Yes, you read that title correctly. This is a ‘Yo-Yo Spotlight’. I never thought I’d be writing a post about someone doing yo-yo tricks. I always thought of ‘walking the dog’ or ‘around the world’ as somewhat impressive. I’d even try my hand at these tricks as a child, on occasion suffering a bruised shin or the frustrating tangled string. And that was with one yo-yo. Imagine my surprise when the algorithm fed me the profile of Flora (cactus44you on TikTok) creating mesmerizing tricks with two!
I wasn’t able to find any background on Flora who has been posting since early January of this year. They refer to themself as a professional yoyoer, but I’ve found nothing more at this time. I was also unable to locate a website or any other social media profile to fish for information. I did discover that Flora is by no means a beginner. On one clip they say, “14 years of my life dedicated to this silly little toy!” Their commitment to practice is apparent.
Making shapes in my head, drawing with my yoyos.
There’s been found to be an connection between yo-yo tricks and improved mental health. It’s thought that the intense focus on hand/eye coordination lends itself to improved cognitive function, reduced anxiety, and heightened patience. As an observer however, my overly analytical brain always tended to get lost in trying to figure out how things are done. Over time I’ve had to train myself to not get lost in the how and just enjoy.
@cactus44you Hacky sack yoyos?! #foryoupage #hackysack #yoyo
Flora is gaining quite a following with only a handful of videos showcasing these tricks that are both graceful and hypnotic.
Be sure to follow them on TikTok.
Cheers!
Stephen
TikTok → tiktok.com/@cactus44you
