I couldn’t stop thinking about this today.
A political figure had posted a short video of him and his wife having fun and enjoying their time at a state dinner at the White House. (No politics here whatsoever – the point is outside of politics!) The person who reposted it criticized them for the look it presented with the midterm elections coming up, and most of the comments said the same thing – or worse.
I don’t really know who the original poster is, but I wondered what is wrong with just enjoying yourself occasionally?
Now, I think for some people it really is all politics because apparently many of us do just want to have some lighthearted fun. Google searches for the word “whimsy” spiked more than 400 percent over last year, and Etsy reported a 50 percent jump in searches for whimsical jewelry and decorative items this year.
The whimsy trend is having a moment.
Craft stores have reported a surge in demand for stick-on rhinestones because people are buying them en masse and putting them on their disposable coffee cups, their phone chargers, their face masks, and many other temporary surfaces. The Midwestern goose statues are making a comeback. They are out in front yards and porches again wearing sports jerseys, raincoats, or graduation gowns.
The trend has moved inside our homes too where we are drinking out of mugs shaped like strawberries, buying colorful plates and cups, and using cowboy boots as flower vases. Some people have managed to find and buy old rotary phones and grandma TVs strictly for decoration.
It has made its way into fashion, where people are apparently continuing to get dressed long after you would think they were finished. That means wearing more than one belt, piling on several necklaces, or tying colorful scarves around their heads – or even their thighs.
It has even affected what we eat. People are molding butter into swans, using cookie cutters to slice their fruit into shapes before eating it, and putting rainbow sprinkles on their drinks.
It sounds, to me, kind of like being a kid again.
When you are six and put more than one outfit on or want sprinkles on everything, no one thinks a thing about it. But if you do it as an adult, it’s a “trend.”
Why Whimsy Now?
Many have offered reasons for why this trend has captured people’s attention.
- One is that it is burnout from the minimalism and plain white of the last decade (Remember the sad beige baby clothes?) and a backlash against corporate branding.
- Another is that it is a coping mechanism for all the real or perceived anxieties people are facing, and a third reason is whimsy involves purposeless joy.
You can bake cupcakes and not feel pressured to start a business, walk without counting your steps, or take pictures without creating an Instagram account and building a following.
Putting a ceramic duck on your windowsill, learning how to juggle, or painting a flowerpot bright yellow is not going to make you healthier, wealthier, or more organized. And it actually won’t bring you long-term joy or peace either. That comes from only one Person.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy them.
Not everything we do has to accomplish something, make a statement, or serve a greater purpose. Sometimes we can simply have fun, whether you are an adult or not.
You can put sprinkles on your latte without worrying about the midterms!
For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7.
God bless you. Stay hopeful! ❤️
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