Embracing Whimsy: One Woman's Journey to Finding Joy in the Everyday

Samantha Pettyjohn shares how she incorporated more whimsy into her life to combat the winter blues and grief

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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Business Insider reporter Samantha Pettyjohn was struggling with the winter blues and grief over the loss of her mother and grandmother when she decided to embrace the latest trend of 'whimsy' to add more joy and levity to her life. She consulted experts, created whimsical playlists and vision boards, visited the library, wrote letters to loved ones, and found ways to connect with her community and husband in a more playful way. While Pettyjohn's grief didn't disappear, she found that incorporating small moments of delight helped her feel less alone and more rooted in the present.

Why it matters

Pettyjohn's story highlights how the pursuit of whimsy can be a meaningful way for people to cope with difficult emotions and find pockets of joy, even in the midst of challenging circumstances. As the world continues to grapple with the ongoing effects of the pandemic, the rise in interest around whimsy suggests a broader cultural desire to counteract feelings of isolation and dread with more playfulness and community connection.

The details

To embrace whimsy, Pettyjohn created mood-based playlists, lit candles daily, swapped her usual loungewear for more colorful pajamas, visited her local library, wrote handwritten notes to loved ones, made Shirley Temples for a friend movie night, and incorporated more games and small gestures of affection with her husband. She found that the simple acts of connecting with others and creating moments of delight, even for strangers, were the most rewarding parts of her whimsy experiment.

  • Pettyjohn started her whimsy experiment in early 2026 as she was recovering from the flu and approaching the 10th anniversary of her mother's death.
  • Google Trends data shows that interest in 'whimsy' increased steadily between 2025 and 2026, more than in prior years.

The players

Jenna O'Brien

The 27-year-old designer behind the Substack Feeling Magazine, who has written extensively about the concept of whimsy.

Angelina Draper

The co-founder of Morning People Matcha and a creator who makes whimsical content, who spoke about how whimsy can help people reconnect with what brings them joy.

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What they’re saying

“Whimsy is what happens when you're on the pursuit of joy. To me, whimsy is getting back into touch with the things you were excited about when you were a kid.”

— Jenna O'Brien, Designer and Substack writer (Feeling Magazine)

“Sometimes, we forget that life is supposed to be fun.”

— Angelina Draper, Co-founder, Morning People Matcha (On A Whim podcast)

What’s next

Pettyjohn plans to continue incorporating whimsical elements into her daily life, such as regularly visiting her local library, writing more letters to loved ones, and finding new ways to connect with her community.

The takeaway

Pettyjohn's embrace of whimsy during a difficult time demonstrates how small acts of playfulness and joy can help provide a sense of lightness and community connection, even in the face of grief and challenging global events. Her story suggests that the pursuit of whimsy may be a meaningful coping mechanism for many people seeking to counteract feelings of isolation and dread in the current climate.