WHIMSY IS HAVING A MOMENT
It seems (based on the algorithms) that whimsy is the new flavour of the month. I've noticed a few whimsy quotes and thoughts appearing in my online feed and they made me smile and want to jump on the bandwagon myself.
Here's a couple of whimsical things I've noticed recently....
HAVE YOU HEARD OF WHIMSY-MAXXING?
Apparently "maxxing" is also featuring online lately including these versions that popped up in my internet search:
- Looks-maxxing: Trying to maximize physical attractiveness through any means.
- Soft-maxxing: Safe, reversible improvements like skincare, grooming, hairstyles, gym workouts, and good posture.
- Hard-maxxing: Extreme, risky, or permanent modifications like plastic surgery, chemical treatments, or extreme body manipulation.
- Sleep-maxxing: Hyper-optimizing sleep hygiene, bedroom darkness, and tracking tech to get perfect rest.
- Health-maxxing / Wellness-maxxing: Combining diets, cold plunges, supplements, and fitness data trackers.
- Gym-maxxing: Committing intensively to weightlifting and body composition goals.
- Protein-maxxing / Fiber-maxxing: Tracking and heavily increasing the intake of specific daily macronutrients.
- Money-maxxing / Wealth-maxxing: Focusing intensely on side hustles, budgeting, and financial growth.
- Status-maxxing: Manipulating social behavior or associations strictly to look higher-status.
None of those looked like anything I'd want to get onboard with - they mostly sound exhausting! But there was one that appeared and stood out for me in amongst all the Tiktok noise, and it was Whimsy-maxxing. Basically it's:
The practice of intentionally hunting for wonder - sometimes called "glimmer hunting", or becoming a "wonder hunter" -it's the deliberate act of slowing down to notice, romanticize, and savor small, everyday moments of beauty, joy, and safety that often go unnoticed in a fast-paced or stressful world.
I thought that sounded lovely. Who wouldn't want to slow down to notice the glimmers and small moments of beauty, joy, and safety? It sounds perfect to me. I don't want to be focusing on my looks or my muscle mass, or even my sleep hygiene - but I do like the idea of giving my attention to finding more gentle and joyful moments in my day.
IN CONTRAST THERE'S "WHIMSY AND RAGE"
The next thing I discovered was the flip side of the coin, which is "whimsy and rage" - it's defined as:
A viral internet and feminist art meme that captures the modern mood of holding childlike joy, softness, and aesthetics alongside righteous anger and exhaustion with the world.
This sounds pretty much like the opposite to whimsy-maxxing, and with what's been happening in our world I can understand why a tee-shirt with this slogan holds some appeal for those who are tired of all the noise and just want to go somewhere quiet and pretty to let off some steam. I'm just not quite ready to spend $70 on a tee-shirt - and I really don't want to be raging about anything - I'd rather keep my whimsy and breathe.
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| tee-shirt from badbatch.com.au |
WHAT ARE YOU MAXXING?
I'm grateful that that most of the forms of maxxing are way off my radar and not really my thing these days, but the idea of chasing some joy definitely has its appeal. So maybe I'll choose "Full of Whimsy and Age" rather than Rage to define this season of my life - happy to be older, happy to be free from the noise of the world, and happy to live a life that's based on my own whims and nobody else's.
How about you? Are you maxxing out on anything? Does adding a little more whimsy into your world sound appealing or is it too airy-fairy for you? What's caught your eye online lately?
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That kind of labelling and thinking is something I am so very glad I don't need to know anymore about. I like that you took on the venture for us Leanne. My goal each day, is to walk somewhere in or around nature, and NOTICE it. Sometimes I take some photos. Mostly I just enjoy the experience.
ReplyDeleteI think you do this too!! Denyse x
Hi Denyse - I always find it interesting when "pop-culture" kind of reflects something we do naturally. I think retirement has given us space for a little whimsy - but the best part is that we get to do it on our own terms and in a way that works for us as individuals - it's like glimmers - different for everyone, but still really special.
DeleteInteresting - I've never looked up the word whimsy and always thought it meant to savour joy, fun and dare to be a bit silly, because that's how I've seen it used. With your quote here it's more in terms of mindfulness and being present - that's a beautiful meaning! As you know I'm very much into fitness, for all the good things it's adding to my life, but I like to balance it with going for walks just for enjoying nature and seeing all the beauty I have around me.
ReplyDeleteI never heard about the whimsy and rage movement! But I always miss all the trends!
Hi Susanne - I think we let a lot of those trends slide by as we get older. I like that I can see them and then decide if they work in any way for me - or if I can shift them to be more meaningful. And yes - whimsy with a little mindfulness works well for me these days - savouring those little moments of joy that float into my life is just so lovely.
DeleteLeanne, Fascinating. For me, it's all about moderation. Not maxxing on anything. Even, no not on whimsy either. Although I've been known to be whimsical and plan to be again (my garden yard art - so looking forward to creating it again!). But it was a fascinating list of maxxing!
ReplyDelete