Whimsy (noun): playfully quaint or fanciful behavior or humor
The world can be an unpleasant place. The media capitalizes on the horrors we face every day – war, crime, climate change, political unrest … the headlines are never-ending. These issues are ones we absolutely have to address to promote social justice, but it’s rather disheartening to be surrounded by these negative terms all the time. It seems like society has lost the art of finding joy in the little things.
The word “whimsy” is one I’ve seen thrown around a ton on TikTok recently. (And to be the grammar police for a second – “whimsy” is a noun. “Whimsical” is the adjective. Something can have whimsy, but it can’t be whimsy.) My first association with the word is something other-worldly, magical, perhaps – fairies, gnomes, pixie dust, the whole nine yards. But in reality, it’s just a silly quality or something done in a playful and unpredictable way.
People are adding sprinkles to their morning coffee, dressing up in cute outfits for mundane errands and bedazzling everything in sight with rhinestones. They are creating countless niche playlists for specific moments in time, thrifting for vintage glassware and adding googly eyes to everyday objects (a personal favorite).
And you know what? I’m here for this whimsical movement. To put it simply, it’s fun! I like to laugh and bring others joy, so … why not?
As humans, we are ingrained in a “go-go-go” lifestyle. We rush from one place to another, one project to the next, with little time to pause and enjoy a moment to ourselves. Small, silly moments can provide a moment of stress relief as you share a laugh with a friend or smile to yourself at something that brings you joy. Romanticizing your routine by grabbing a fun drink or creating a Pinterest board isn’t a big commitment, yet it puts you in such a better mood.
I think that even marketing tactics can be whimsical, and brands should capitalize on that more. One blaring example from the past 10 or so years was the infamous Unicorn Frappuccino from Starbucks. This colorful, sweet and sour creme-based drink was only available for a limited time and drove crazy lines at locations across the country. Dumb? Of course. But fun? Absolutely. Who wouldn’t want a burst of pink and blue sugar running through their veins? This jab at adding a little whimsy to the menu was smart on Starbucks’ part. Perhaps a mermaid frappe next?
Unfortunately, I think many people might pass off whimsical endeavors as “embarrassing” or “childish”. I’m not sure when we as a society became so judgmental – maybe that’s just called growing up, but I think we’re often afraid to let our real personalities show, especially when surrounded by people we aren’t particularly close with. And to that, I say, let your inner child out every now and then. Kids have more fun, anyway.
I don’t think that focusing on the positives in life is always avoiding or ignoring the greater societal issues at hand. Breaking things up allows people to take a breather and keep going. Social media was created to do exactly as the name suggests – engage in discourse on a variety of digital platforms. We should use it to spread awareness and speak up on important matters, but also to spread joy to those who might need an extra boost in their day.
Life is too short to be serious every moment of the day. We should all sprinkle some moments of whimsy into our days and find joy in being a little ridiculous.
