The Art Of Silly

Anyone else finding themselves in an odd frame of mind lately? More and more I find myself gravitating towards weirder … towards silly. I wouldn’t argue I’m mainstream as a general rule … Weird would probably be a good adjective most of the time.  I’m drawn towards the interesting … in my home design and decor … my social outings … a little less weird with fashion but still leaning towards interesting. 

I’m seeing these crazy “girls night” reels all over my for me page lately .. wig night, music videos created from outings, field days, fake reality tv shows etc etc. I don’t need to create weird or stage interesting … but I like the playfulness behind some of these, I like that they are silly. 

Does that mean I’m going to go out and replicate all of these? No. It does mean that I want to lean into silly … to play. 

Now that my bebes’ are older … I don’t get a lot of silliness anymore, I don’t bring that into my life and I miss it. 

I like the idea of cultivating moments of joy - where I’m not anywhere but in the moment and enjoying every minute of it. I’m finding - more and more - the importance of this. To be clear, I’m not looking to stage or manufacture moments. I’m looking to add some lightness, some of the silliness back into my life. 

My life is serious. I lean towards serious. While I laugh and have fun and moments of mischief - I don’t play enough … it’s time to play more. 

My friends - whom I adore - silly is not their core strength. Weird, interesting, fun … check, check and check.  Playful, not an adjective I would use to describe them.  Silly - definitely not. 

I sent a group message to my friends about this … they are up for this in a semi-guarded way … A few of us went to dinner to celebrate my niece’s band performance and it came up as a part of the dinner discussion. My niece - she got it … which leads me to believe I’m on the right path. 

Why do I think this is important? I’m still not quite able to articulate all the reasons - some of what I’m able to wrap my voice around include the idea that play is an easy way to challenge the edges, to push comfort in a way that’s safe - with people who are safe. When one of us is hesitant, fearful, in our own head or in our own way … the rest of us are there, we have each other's backs. Sometimes knowing you aren’t alone in the risk, in pushing the boundaries of one’s comfort level, of being vulnerable or seen matters … makes it easier. As I get older I’m becoming less flexible, the controlled portion of my brain fights harder for dominance and play - acting silly - they are small acts of defiance. Reminders that it is ok to let go. 

Let others question my sanity, let them judge … I’m out here having fun, maintaining my youth, challenging myself to keep growing, to be brave … making choices I think are healthy for me - all of me. 

At first blush, my family appears grown up, sometimes intense, potentially volatile … Dig a little deeper and you’ll see passion, life, they are/were designed to laugh, to feel with the depths of their beings … what runs through them, it runs through me. We are very different and very similar at the same time. It’s the depth - specifically - I’m grateful to have been given. I’m not sure if it’s genetics or environment but it's an amazing thing to allow yourself. The capacity to feel all the things with such enormity … to want to consume knowledge because it allows for understanding, empathy and expands who we are as individuals … to be relentlessly driven - by whatever it is that drives us … to live life with everything you are and everything you have.

As the kiddoes say … own that main character energy. 

I also think our intuition is easier to hear - to feel when we are in those moments … playing, experiencing joy. That matters. Well - it matters to me. Bravery is easier with trust … when you know what feels right versus what doesn’t … This isn’t me saying don’t work, don’t plan … but knowing when to walk away, to take a leap of faith, to set a boundary, to say yes or no … sometimes there is no plan … just a choice. That’s when intuition matters, prevents overthinking, indecisiveness, the autopilot. Sometimes it’s the catalyst our lives need - our lives demand.

So what does this mean? 

It means my friends and I are about to push the edges of our comfort zones … we are going to lean past weird and dive right into silly. We are going to spend our summer playing. 

We might need to baby step ourselves to the edge of this particular cliff … but we’ll get there. What’s more, I think we’ll have more fun than we expect. Ok - I think we’re going to have a blast but not all my friends can currently see the vision.  Yet. 

We’ll get there.

Play is one of those things I’ve been thinking about … trying … forgetting … It is a process, a journey.  I won’t get it right on my first attempt, the important thing is that I remember to try … that I don’t beat myself up - I’m allowed to get it wrong along the way.

Even something as simple as play … even something as simple as being silly … Afterall, there is an art to doing these well, to doing these often, to enjoying the moments and letting go.