How to Bring Whimsy Into Your Life

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at USF chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

At 20 years old and a junior in college, I was absolutely lost in myself. Over the past few years, I’ve struggled to figure out how to be my true and authentic self. But recently, I decided I want to embrace who I am and not let societal standards define me. Essentially, I want to reclaim my inner child because she was colorful, whimsical, and full of wonder. These are just some of the ways I’m bringing a whimsical light into my life to make the younger me proud.

revamp your wardrobe

It’s okay to look up “how to be whimsy.” Sometimes you need a little help or inspiration, and that doesn’t take away from it being authentic to you. With every new era in someone’s life, there’s always a period of struggle while figuring out what works best. The same goes for when you’re changing not only your mindset but also the way you dress and express yourself.

For me, this meant adding more colors, textures, patterns, and styles of clothing to my wardrobe. I now comfortably and confidently wear long, colorful skirts that perfectly reflect how I see myself. Most of my patterned, fun clothes are thrifted, which is the best way to find unique pieces. The key is to look for anything that brings me joy and makes me do a little happy dance because I love what I’m wearing. Along with the clothes, I’ve started branching out with my jewelry by stacking funky statement pieces with colorful beaded ones.

Surrounding Yourself with Magic

Having a fresh space when I moved for college was a challenge. I wanted my room to feel like me and be comfortable, yet also creatively stimulating. I didn’t want to stare at a blank wall all day, so I added green vines, fairy lights, art prints, and photos to my walls without worrying if everything matched. The goal was to wake up and love what I was surrounded by, whether it was funky mirrors or painted CDs.

I’ve also been adding whimsy by allowing myself to collect trinkets of almost anything—crystals, wooden miniatures, character figures, or anything I find fun or colorful. I’ve been loving blind boxes lately, and the excitement of opening one feels like such a whimsical little activity. I get to display the surprise alongside all my other trinkets, which adds even more joy to my space.

creating delightful habits

My favorite thing recently has been going on evening walks, not only because it allows me to connect with nature again and get my steps in, but I can also listen to my audiobooks or even discover new music. I think simple habits like this can accomplish so much and let me switch up my daily routine to add some calming sparkles to the crazy college life. 

Another habit I’ve picked up this past year is junk journaling. It’s essentially throwing a bunch of random scraps like tags on clothing and stickers from coffee cups and dumping them in a journal. I think there’s another level of whimsicalness that comes from making a fun and pretty page out of something that most people would throw away.

stacking your whimsical watchlist

To spark my childhood whimsy, I have been loving rewatching shows that I grew up watching. Strawberry Shortcake and Winx Club were on repeat in my house, and now they’re on repeat in my apartment as I write this. It’s so important to keep in touch with things that you once loved, and just because I have gotten older doesn’t mean I don’t long to live in a fruit house or transform into my Enchantix form. To continue the magical feeling as we get into fall, I would love to watch some Studio Ghibli films like Howl’s Moving Castle, and hopefully some 90’s whimsy-goth movies like Practical Magic. 

After years of feeling off, it’s relieving to figure out how I want to live my life. Adding whimsy in all aspects of my life has helped me connect with my younger self just a little bit more, and it’s brightened the days ahead.