Caution, Approach with Humor!
Whimsical scenes or objects hold a special place in my heart. Finding the quiet little joys in life makes each day a treasure. Hints of humor may be found here and there, in garden décor, in storefronts, in statuary, even in graveyards. Whimsical objects may have historic significance adorning churches or public buildings and yet I wonder if the artists and craftsmen of the time wanted to inject a bit of lightness into the overall design.
What is Whimsy? A sense of humor or playfulness. It may also be capricious behavior, the result of an almost willy-nilly response to life. With an alternative spelling of whimsey, it has its roots in whim and is associated with whim-wham or whimsy-whamsy and may vary to whimsical and whimsically. Its origins likely date to 1600. Just thinking of words like “willy-nilly” conjures up amusement. I think of whimsy as something not quite right that becomes a delight.
Whimsy ranges from amusing to nonsensical to bizarre, giving a place a sense of humor about itself. It helps us keep our perspective and smile inwardly to ourselves and outwardly to others. Some places lend themselves to having little enchantments, but search nooks and crannies and bits of humor may be found. A pretty object may be placed in an unexpected spot or an odd object appears with no intent but to amuse. Some seasons lend themselves to whimsy, like the Christmas holidays. Some events are tinged with humor and lightness. Sometimes a plan goes awry producing a capricious result.
One person may find an object whimsical, another may find it absurd, and yet another may find it charming or quaint. The photos under the menu option of Mood and then the first photo of Whimsy have scenes and objects that I found whimsical. Almost all of these objects are man-made and some have come down to us through the ages. You can also click here to go directly to the Whimsy Photos. Remember to hover over the photo to see the descriptive text, or not hover to see the full photo.
Open up your heart and be whimsical, now and as you move through the days ahead! Just one word of caution – spotting scenes of whimsy can become addictive.
Jayne