Have you ever questioned your own whimsy? I mean, with the up-and-coming trends of “upping your whimsy”, how whimsical are you?
For a recent college project, my assignment teammates and I created a reel named ‘Day In My Life (Teapot Version).’ The concept was really simple: show the kettle in situations it doesn’t belong in. Use it in ways it’s not meant to be. From being used as a flower pot in the living room space to being a pen stand in the office, in every imaginable situation a kettle was suddenly there. The tea kettle goes so far as to be a cuddle buddy for the owner.
It’s absurd, I know but that’s the point of being whimsical.
While creating the reel, I felt myself push the bounds of how whimsical the reel can be while also having a satirical undertone. Of course, logically, nobody would go to sleep with their favourite kettle, but that’s the point, no, what is stopping us? I mean, the whimsical culture is the next best thing. Indulging in it would only add to your happiness. Thinking creatively gets monotonous at times, what looks visually pleasing, what fits a specific visual aesthetics. I realised, things don’t have to be so serious. Life doesn’t have to be so serious. Being whimsical breaks those chains, once freed, creatively? The world is my oyster and maybe, things won’t feel so stressful anymore. I can be creatively ambitious without wanting to cry every 5 minutes.
The last few years have been so hyper-focused on minimalism; doughnut-glazed skin and nails, clean girls, type A vs type B girls. It’s time for playful, childlike and slightly nostalgic ideas to come forth. To be honest my desi ass could never do minimalism anyways, but whimsical is definitely something I encourage.
I’ve realised as we grow older, we get serious and lose what made us, US.
I had Tamagotchi to play, hopscotch till our very technologically advanced beeping watches told us it was time to go home; our childhoods are filled with what we very serious adults would consider whimsical. All of these activities were just natural for me when I was a child. Who knows, maybe if I had a favourite kettle then, I would’ve used it as a cuddle buddy.
There was an innocence in that part of childhood which we all lost somewhere along the way into having to cough up 4 garments in the span of a few months or god forbid, get my drivers license. Can we go back to when nothing mattered the way it does now, everything had a story, and feelings. Nothing is stopping us from picking flowers on our way to the office, or wearing a princess dress for our next birthday. I vividly remember this dark pink DEEPLY UNCOMFORTABLE dress I wore for almost four birthdays in a row. I mean obviously comfort was a sacrifice all princesses made. That dress meant more than just a dress to me, I was literally Sofia The First in that dress. My mother didn’t even fight it, she knew that it was the only dress for me and god do I grieve that dress. It made me feel so at home.
To begin the whimsical journey, learn how to get in touch with your truest self and push yourself to get out of what you’ve nestled into, YOLO or whatever. Be the weirdo you are scared to be; you’ll never want to go back.
Edited by Hanna Villegas
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