Photography: Eleanor Cripps
There’s a word that’s been circling my mind lately: whimsy. It arrived quietly, as these thoughts often do – somewhere between the school run and my morning coffee, between folding laundry and realising we’re almost halfway into this year already (where has it gone?). By definition, whimsy is playfulness, lightness, imagination – often in defiance of practicality. But my personal definition, the one that feels truer to me, is this: the art of finding beauty in the everyday, and making the ordinary feel extraordinary.
As a 37-year-old mother of four, believe me when I say my days are full. Full in the best way, but also jam-packed with responsibility, repetition and routine. And yet, at least once a month, I find myself turning to my partner and saying, almost rebelliously, “Let’s forget all of the boring adult stuff today and do something fun.”
It’s a small, joyful protest. A return to something lighter and more youthful feeling. I once read about someone who tells the dishes, “it’s bath time” – and I’ve never forgotten it. It still makes me smile and giggle each time I fill up the sink with soapy water.
Because that’s what real whimsy is, isn’t it? It bubbles up from somewhere deep and unguarded. It doesn’t ask for permission. It simply is. And I think, especially in the colder months, when the days shorten and our moods can quietly dip, we need it more than ever.
When I’m stuck in a rut scrolling, consuming, buying or generally feeling unsatisfied, I notice something curious – this numbing way of living is what actually makes life feel heavier. What I tend to need in those moments isn’t more discipline or structure. It’s softness, creativity and romance. And dare I say it: whimsy. For years, I affectionately called this living romantically. But lately, I’ve realised whimsy holds its own kind of magic, doesn’t it?
So, with all this said, here are a few gentle ways I’ve been inviting more of it into my days this autumn.
8 ways to invite whimsy into your life for autumn, according to Eleanor Cripps
1. Start your day as you wish to experience it
Before the world rushes in, take a moment for yourself. Open the curtains. Let the light in, even if it’s soft and grey.
Stretch your arms wide and say, out loud, “Today is going to be the best day ever, or today I choose fun.”
It might feel silly, but our minds are far more impressionable than we think. When we choose what to look for, we begin to see it everywhere. Joy included.
2. Turn your kitchen into your favourite restaurant
This is where you can have some true creative fun. Create a theme. Give it a name. Write menus. Set the table using your best tableware, even if it’s just for you or your family. Let it be playful. Let it be a little unnecessary. This is the entire point.
3. Create yourself a wintery moodboard
Our moodboard hangs opposite the kitchen, slowly gathering layers of life, consisting of photo-booth strips, postcards, ribbons and small treasures collected along the way. Lately, my children have begun adding their own bits and bobs and what began as a random crafty project for me has turned into something far more meaningful than I initially imagined. It’s a quiet, visual diary of our days.
4. Create seasonality in your home
As the colder months settle in, there’s an invitation to soften everything around you. To reach for the heavier, richer-coloured linens, the plates that feel a little more special, the napkins you’ve been saving for another time. There’s something quite lovely and a little bit more special about swapping these everyday pieces out, as though your home is dressing itself for winter. A subtle change, yes, but a whole lot more enchanting.
5. Dance with wild abandon
In the kitchen. In the car. While doing your skincare. Put on your seasonal playlist and feel the music loosen your limbs. Whether it’s privately in your own home, or while you’re out and about going for a walk. I promise you, people are not judging you as much as you might think. You might even inspire them to do the same.
6. Create your own coffee (or tea) ceremony
I have an excellent espresso machine at home, which means cafe visits are a rarity. Instead, each morning I make my own flat white, slowly and lovingly. It has become, without question, the most cherished little ceremony of my day. I buy the best beans I can find and treat them almost like a seasonal wardrobe, rotating what I brew depending on my mood of the moment, testing out new roasters, discovering unexpected favourites, letting each cup feel like its own beautiful, curious experience.
7. Offer compliments to strangers
We all do it – notice somebody wearing a beautiful dress in the supermarket, or a hairstyle that looks lovely. And yet, how often do we say it out loud? What if, instead of keeping those thoughts tucked away, we offered them freely, like small, unexpected gifts? A compliment or a passing smile may seem insignificant, but they have a way of landing softly and staying with someone. I think we often underestimate just how much a kind remark can shift the shape of another person’s day.
8. Carry something analogue in your handbag
Having a beautiful novel to dip into, or a journal to doodle in, turns those in-between moments, such as waiting in the bakery line, or lingering at school pickup, into something quietly nourishing. Better yet, leave your phone at home. Rather than scrolling, I’ve noticed I feel more content at the end of the day, like I invested in something nice and tangible, rather than just letting the hours blur by.
At the end of the day, it’s really just about giving yourself permission. Quiet, gentle permission to slow down enough to notice the small things. To play, without needing a reason. Because somewhere along the way, we picked up the idea that play is frivolous. That it doesn’t really count. That we should be serious, productive, on top of things at all times. But I don’t think that’s true at all. I think play is where life softens a little. Where we find ourselves again, underneath all the doing. And maybe that’s what whimsy really is. Not something to add to your to-do list, but something to come back to. A way of moving through your days with a bit more openness, a bit more imagination.
Read more:
- Eleanor Cripps shares eight tips for boosting focus, calm and creativity
- How to find more time in your day
- How to embrace change for a better future
