I want this space to feel creative again... Why I'm embracing defiant whimsy, audacious joy, and wonder like it's my full-time job.
Welcome to The Saturday Stroll, on noticing what matters. Also— 100 Days of Wonder | Prompts for Week 9 are linked inside.
I rummaged through the pile of clothes blocking the door of my closet searching for a flowy skirt to spin in. My clothes slowly built into a mountain of fabric over the last few months. I’m mean they’re folded-ish.
After the last few weeks on the world stage, I have decided that for the rest of 2026 and beyond, the new level of audacity unlocked for me is whimsical AF.
I will be flouncing in flowy skirts and eating ice cream for lunch (occasionally). Burying myself in poetry books and writing classes and finally painting my kitchen backsplash. DIYing my very best life on a dime. And sharing the joy with you.
Our Week 9 Prompts ⬇️
Whimsy isn’t needless frivolity or childishness. It is a survival strategy when each news cycle seems to bring with it more uncertainty and hard things than the last.
Dacher Keltner, a psychology professor and codirector of the Greater Good Science Center, studies the brain science behind awe, wonder, and positive psychology. (I’m actually auditing one of his university classes now for the book I’m writing.) He and researchers in this field have found small micro-moments of awe, where we are intentionally focused outside ourselves can reduce stress hormones, make our time feel more expansive, and improve our ability to connect to other people.1
Simply put, whimsy is a tool for a calmer nervous system.
When I say whimsy, I’m not talking about toxic positivity or hustle-harder hype. Rather, I’m referring to intentionally embracing playful, imaginative, or lighthearted actions with a side of quirky delight, artistic creativity, and childlike curiosity.
Researchers who study play have discovered tiny, whimsical acts signal safety to our brains. Whimsy is a resilience strategy. Cue dancing in your kitchen, reading to your plants, pouring your tea from a teapot, painting flowers on your lightswitches, picking dandelion flowers in your yard, and watching the clouds for animal shapes.
Y’all, I’m going all in on this. ALL IN. And I’m here to bring you with me.
Our New More Whimsical Format
Welcome to The Saturday Stroll: On Noticing What Matters, where we slow down long enough to live deeply again.
In 2024, I casually tossed out the idea of 100 Days of Wonder to friends on Instagram and invited the internet to join me. When thousands of you unexpectedly said yes, overnight I was building the plane while flying the plane. The plane? This Substack.
These last 2 years have seen so much change on every level. Deep, hard, messy growth. Kind words and so much encouragement, but also profound anxiety I didn’t expect.
Everytime the numbers here would wane and people drifted to other places (which I wholeheartedly support), I’ve had to wrestle with questions of… am I enough? Did I misstep on that last post? Am I offering enough value? Am I offering too much? Is this actually helpful given the current state of the world? Should I apply to be a barista?
A friend once said that running your own business is the weirdest psychological experiment you’ll ever run on yourself. I might add… especially if 80% of your income is subscription-based. People come and go, subscribe and unsubscribe. It’s the nature of this kind of model. I just completely underestimated the head game that flux can play.
I’d see our numbers climb and feel buoyed. The numbers would fall and I was searching for the shards of my confidence that shattered on the studio floor.
(And no, this is not a veiled ploy to get you to subscribe. A huge thank you to each one of you for being here in any capacity you are able.)
I spent much of last year trying to “not get it wrong” and figure out the right system. And that has led to less rather than more. I want, and need, this space to embody creativity again. Not just for you. For me too.
“Give up all the other worlds
except the one to which you belong…
anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.”
— David Whyte
So here’s the working plan to get our whimsy back.
Each Saturday I’m going to show up here with an essay and a mix-and-match assortment of poetry snippets, thoughts from what I’m reading, pictures from art-making, quotes, inspiration images, recipes, and tangible delights all wrapped up with love and delivered right to your cyber doorstep.
I hope it feels like a special snail mail club landing in your inbox. Like an invitation to slow down, notice the beauty found in ordinary moments, and sip on a favorite beverage while reading words that pour courage on your week.
In a world where it feels like everything is accelerating, this is a place to regather around the art of noticing and finding wonder every day.
You are so very loved and I’m deeply grateful for you being here.
PS. Prompt & Ponder, we have some super fun changes coming too that will be sent out with this week’s Wonder Drop in just a few hours.
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/eight_reasons_why_awe_makes_your_life_better
How can I get the prompts each week and the Saturday stroll. I can’t afford to upgrade. I’m 74 and funds are limited but I still paint and I want to be as much a part of your journey as possible- Sherri
This is just the post I needed. Joy is a form of resistance. I love that your post reminds us that whimsy signals our brain that we are safe. In a time that feels so uncertain and harried, pausing for joy anytime there’s an opportunity is more important than ever. Thank you for what you are doing.