The Problem with Whimsy: When Does Manufactured Uniqueness Lead to a Loss of Individuality?
What is whimsy? The internet seems to think it means trinkets, buttons, food coated in sprinkles and stickers covering every surface.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy all of those things. But instead of aiming to add sparkle and joy into one's life like it was intended, whimsy has shifted into a story of consumerism and conformity. Social media allows these trends to be amplified, and everyday life becomes performative when creators constantly share what makes their day different or special.
Dictionary.com defined whimsy as “anything odd or fanciful; a product of playful or capricious fancy.” To me this means doing silly things on a WHIM to bring joy to one's life instead of trying to hit criteria of what is considered whimsical. In a world where the term “whimsy” has shifted from being a mindset and into an aesthetic, I think we need to be true to our own definition of the word.
Amy Catriona emphasizes this idea on her blog. She says whimsy can’t be bought by gaining new and thrifted items. It is not something that can build upon overnight, but something that should be spontaneous and unexpected, acting more as a state of being. Catriona uses “Jane” as a depiction of how one can be casually whimsical: “Jane loves a playful turn of phrase,” Catriona said. “She’s named the pigeons that nest on her roof. She sketches people she sees on the bus, imagining them as characters in a film. Jane has whimsy without any of the aesthetic signifiers we’ve come to associate with it.”
Being whimsical is not about consuming new products or feeling like you need to even thrift or craft something. It is more whimsical to use the same cup every day than spend money on a matcha latte covered in sprinkles. Some aspects of everyday life don't need to involve spending, such as star gazing, picking flowers, going to a public library or noticing the little moments. All these involve the intention to be whimsical, but don't focus on a lifestyle leading to waste.
Why pay for whimsy when you can create your own magic? Buying something with the intention of being different doesn't work if everyone around you can buy those same items. If something is meant to show a glimpse of who you are as a person, hundreds of people with the same items just turn into a mold of false uniqueness. After reading this, I hope everyone tries to be authentic to themselves, and do what makes them happy, because that is the true magic of whimsy.