We have devolved into Franz Kafka’s worst nightmare and M.C. Escher’s Relativity’s reality. Simply, we are cogs in a larger institutional machine, pawns in a flimsy man–made game whose brochure has long been lost. We are taught to value conformity and are manipulated into believing that life’s goal is material, monetary, and superficial.
It’s no secret that we take ourselves too seriously, whether due to societal pressure or the standards that us Penn students hold ourselves to as allegedly high achievers. We act like we carry the weight of the world on our shoulders because we see everything around us either disintegrating or barrelling towards insanity.
So we turn towards vices like trench coats and Longchamp bags. We complain and slick back our hair and walk into class, heads hung low and heavy. We succumb to the monotony of everyday life and call it “pre–professionalism.” We become cynical, careless conformists, and in losing hope and positivity, we lose life.
In a world of chaos, there are few things you yourself can do to dull the bitter taste of desolation. Luckily, one answer has already revealed itself: whimsy. The antidote to all. Disillusioned? Recently broken up? Generally upset? Choose whimsy. Whimsy is an attitude, it’s acting genuinely and positively. Whimsy is playful, imaginative, authentic, and appreciative of the absurd. For some, whimsy is funky jewelry and bright colors. For others, it is going on long walks while listening to Russian pop. By adhering to a whimsical attitude, you can bring life back into your life.
DABSMYLA, or Darren “Dabs“ and Emmelene “Myla“ Mate, are husband–and–wife artists who are true whimsical royalty. They paint, they draw, they make ceramics, they create installations and murals—the list goes on. The instant I stepped through the door, their artwork leapt from its canvas to embrace me, while their dog Cosmo giddily scampered around. When you walk into their studio, you immediately feel better, and you never want to leave. They inhabit a world of artistry, freedom, music, and success, and embody the fulfillment of constructing a life surrounded by all forms of art.
The artists immerse themselves in a bright cartoon world of their own creation: They dine off of ceramic flower–shaped plates, they’re covered in the coolest tattoos of their friends' designs, they’ve painted a panoramic mural in their bathroom, a vibrant pink and orange landscape inhabited by a grinning cartoon version of Cosmo.
The couple video calls me from their studio, with their new lithographs hanging in the background, and Darren furiously scratching the real Cosmo’s ears. The two definitely consider themselves to be whimsical people. “We get to create things together and be with each other every day. I think that naturally brings more joy to our life, which then naturally transfers into the things that we make and how we are as people to be maybe even more whimsical,” says Darren.
They didn’t always have this attitude, though. Darren explains that when the duo were in art school together, they were under the impression that art had to be dark. That's the norm in the artistic world, that tortured artist stereotype where “you’re supposed to find dark things inside you, and then you express that in your painting,” says Darren. So when the couple began creating art together, they believed that their work couldn’t be so joyous and that they had to add some edge. “I think the artwork got better and the style really developed when we realized that notion,” Darren continues, “we thought, ‘People seem to get a lot of joy from our work when it is this way. We don't need to hold that back.’”
The couple’s whimsy isn’t just resistance to a normative mold. Their attitude, the joyfulness with which they treat both their work and each other, creates “a continuous loop of feeling uplifted,” says Emmelene.
Darren describes an observation he made the other day: “I'm drawing a face, drawing some eyes, putting a hat on it, and drawing a nose,” he narrates. “And then I draw the smile, and I go like this,” he points to his own grin, mirroring the smile he’d just drawn. “Every time I'm drawing, my face mimics the smile. That's got to be doing something right.”
And though their job is a large source of joy for the couple, they are sure to also incorporate happy habits into their daily routine to keep themselves positive. While they paint or sculpt, they listen to extensive playlists of everything from Australian rock to Adrienne Lenker. They dedicate time to baking fresh bread and peach cakes. They also ensure that they surround themselves with people who are uplifting.
“You reflect the environment you’re around, and we're continuously just bouncing that light–heartedness, joyfulness, and love between us,” says Emmelene.
When those around you are caught up in complaints and stress, and negativity hides in every corner, it becomes all–consuming. Emmelene believes that sometimes it’s easier to “be in a loop of negativity,” and to “try to pull other people into that.”
“Humans do tend to drift towards the negative side,” Darren agrees. And it’s not that the pair ignores the negativity around them, it’s about “choosing not to dwell.” But this doesn’t mean disregarding problems or obligations. Whimsy is not ignorance. If anything, it is an active protest against the repressive nature of society and its tendency to drift towards the negative. Whimsy can coexist with frustration and lead to more constructive solutions, rather than merely complaints. Whimsy can even be a remedy for burnout. By choosing playfulness over serious productivity, one can resist the “hustle culture” of Penn and American culture in general.
Darren says that when his attitude is challenged, he must “consciously try to bring it back to the surface” to remain in a contented headspace. “You do have to be conscious about it, and it does take effort. It's easy to get weighed down.”
DABSMYLA’s biggest piece of advice to stay whimsical is maintaining a solid circle. “The number one thing that you can do to uplift yourself and your life is to surround yourself with people who also do the same thing,” says Emmelene. You are your bubble: You become your environment, and your environment becomes you. DABSMYLA occupies a world of vibrant color, flowers, and cartoon characters. What world will you inhabit?
