Hi. Welcome back. As we are all stuck at home right now and like me have lots of spare time, I thought I would write a blog about how to find your aesthetic.
My friend is thinking of doing new things to her room during this time which is super cool as it is a creative way to keep yourself busy. I know that I have thought a lot about changing my room up a bit. Add new stuff, move my furniture, make it more personal etc etc. To make it more personal you need to know what sort of things you like. I’m pretty simple. I like basic stuff. Whites, greys, greens, blues – but I also would love a few music/movie posters and more of a rustic feel. Anyway, moving on.

What Is An Aesthetic?

To have an aesthetic is to be interested in the way something looks or feels. It is the pleasant, positive or artful way someone portrays themselves or something. Aesthetic refers to the beauty of something. As the saying goes: ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’
Aesthetic things are a ‘combination of pleasing things to look at.’ In the Instagram world, the word aesthetic is often used alongside personal style, visual style, theme etc.
For me, ‘my aesthetic’ means my visual and personal style.

STEP ONE / Define Yourself

To begin to find your aesthetic you want to make sure you discover what kind of person you are. Here are some things to reflect on And if you would like you can write or draw the answers down. Up to you!

– What do you look like?
– What do you dislike? (It is easier to work out what you don’t like rather than what you do like)
– What is your personality like?
– What would be a perfect day for you?
– What makes you different?
– How do you your close friends/family describe you?
– What is your favourite line/quote/lyric/saying?

STEP TWO / Inspiration

My aesthetic is hugely influenced by a collection of inspiring people and materials. It is important not to focus on one person or material because in order to help you to find an ‘aesthetic’ you must broaden your inspirations. Think about:

– Fictional Characters (Think about what books and films you are drawn to. What genre?)
– Fashion Icons (What do they wear? What colours?)
– Ideal lifestyles (YouTube is good for this! Lifestyle bloggers too!)
– Wardrobes (What clothes do you aspire to wear?)
– Movies/TV/Netflix Series (Are your favourites all similar or are they a bit mix and match?)

STEP 3 / Pinterest Board

Creating a mood board on Pinterest is not only satisfying but also takes up time. It is one of my favourite ways to see what I like and want clearly. Pinterest is so great for this as you can keep creating boards to re-think and re-create your aesthetic. Here are some pining ideas!

– Go through the ???For You??? page and pin what you like
– Think of your ideal lifestyle ??? mornings, trips, hobbies, food
– Think of what your ideal home would look like (or design your ideal bedroom)
– What clothes do you wear/want to wear?
– Save images of your favourite films scenes for inspiration
– Quotes are a great way to work out how you feel!

There you go. A visual of your self in one board, on one app!

STEP 4 / Curate

To curate means to select, organise and present. You have selected your visual representation now it is time to organise.
Start by going to your ‘my aesthetic’ board from Step 3. Go into it and begin unpinning images that don’t belong. Maybe you were going wild when you were ‘pinning’ and pinned something you aren’t as keen on now!

I recommend doing this the day after or even a few hours later, after you have cleared your headspace. There are no limits to your aesthetic but if you are serious about it, it is great to organise what you love into a toned down version.

You will soon begin to see consistency among your colours, patterns and content in general. This really helps you to understand your aesthetic.

STEP 5 / Present

It is time to let your aesthetic flow. Now you are done with the curation you will most likely have the urge to make some changes to things you do every day!

In Real Life:
– Achieve the bedroom you want
– Donate or sell clothes that aren’t ‘you’
– Begin the new hobbies that inspired you
– Start living ‘you’

Digitally:
– Be yourself online. It is important to have a personality for your social medias. Make sure that person you are online is the same one in real life.
– Take original photos featuring your aesthetic
– Use your own words for captions

EXTRAS??

Don’t limit yourself:

You are in control of your visual life.

You decide the ‘cool stuff’:

RiverDale was and is huge and I NEVER watched it myself and even though I felt left out of all the chat, I have found my own favourite series, including ‘Dawson’s Creek’, ‘The Durrells’, ‘The English Game’ and I have managed to watch what feels like all the classic 80s/90s films. I sums up my visual enjoyment.

You decide what is ‘cool’.

Copying:

I know every teacher at school goes on about copying and how bad it is but they are correct.
Take a read of Jasmine Dowling’s article: Inspiration vs Imitation
A simple way to overcome copying is to let your inspo sources come from movies, art, Pinterest, Instagram and not just one person.

Hope this blog has been helpful and a little bit of a different read for you!

Love Martha B x