There’s a time and place for being serious but come on people. Live a little. Where’s the joy? The wonder? The whimsy? I fear I’ve noticed a lot of people don’t know how to have fun or are too scared to let their hair down. The state the world is currently in, we need more joy than ever. I’ve recently been embodying the carefree, whimsical nature of life. Don’t get me wrong, there are still important things to take care of, but once those are completed, I just want to giggle a little. I think people could use some more whimsy in their life, and this post will explore ways to enjoy living a little.
When I reflect on this past year, I can’t help but be proud of how much I’ve grown. There was the good with the bad, but overall, I’m finally in a position where I can say I’m truly happy. I’ve made some incredible friends, I’m involved in my local social scene, I’m outside more, and I’m finally pursuing what feels right to me. My ceramic business is finally up and running. I’m selling at my local coffeeshop where I work, I get to laugh with my regulars, and then I get to go home and create functional art. After years of questioning myself and my purpose, I finally found it. I’m happy, which is crazy to say. It only took a lot of tears, downfalls, and a little brain pill to get me there! The one through-line during this journey was this: I always had my whimsy.
On a past camping trip, we went around the fire asking everyone to describe themselves with one word and whimsy was the first to pop into my head. It got me reflecting on my life, and I realized, yeah, I do like to carry wonder wherever I go. I see life as one to explore, to learn as much as I can about people and the world around me. I usually blame my engineer brain for needing every ounce of data I can squeeze out of anything, which leads to my artist brain constantly saying, chill out, let things just be, let them arrive. I’ve learned I have this duality, and it helps me see the beauty of the world more clearly. I know when to be serious. I know when someone needs a smile. I say things I “shouldn’t,” because life is short and meant to be lived fully and authentically.
Lately, I’ve noticed how cautious people have become with one another. Playfulness feels risky now, like every interaction has to be carefully managed or interpreted. Even light banter, harmless curiosity, or a silly message can feel loaded. I don’t think people are boring, I think they’re guarded. We’re so afraid of being misunderstood, of crossing some invisible line, that we dull ourselves before anyone else can. In the process, we lose the small moments of connection, the giggles, the why not? energy that makes life feel alive. I see it when I’m out with friends, when strangers hesitate to talk to each other, when conversations stay polite but never curious. It’s like everyone is waiting for permission to relax. But the moment someone breaks the ice, makes a joke, or says the slightly unfiltered thing, the energy shifts. People loosen up. They remember they’re allowed to be human and that choosing whimsy, in a world that rewards detachment, is a small act of bravery.
So let this be your permission. Permission to laugh a little louder, to lean into yourself, to say the silly thing without fear of what others think. In being yourself, you find others like you. Trying to maintain perfection in a world that is far from perfect only sets us up for failure, not failure of others, but failure of self. Don’t lose yourself trying to fill a mold no one remembers creating. Question things. Laugh at little moments. Be whimsical. Whimsy isn’t something we outgrow, it’s something we forget how to access. We need more ease, more community, more moments where we let ourselves be seen without armor. Whimsy is how we find each other again. It’s how strangers become friends, how nights turn memorable, how life feels less heavy.
Whimsy isn’t frivolous. It’s remembering who we are when it matters. It’s the courage to live life honestly and fully. So let your hair down, and be the whimsy you wish to see in the world.