Whimsy for the Win
The world is on fire and it just won’t stop burning—even here in New England where this dreary, wet, perpetual winter is driving us all mad. Seriously, it’s snowing as I write this in April.
I haven’t been as committed to my business as I would have liked these last few months; for those paying attention, I haven’t released a blog, a crystal guide, or uploaded a proper sabbath post since September and I couldn’t tell you why. I mean, I could, but with such a long list of possibilities, who’s to say which is the real answer? Imposter Syndrome, stress, illness, holidays, medication changes, burnout, loss of confidence, lack of time, lack of motivation, lack of sleep, lack of hope, and oh yeah, the entire world outside of my personal orbit isstill a fiery, heartbreaking hellscape.
And now it’s snowing in April.
In an attempt to get back on the horse I’ve been spending time looking over my blogs, my Instagram page, my website, to see what I’ve done and hopefully find something to spark some inspiration. And there it was: my Instagram bio. Those precious few words that are supposed to explain exactly who I am, what my business is, and why someone should hire me: “Cecilia Edwards. Writer. Reader. Sparkle Enthusiast. Rainy Day Aficionado. Work in Progress.” Written at least a year ago, all still true.
But then there’s what I offer: “Copywriting services to inspire confidence and encourage whimsy.” This one sentence is my entire business model and I stand by it. I love it, but I can’t help but wonder what it really means to me. What does it mean to “encourage whimsy,” and how can I achieve that with copywriting and website design?
Why ‘Whimsy?’
Whimsy is a word and a concept that has been coming up a lot for me lately. It’s a state of being that I’ve been clinging to no matter what life throws at me. Now that I’m over thirty, I’ve got a decent amount of inner-child work under my belt, and let me tell ya, rediscovering my sense of childlike wonder and embracing whimsy has been life-changing, nay, life-saving.
Several years ago, my husband and I went to Best Buy to buy a new above-the-stove microwave and left with a microwave, and a new stove, and a blue-ray containing all three Back to the Future movies, “because,” I said, “every major adult purchase deserves a little whimsy.” Words to live by. So let’s dig into the word itself, a smidge, shall we?
Whimsy 101
The word whimsy was first recorded in 1595-1605.
It comes from whim-wham (n): any odd or fanciful object or thing.
I loved learning this because obviously, I love objects, and things, and stuff. I’ve always been a collector and somewhat of a recovering hoarder. I’ve always viewed my possessions as being rich with sentimental value (even if it was actual trash because sometimes, it was). I love trinkets and do-dads, tchotchkes and wares. I love antiquing and window-shopping, and museums and libraries and craft fairs. If there is one absolute, ask-anyone fact about myself, it’s that my favorite thing is to look at STUFF.
It’s my most definitive whimsy.
Got stuff? I wanna look at it.
I definitely want to talk about it, and I think that alone gives me stupendous qualifications as a lifestyle copywriter for designers, creators, and makers of all stripes.
Whimsy is a Skill
Is anyone else here a fan of author, podcaster, and public, professional witch Pam Grossman? Because I adore her so much. In fact, I like to joke with other witches (and anyone who will listen, really) that “Pam Grossman is my matron goddess.” (Should I have t-shirts made?) Plus, if anyone needs a little nudge toward identifying or embracing their own whimsy, she is absolutely the best teacher you could ask for.
As the creator and host of the wonderful Witch Wavepodcast, her Patreon backers have access to monthly virtual rituals that usually follow the Zodiacal calendar. Just last week she released her Aries circle, “Whimsy Witch.” Needless to say, it was nothing short of delightful, insightful, and absolutely necessary. I don’t want to simply regurgitate everything she so beautifully presented to us, but I believe I can share her key takeaways:
Fun is not frivolous
Curiosity is courageous
Whimsy is a form of resistance
She also made repeated use of beautiful words like “wonder,” “imaginal,” “glamour,” and reminded us all to be as iridescent, shimmery, sparkly, and glittery as possible, especially during such dark, trying times. Indeed, the horrors persist, but so does she, so do I, so do us all. This was particularly impactful and timely for me because the entire month of March was an absolute nightmare. All thirty-one days saw me in an intense, shadowy state begging for the tiniest spark of hope, and as always, Pam Grossman gave me a flashlight.
So here I am, trying to feed my whimsy, and harness this innocent yet courageous Fool energy into the creative momentum I need to move forward, reach higher, dream bigger, and be better.
Fun is Not Frivolous
Neither is wonder, imagination, creativity, nostalgia, or silliness.
I said earlier that I haven’t published a blog or released any of my seasonal content, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been writing. Last summer I saw an ad on social media for a Fantasy Writing Challenge and something told me that I needed to enter. This then led to a conversation with my husband about how I’ve loved writing since I was a little girl, but the older I got, the more frivolous it felt.
I started writing stories to share with my grandmother—the person that activated my imagination with all the best books and sent me on a lifelong journey of adventure and discovery. I found fanfiction in middle school, I experimented with poetry, children’s stories, plays, imagining maybe someday I might be a screenwriter. I even tried to write screen adaptations of my favorite teen novels. In high school I took creative writing classes and AP Literature, always reading, always writing. In my first semester of college I tried my hand at a steamy, romantic novella, but suddenly, it all just…stopped.
Academic responsibilities took over, adult relationships formed and ended, bills needed to be paid, obligations needed to be met, and before I knew it, I wasn’t that creative, whimsical, little girl with big dreams anymore. I was a depressed twenty-something just trying to survive. My academic writing was good and after two Bachelor’s degrees and a Masters it only got better. But my creative side slowly disappeared as I tried to become more grownup and “professional.”
“Lots of people used to ask if I wrote fiction,” I told my husband, “but I always said ‘I don’t have the confidence to write fiction.’” Isn’t that sad?
So I wrote a 2,000-word short story; fiction, for the first time in over fifteen years, fantasy for the first time ever. And you guys, I had the best time. I may not have made it past the first round of judging, but I was hooked. Since then I’ve written two more. I almost wrote a third but my ideas were too big for 2,000 words in ten days, and left me with the tantalizing thought “should I write a novel?”
I was stretching creative muscles I hadn’t used in years, and I was having fun. I felt alive again; I felt so many stories and characters waking up inside me after lying dormant for so, so long.
Discover, Embrace, Surrender
If something is bringing you joy or making you feel good feelings, it’s not frivolous—period. In fact, it’s necessary. Embrace it, feed it, indulge in it, swim in it, ride the waves, and replenish your spirit.
As for me, something new is definitely brewing. It could be whimsical, or it could be wild, or weird, or a wondrous combination of all three. There is excitement in mystery and it takes courage to surrender to the unknown, but I’m putting on my most sparkling, brave face and I'm ready to leap.
Clearly, I’ve let my whimsy take over and my thoughts have run amuck—at no point did I actually discuss how I incorporate and encourage whimsy in my professional work, but you know what? I had to indulge in my kook a little bit first. I’ll get there, so be on the lookout…
