aesthetics
aesthetic styles I resonate with and/or feel are part of my personal aesthetic
☁️ light
- adventurecore
- the euphoric feeling of snowy mountains and ice blue sky
- cafe
- i love cafes - the cozy food, the relaxed atmosphere, how each one is a little microcosm of a unique design concept
- doodlecore
- soft white (paper) and rainbow colors - I think not only doodles but emojis, tiny charts or graphics, and any collection of small colorful objects could be included in this aesthetic
- kawaii (yume)
- i just like cute and pastel things
- solarpunk
- imagining a better future where we all live peacefully in our little anarcho-socialist villages in harmony with nature
- zen / daoist
- finding value in stillness, connection with nature, and simple moments
🌌 dark
- liminal / after hours
- after hours - temporarily empty spaces, being left alone after others leave
- some liminal spaces evoke a feeling of comfort to me
- mosscore
- i love moss!!!
- templecore?
- i'm not aware that this is actually a thing, but i've always been drawn to the quiet, meditative aesthetic of temples and shrines
aesthetic elements
aesthetic styles and components that I find interesting, especially for the possibilities of recombination to create new aesthetics
-academia - studying something
-- often in a formal school or university but sometimes in a personal, independent setting
-- color/mood/season: dark, light, pastel, autumn, chaotic, etc etc.
-- traditional subjects: art, ballet, music, science, theater, writing
-- other subjects: cryptids, internet, nature, ocean science, witchcraft
-- elysian academia - euphoria from personal progress in learning and philosphy
aero - blue/mint/cyan, windblown/swooshes
aether - magic
aurora - blue/green/purple, maybe red/pink, rays of light, imitating aurora
bling - sparkle, sheen, shine
bubble - pink + purple, maxi/epicurean
bubble bujo - kpop-related, decoration of photocard binders, toploaders, phone cases, etc.
candycute - pastel candy and sweets
chrome- silver, metallic
-core - generic suffix, emphasis of a specific concept, object, etc.
cozy - home, comfort food/drink, soft/warm fabrics
cyber - bright neons? + black
daikoncore - white, light green, gray - tranquility, cuteness, simplicity
drizzlecore - strange, surreal, solitary, liminal parts of nature
dungeon - dark fantasy/magic
edcore - childhood misbehavior and mischief (reminds me of little rascals lol 😊)
emo - black, depressed, maybe cyan/pink/white highlights, small checkers or other allover patterns
ethereal - light, delicate
existential 20s - 1920s, dark hedonism
fairycore
-- fairy - pretty/ethereal aspects of nature
-- elf - powerful
-- goblin - ugly/dirty aspects of nature
-- gremlin - chaotic
-- pixie - small, mischievous, water, rainbow, domestic nature
fairy kei - pastel rainbow, children's toys and cartoons
fantasy - epic, adventurecore but magical/mythical
femme/homme fatale - seductive, often red
florette - substyle of coquette, focused on abundant flowers, esp pink
girly kei - white/pale pink, lace
goth - black, death-related symbols
gothic - dark, mysterious, stone architecture
grunge - black/white+green/blue/earth, dirty = disillusionment, anti-consumerism
-- soft grunge - same vibe and colors as grunge but clean rather than dirty
happycore - smiles, eyebleach, loving/supportive messages
-heart - abstract, harsh/edgy
hellenic - greco-roman
kawaii
-- yume - light, positive, most common form of kawaii
-- yami - dark, moody
-- muchu - yume but with night, space, sleep, dream-related elements
-- oishii desu - kawaii food
light boredom - mundane or simple activities, desaturated photos, gray/pink
lofi - muted, mundane, calm, nostalgia
lost haven - magical isolation in nature, positive/happy liminal
lunarpunk - new age fantasy, glow in the dark, bioluminescence, black + silver/white/moon/stars
metro - squares, rectangles
midnight valley - night road trips
mulchcore - overlooked, underappreciated nature, esp. things found on the ground, brown things
neopolis - neon cities
nintencore - nintendo, subgenres based on various nintendo characters
noir - 1940s interpretation of hardboiled; black, night, urban, liminal, fog
pagan - ancient myths, traditions, objects (in opposition to contemporary commercialization)
palewave - pastel, relaxed, comfy, chill vibe
pastelwave - pastel, kawaii vaporwave
pixel - pixel art, old games, toys
-- pixel cutie (pastel), pixel medieval
prince/princesscore - luxurious leisure
-- knightcore - darker version
-- queen/kingcore - female/male power
-punk - alternate reality
-- technology: steampunk, dieselpunk, solarpunk
-- setting: dungeonpunk, forestpunk, icepunk
-- other: dracopunk (dragons), lunarpunk (solarpunk w/ pagan spirituality)
teenpunk - black/white/hot pink
tropical - blue/pink/sand
-wave - surreal, nostalgic
wetshade - bioluminescence, caves, ocean, or other dark/damp settings, blue
y2k - anything late 90s-early 2000s, futuristic
bases
pretty much anything can be the base for an aesthetic, but here's a list of common categories to spark ideas.
🌈 color: specific color, grouping of colors, or color scheme
examples: light, dark, pastel, neon, mizuiro (light blue/white)
🐉 fiction: any kind of fictional or mythical being, creature, character, or setting
examples: elves, dragons, kirby, barbie, etc.
🍕 food: a specific kind or style of food or drink
examples: milk, dark milk (choc. milk/hot cocoa/coffee+milk), school lunch, candy, peach, pizza
🏝️ location: a specific location or activity venue
examples: cafe, beach, hospital, liminal spaces, convenience store
🌸 nature: any kind of plants, animals, or habitats
examples: flowers, clovers, frogs, ocean
⌛ time: a period of someone's life or a historical era
examples: kidcore, grandparentcore, 1940s, Y2K, classical
🌧️ weather: usually rainy, but others can work too