Recently, my TikTok For You Page has been filled with “How to be Whimsy,””Whimsical Things I Do,”“How I Add Whimsy in my Life,” and more. And I am living for it. Even just a 30-second video fills me with joy and warmth, like I’m a child full of wonder again. After consuming hours of content, I’ve decided I want to add more whimsy to my life and fully embrace the freeing brightness and beauty of it all.Â
Whimsy: A Mindset Not Just an Aesthetic
Whimsy is more than just an aesthetic; it’s a mindset, a way of living. Embracing your uniqueness, quirks, and abandoning the norm. Be weird, be cringe, embrace the stares, as long as you’re doing things that bring you joy and excitement. Bring back your childhood spark and wonder, and embrace the mindset many of us once held: not caring what anyone thought. Be brave and step out of societal norms and be yourself, whatever that may look like. Go all out in everything you do, don’t be nonchalant, be excessive and fun, and “too much.” Spend time in nature and appreciate the simple things in life. While you of course don’t always have to be happy, try to see the good and beauty behind the darkness and fear.Â
The Vibes
If we’re talking aesthetics, though, whimsy is all about bright, fun, liveliness. I picture it as all very Fancy Nancy; bright colors, glitter and sparkles, and fun makeup and jewelry. Decorate everything, add stickers to everything, put sticky notes with kind words or quotes on your mirror, or hang up stars on your ceiling. Make your environment reflect your mindset and feelings; the way your surroundings look majorly impacts your mood. You don’t always have to dress and present whimsy to be whimsy, as I said, it’s a mindset, but matching the outside to what’s inside is always fun and brings some extra whimsy to your life. Extra whimsy if you DIY or thrift, because fun should never be limited by money.Â
How to Bring Whimsy into Your LifeÂ
My biggest tip for being whimsical is DIY everything (that you can), even if you hate it, keep trying and make things your own by adding a personal touch. You can decorate a tote bag, personalize an Altoid tin to use as a wallet or trinket box, sew, embroider, scrapbook, journal, and so much more. I love using things I find and collect throughout my day for journaling; leaves, dried flowers, receipts, napkins or newspapers. You can also carry around a notebook with you and collect things, draw flowers or animals you see, or draw shapes you spot in the clouds. Add little fun touches to your everyday life, like using a fun cup for your morning coffee (or energy drink or matcha, or whatever else you choose to indulge in). Get fun and unique ice molds like stars or hearts, cut your fruit into fun shapes too, and add sprinkles to everything. Becoming pen pals with a friend, even if they live five minutes away, sending cute personalized letters can be really fun and spark a new sort of connection between you and your friends. Go to local farmers’ markets, or small businesses, or go thrifting. Spend time outside, get fresh air and sun. Do things that make you feel happy and free.Â
Bringing Whimsy into your Mindset
Here’s where that childlike sense of wonder and freeness really comes into play. Being a child is so carefree; embrace that feeling again. Be in awe of everything. Don’t worry about being “dramatic”; there is no such thing as “too excited” when being whimsical. Despite the scariness of the world, there is so much beauty and joy, nature, and Mother Earth can be so magical. Feel wonder and admire the beauty. Talk to bugs, send messages in the wind that will find others, and count how many dogs or birds you see in a day. Say hello and goodbye to your house or room every day. If you have plants, give them names and talk to them. Give seemingly boring, inanimate objects personalities and stories. Break away from that norm and embrace what makes you happy, no matter how odd.