Talking fun with Sarah Von Bargen
This month we’re doing a fun challenge—trying to make a point of doing one fun thing every day. I hope you join us! You can read more here, here, and here. Today I’m talking to writer, educator, marketing wiz and coach, Sarah Von Bargen.
If you were around the blogging world in the 2010s, you likely recognize Sarah’s name—or the name of her popular and widely beloved site, Yes and Yes. Sarah has always been a fountain of knowledge on how to get the most out of life—inspirational, practical, and totally doable. She recently started writing again (under her own name) and now has a Yes and Yes newsletter (highly recommended!). Sarah was kind enough to answer some questions about the role of fun in her life.
You've always struck me as a fun-loving person. Is that something you grew up with? Is it your personality? Or is it something you've had to cultivate for yourself?
My mom is very fun—she was a first and second grade teacher and had an absolute sense of whimsy. For the holidays we would have thematic desserts—for Valentine’s Day we would have cupcakes with red frosting, and for St. Patrick’s Day she would put green food dye in the macaroni and cheese. And when we drove to visit my grandparents and passed some weird roadside attraction, she always stopped so we could see it. She was definitely very fun.
I would say that I am an eldest daughter, I’m a Virgo, my Meyers-Briggs is INTJ, so I have a tendency to be a bit of a workaholic, a bit of a perfectionist; I’m pretty structured. I like to think I’m fun—and I grew up with the culture of fun—but it’s something I’ve had to make sure I incorporate into my life. Otherwise it’s very easy for me to just answer another email or start another project.
We own a duplex that is 123 years old—and the homeowner projects are without end. Between owning an older home and watching out for my mother-in-law and my two stepsons and owning my own business, it would be very easy to just do those things. So I have to make an effort to add fun to my life.
What sort of things do you consider fun?
For me the two biggest aspects of fun are novelty and luxury. Novelty is doing things I’ve never done before—but also doing things at a time of day or week when other people don’t. I love going to a midday/midweek matinee. I love going out for breakfast during the week. Sometimes I like going into my co-working space on the weekend when nobody else is there.
And then, anything that is new. Truly, just going to a different coffee shop than I’m used to, and maybe they have a red velvet latte for Valentine’s Day. Just ordering something other than a latte at the coffee shop that is one block from my house—watch out! I can ride that high for the rest of the week.
So, anything that is novel, anything that is new or at a different time of day, or anything that is vaguely luxurious. And luxurious can mean wandering around Anthropologie and smelling the candles. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a $200 spa day.
Can you tell me about your scheduling practices and how you work fun into your days?
I have to make sure I have fun, otherwise I will just work. Also, there are statistics around having something to look forward and how good that is for your mental health and how much joy that adds. If I know on Thursday I am going to a matinee of that Bob Dylan movie, I am looking forward to that all week. Scheduling stuff in really makes sure that I do it.
Outer accountability is also really helpful. It’s easy for me to say I’m going to get a Tuesday pedicure, but then a client needs something or the weather is bad. But if I make the appointment and have the accountability of my nail salon expecting me, I will absolutely go.
So those are the two things I do: I schedule in fun and create outer accountability, otherwise I won’t do it.
What do you think having an adequate dose of fun brings to your life?
Oh my gosh—it makes me more creative, makes me more enjoyable to be around, it increases my emotional bandwidth, it gives me ideas for things I want to write about; it refills my cup.
Honestly, I think it improves everything in my life. It gives me bandwidth to take on the number of clients I work with, it gives me bandwidth to call my representatives. It gives me bandwidth to take care of aging parents and two stepsons. It hugely impacts my life.
Can you share a favorite memory of full-on, all-out fun?
I was just recently in Santa Fe for two and a half weeks and a dear friend lives in Albuquerque and we met up in this teeny-tiny town, I think it has 300 people. We went for a beautiful hike in a park and this is a friend I’ve known since fifth grade—so we were telling stories and laughing and catching up. After that we went to this incredibly old bar for breakfast and ate a bunch of good food and then we poked around some cool local boutiques and there was this chocolate shop and we sampled all the weird flavors of chocolate and it was just all the things that fill my cup—doing something new in a new place with somebody I care about. It was lovely.
For more of Sarah:
Her newsletter: Yes and Yes
Her ebooks/courses, marketing and coaching.
Something else to enjoy: my books
Oh I love Sarah, and love how you got to interview her! Feels like two of my happy worlds coming together :)