The art of…Whimsy

Salutations, dear readers! Welcome to the art of whimsical living. 

It is a harsh and cruel world. Some of us know this more intimately than others. Yet we are all at least acquainted with misery. We’ve shaken its withering hand upon first introduction and passed it in the street enough times over to understand it somewhat. Whether misery is a new associate or a longtime companion, there is another character who stands to counteract the shady dealings of this well-known figure. That other character, my friends, is whimsy. 

Whimsy is a dear old friend. A smiling, laughing, pleasant companion. It comes to us in odd and lovely places, if we can attune ourselves to its sensibilities. It is, to this author, a quiet thing, skipping alongside you always. It comes and goes at its own pace, but will always show up when you need it most. 

To others, whimsy may present itself in more abrupt and direct ways.

“Whimsy is a certain absurdness that grabs you by the scruff of your neck, I suppose. It kind of turns you about and makes you look at the strange things that surround you. You don’t need to seek it out, it’s always there when you’re walking around, if you pay close enough attention,” says freshman Russell Howard, a local purveyor of whimsy. 

When asked how whimsy manifests itself in daily life, Russell had more wise words to share. Exactly what does one do to embrace whimsy? “I think the biggest thing would be to not reject feeling weird. In all honesty, whimsy lies in humor and in a kind of wonder at the fact that I’m doing what I’m doing right now, when I’m doing something strange,” Here Russell pauses to laugh at himself. “I’m willing to do something that makes people take a step back sometimes. It makes their day a little bit stranger than it was going.” Giving space to strangeness into the world is one of whimsy’s specialties, it seems. 

“Whimsy is a state of mind,” Jonah Trubey, a fellow freshman and whimsy expert, claims. “It also makes it all more bearable, all the awkward moments. All the strange things. Were it not for the whimsy, then things would just be awkward.” 

“And dead.” Russell chimes in. 

But how does one begin their whimsy journey? How exactly does one become more whimsical? Our experts weigh in with some practical starting points. Russell says, “When shaking someone’s hand, hold on just a little bit longer. Try to be louder, in general.” 

Jonah adds, “Call them by their name, but slightly alter it phonetically.” Russell gave some examples, “If their name were, say, Shane, call them Shawn. Or if it were Levi, say, Levey.” Changing the pronunciation of one’s name, without any disrespectful intention (obviously), can add a bit of playful fun to an interaction. 

“Intonation is also very important, especially in greetings. You wouldn’t say ‘hello’ to someone, you would say ‘hEl-lO!’ to someone,” says Jonah. 

Other easy whimsy-invoking activities include stepping on fallen leaves to hear the good crunch, opening your window to listen to the sounds outside, watching a sunset start to finish, reading a comforting book in a cozy spot, wearing clothes not for style or to keep up with trends but to truly express one’s feelings, singing or whistling as you walk and keeping plenty of jokes ready to tell. 

You can find whimsy in the music you enjoy, the books you read, the films you watch, the food you eat. Whatever you consume, do so mindfully. Whatever you create, do so lovingly. The ultimate point of whimsy is to bring a little more needed joy into the world. To not take things quite so seriously, until or unless the occasion calls for a dose of sobriety. Embrace the weird, the strange, the spectacular. If you see a friend from far away, wave and shout their name, express the joy you feel upon seeing them. If you find yourself near flowers, smell them. We are all, whether we admit it or not, in need of sparks of whimsy.