood and of more carefree times.

One of the 'happy' exhibitions

When passing through the park, I’ll often see the same dishevelled man clutching a can of super-strength larger. Usually he’s being chased by geese and his ability to never spill a drop always makes me laugh, as much as the thought that the animals might fancy a drop!

A group of ‘hoodies’ reminded me of the good in people, too. An elderly lady walking around the park with lots of shopping was approached by a crowd of moody-looking teenagers.

I thought I might have to intervene, but I was wrong. I smiled when I saw this group of tough-looking lads help her across the road.

Long-distance journeys

The absence of something expected can also bring happiness. I find driving a pleasure but mainly when there's no-one else on the road, which is hardly ever.

Jonathon, 26, and girlfriend Rosemarie

A couple of weeks ago, though, I discovered the M6 toll road for the first time.

It costs but this piece of road's a marvel, mainly because there's nobody on it!

It's such a wonderful feeling having three lanes and only two or three other cars to share them with; you really get a feel for what it must have been like in the late 50s when motorways first opened and motoring was still a joy.

Happiness then, it seems, is life. Of course, I should add that happiness could not be happiness without my girlfriend, Rosemarie!

The Happiness exhibition is being held at The Public and will run from Tuesday 20 October until Friday 27 November.

Artists from community arts organisation Multistory worked with residents in Sandwell, Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton from seven diverse groups to help them stencil, spray, glue and sew their ideas of happiness onto special pre-fabricated cardboard houses.

They have been brought together to create an estate of ‘Happiness Houses' as part of the project.

Those taking part include: Yemeni women, young mums, older people with dementia, young deaf people, South Asian women from the Navjaveen Project, users of the Women’s Wellbeing Centre, women affected by domestic violence, and users of Dudley Mind.