Maybe You Don't Need Convincing . . .

Maybe you're like me: Someone who values whimsy. Maybe you're already aboard this train, but maybe you're not. I was reading something the other day where the writer was asserting that "whimsy" is a term that's being misused and is misunderstood. The writer was insinuating that the injections of whimsicality in daily life are detrimental to society as a whole. If you follow me on Instagram or know me in real life, you know: I'm a whimsical weirdo. And I'm going to make a case for how whimsy only improves a person's life and well-being.

Not to sound sales-y, but I basically already wrote a whole poetry book about this, and I'm only kind of kidding. Younger is a book that shows, in detail, how I was a non-whimsical, straight-laced, logical, and uncreative child. Not saying that like my childhood was devoid of joy or good memories, but it was full of self-imposed stresses and anxieties.

It wasn't until high school that I started making the most minute, whimsical additions to my life. Really, it wasn't until I had my license and a job that I felt freed up to make any such changes to my days. One of my first choices? Simply stopping for an ice cream on my way home from karate classes. Crazy? No. But a single decision that made my Thursday night better. From there, the creative and whimsical choices and joys in my life snowballed.

To be whimsical is quite literally to follow your whims, and, sure, that could be dangerous if you take it too far–but that's true of anything.

In reality, making time and space for moments of creativity and even just my own mental or emotional clarity/well-being was invaluable. I think that embracing whimsy is an actual act of self-care. It's a chance to slow down and try new things. It's a chance to regulate and remember beloved activities. It's a chance to breathe and follow your gut. To be whimsical is to be flexible and open and expanding. It's an ultimate opportunity for growth.

To be honest, I also believe that it makes people better. When people seize moments of whimsy, it makes them more expressive, more patient, and more adaptable. It allows space for imperfection and trial and error and low stakes. To be whimsical is to be a curator of moments instead of an observer or passenger. The potential payoff is truly insane.

And, yes, people do often seem to link whimsy to insanity and cluelessness and even disrespectful of others' time, but I think that's an unfortunate connection to draw. How people treat others' in their lives is generally more indicative of their values than their methods. Valuing intention and connection and joy should not be something treated as shameful or strange. So I hope you are living your whimsical best. I hope you are finding the moments and minute joys and creative sparks and relishing them entirely. But, if you're not yet, I hope you take this as your invitation to start. Begin with the tiniest step and see what mountain you summit.

Maybe start with a book? Read something just for fun, something just for you. Read whatever genre you loved most as a kid, whatever subject doesn't have anything to do with your job or career, whatever length you want. Read for just a few minutes a day or indulge for longer if you can, but take the chance and embrace the whimsy.

Happy reading!