When you're surrounded by feathers and sequins and ridiculous

Hear the words of Catherine Martin: “When you’re surrounded by feathers and sequins and ridiculous Lycra outfits, it’s impossible not to have a smile on your face.” At first glance, these words may seem light, playful, even humorous. But beneath them lies a deeper truth about the power of spectacle, of color, of laughter born from extravagance. The feathers, the sequins, the outlandish costumes of Lycra are more than fabric stitched together; they are the symbols of release, of joy, of humanity’s need to celebrate and play. They remind us that sometimes the heart must dance in foolishness in order to remember that life itself is not only toil and struggle, but also delight.

The ancients, too, knew this wisdom. In Greece, during the festivals of Dionysus, the people adorned themselves in costumes, masks, and garlands. They laughed, they sang, they played the fool, and through this ritual they cleansed the spirit. For laughter was seen not as weakness, but as medicine, a way to balance the weight of suffering with the lightness of joy. Catherine Martin’s words echo this ancient truth: that to stand amid the glitter and spectacle of costume and color is to be reminded of life’s capacity for wonder, for absurdity, for laughter that restores the soul.

Consider the story of the court jester in medieval times. While kings bore crowns of gold and nations bent under the strain of war, the jester wore motley colors and bells upon his hat. He was the only one who could mock the king openly, and in his foolishness he gave relief to courts heavy with solemnity. His clothes were ridiculous, his antics absurd, but in them lay salvation for weary hearts. Like the feathers and sequins of Martin’s world, the jester’s garb existed to pierce the veil of seriousness, to remind all that joy is a weapon against despair.

There is also something noble in what she reveals: that joy can spring from the unexpected. Who would look at Lycra outfits—bright, exaggerated, even absurd—and not laugh? Who would see a parade of sequins sparkling in the light and not feel the pull of celebration? To be “surrounded” by such things is to be submerged in a world where seriousness is banished, where the human heart is commanded to lift itself upward, if only for a moment. And in that rising of spirit, there is healing.

Yet some may scoff and call it frivolous. They may say, “What are feathers and sequins to the great struggles of life?” But this is the very wisdom: even in the midst of hardship, we need the foolish and the extravagant. During the Great Depression, when money was scarce and bread lines long, Hollywood musicals filled the silver screens with glittering costumes, dazzling dances, and songs of joy. People who had nothing left in their pockets still paid to sit in the theater, to be surrounded by beauty, silliness, and grandeur. They emerged not richer in gold, but stronger in spirit.

The lesson is clear: do not underestimate the power of the smile born from absurdity. Seek out moments of brightness, of color, of spectacle in your life. Surround yourself with what awakens your laughter, whether it be music, costumes, or the foolish joy of friends. Do not cling too tightly to the cloak of seriousness, for it can weigh the heart down. Allow yourself to be dressed, if only in spirit, with feathers and sequins, so that you may remember the joy of being alive.

And for those who create—like Catherine Martin—embrace the ridiculous. Let your work not only instruct, but also delight. Give people reason to smile, even if it comes through extravagance or folly. For though wisdom is often found in solemn words, it is also hidden in laughter, and in the glitter of a costume that makes the soul forget its burdens.

Thus, let this wisdom endure: life is not only labor and grief, but also celebration. Surround yourself with the brilliant, the silly, the glittering, and the joyous. For when you do, you will find that it is indeed impossible not to smile—and that smile may be the very thing that gives you strength to face the dawn.