We're All Weird & Whimsical

the cutest corner of the internet

Feb 23, 2025

A few days ago, @abigail.bailey0 asked Tik tok “Girlies what are some little things u do to be more whimsical, I love knowing about cute little habits”

Aaaaaannnnd welcome to the most wholesome corner of the internet.

Of the 50k+ responses, not one is a troll or internet asshole. And you know what? The girlies have a strong whimsy game. I swear someone could write their PhD. on this comment section.

(For clarification: girlies refers to girls or women in a playful, affectionate way.)

What is whimsy?

It’s playful, sure, but that’s only a small part of it. In order for something to be truly whimsical, it must be rooted in the fantastical, adhering to the agreement that there are more things in Heaven and Earth, dear reader, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Whimsy recognizes that things have a life of their own—not so much anthropomorphizing objects, but rather honoring their inherent being. Humans haven’t cornered the market on sentience: plants, animals, insects and objects have a soul or a spirit, something clear to the whimsical among us. A different life exists on the other side of the mirror, inanimate objects come to life when we leave the room. Everything gets names: lady bugs, flowers growing from the cracks in the sidewalk, tea kettles, and cars.

Another trait of the whimsical is a strong connection to nature, and knowing humans are part of a bigger whole. Do you look for the moon every night and silently greet her? Do you thank trees for the gift of oxygen or tell them they are so big and strong? You might be whimsical.

People conflate child-like playfulness with whimsy. It only counts as whimsical if that childishness is recognizing the world is a giant, awesome place where we are all connected by an invisible force (Magic? Energy?).

Importantly, if someone is forcing whimsical, making it performative, you’ll know, and it’s weird. It feels awkward, disingenuous, and twee. Most people who have whimsical habits and rituals aren’t really even aware of them, it’s just part of who they are. The comment section had a general vibe of oh, yeah, this is just a thing I do, I’ve never really thought about it before, and I love girls, we’re great, while a small group was like huh, I guess I’m not whimsical. I’ve never thought of this. I’m going to start doing this stuff now.

Whimsical isn’t an action, it’s a way of being in the world. More importantly, it’s a way of being that opens up dimensions and possibilities. We engage our creativity and imagination to make our lives feel a little more magical and a little less dreary.

I read through thousands of comments and discovered that we whimsy in so many of the same ways.

Greeting the moon, telling her she’s beautiful, talking about your day with her.
Watching the sun and the moon kiss in the sky.
Whispering or silently thinking affirmations into beverages.
Apologizing to objects or walls after bumping into them.
Calling out to lost things, as in “oh, amethyst ring, where have you gone?”
Telling our dogs or cats they’re in charge or not to have a party when you leave for the day (or to order pizza, the money is on teh counter).
Talking your day over with your pets.
Picking pets up to show them things they couldn’t normally see (high cupboards, different views from windows).
Making heart shapes with makeup or lotion before rubbing it in, stirring coffee or tea in heart shapes.
Wearing tiaras doing house work or drudgery.
So much stuffie stuff (stuffed animals), naming them, talking to them, rotating them so not a single one feels left out.
Greeting crows and blackbirds politely so as to not get on their bad side.
Making race car sounds when driving or taking corners really fast
Plants: name them, talk to them, shakes their hands, tell them they are pretty, dance with them.
Telling your dishes you're giving them a bath or your hands you’re giving them a shower when you wash them.
Saying hi to birds, bugs, horses, cows, ducks.
And this one, which I honestly can’t tell is a real thing, or if one person wrote it then people wanted to be cool like her so kept repeated versions of it: listening to medieval tavern music while doing the dishes to feel like a fantasy character or a tavern wench.

We also whimsy in our own whimsical ways:

(I’m listing a few today, but I’ll have plenty more for you in the future.)

@dilpickleluvr: i have antarctica pinned on the weather app to check on the penguins everyday
@Car: I like drinking water at night out of small wooden bowls. It makes me feel like I’m being nursed back to health by spirits
@jac: whenever i get a journal i give it a name and write all my entires as letters addressed to that name
@user3556846: I say affirmations while I braid my hair at night to lock the goodness in
@al: i have an imaginary friend Charlotte that i’m always trying to impress by being a good person
@Sarah: I whisper to my drinks to infuse them with my dreams
@elizabethspartea: i pretend my fun drinks are little potions that help me throughout the day
@ChickenNoodleSoup: I like to think when i’m putting on make up i’m enhancing my features I.E ( mascara = seeing the good in people or Lip liner / gloss = speaking gratitude and positivity )
@TheRavingRaven: Everything is a ritual, not a task ✨
@Josie: I love drive by complimenting the girlies. I pass someone while I’m walking with cool pants, I gasp and say “the pants! Stunning!” And keep truckin.
@Xan Doane: have a dance session w headphones on in ur room before u go somewhere it’s so fun

Do you whimsy? How? What do you do? How much joy does it bring you? Spread this joy like frosting on a cake.

Thanks for reading Iridescent Ordinary! This post is public so feel free to share it.

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