I’m a huge fan of whimsy. Whimsy makes ordinary objects feel special; it makes everyday moments feel memorable; it adds playfulness and energy to life.
So I’m always delighted to discover some touch of whimsy–a robot vacuum named Cleanopatra, googly eyes on a train car (thank you, Boston), a Tupperware container that warns: Steal this and suffer.
I’ve included many touches of whimsy in my apartment. For instance, I have three miniature landscapes–a secret garden set in a bookshelf, a mermaid lagoon set in a different bookshelf, and best of all, a mountain scene set in a kitchen cabinet. I love seeing visitors’ surprise when they open the door to take a glass or a plate, and instead confront this tiny scene.
Moments of whimsy make us laugh; surprise us where we expect the ordinary; add a humorous touch to reminders, rules, and reprimands; and show us that life doesn’t always have to be serious.
Whimsy appears in the most unlikely places–including very formal, rule-bound places. The research university MIT has a reputation for being serious and rigorous–but each year, the school releases its college-acceptance decisions on March 14 (Pi Day). Whenever I return to Yale Law School, I look for the stone carvings above the main door that show students dozing over their books as a professor yells, “Wake up!” And, in one of my favorite examples of whimsy, my beloved state of Nebraska chose “Honestly, it’s not for everyone” as its unconventional tourist slogan.
What is whimsy, exactly?
Whimsy is the addition of some imagination and surprise to daily life.
It might show up in a goofy name for an event on your calendar or how you decorate your desk.
For novelty lovers, something unexpected can make familiar routine feel more energizing. For Rebels//–people who resist rigidity and dislike being told what to do–whimsy might even feel like a bit of welcome defiance when it seems like everyone expects maximum efficiency at all times.
Why we reach for whimsy
I remember seeing a photo of one family’s household rules. The heading read, in large capital letters: HEINOUS INFRACTIONS. Beneath it was a list of entirely ordinary chores–clean up your dishes, pick up your shoes, no throwing balls in the living room–presented in absolutely dire language. It worked!
The whimsy of wrapping the rules in such melodramatic terms made the message far less annoying.
Recently, whimsy seems to be having a moment. It has popped up in online conversations, design trends, and seemingly just about everywhere.
Last month, when I asked people to share whimsical things they do, responses poured in. The answers ranged from keeping bubbles by the door to baking elaborate gingerbread houses to making up personalized songs about family members.
As reading this list demonstrates, it’s tremendously cheering to consider examples of whimsy.
Whimsy is an impulse toward delight. In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, William Blake wrote “Energy is Eternal Delight.” And I would flip that observation to say, “Delight is Energy.”
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