Helping You Find Your Aesthetic

This page is under construction

The purpose of the page is to be a loose set of tips, guidelines, and disclaimers that will help you find your aesthetic. Because this process is entirely subjective and has no set time limit, process, or rules, nobody needs to follow these guidelines and should consult not only the contributors of this wiki, but also look into real life events and locations, pieces of media, influential people, and peers.

"Top-Down" vs. "Bottom-Up" Approaches to Aesthetics

A recent debate within the aesthetics community is the "top-down" versus "bottom-up" approach to aesthetics. In a top-down approach, a person has a perception and finds elements that would confirm that perception, whereas in a bottom-up approach, a person would have various elements that would then form a perception. In an example with aesthetics, the top-down would be a person who finds the Dark Academia wiki page and starts reading The Secret History, wearing tweed, and visiting museums, whereas in the bottom-up, the person would already have an interest in those elements and finds Dark Academia because of their pre-existing interests. The top-down method is "New Guard" with the advent of the aesthetic community and the rise of these specific terms, whereas the originators of the aesthetic and the earlier community (pre -core and academia suffixes) use the bottom-up approach. Also, please note that these approaches can be combined and negatives can be eliminated with contemplation and planning.

Benefits of Top-Down Method:

• Creates a more coherent and specific vision of your aesthetic. Having a single aesthetic community comes with having guidelines, moodboards, and visual tropes that you do not have to figure out to add.
• Does not clash with your pre-existing interests. You could avoid confusion on whether or not your hobbies, interests, etc. should be aestheticized.
• Helps you find a community faster. Bonding with others when you're new on Discord, tumblr, etc. is a good way to make friends who share your interests.

Drawbacks of the Top-Down Method:

• Following a pre-established set of guidelines suppresses individuality. You might follow the community's guidelines instead of developing your own unique tastes.
• You have a greater chance of doing everything in the disclaimer below. This is, however, more of a symptom of contemporary social media rather than specifically due to this approach.
• You might be seen as a "poser." People, especially the more experienced ones, in the aesthetic community tend to be bottom-up and wish that people develop their own tastes instead of copying them.

Benefits of the Bottom-Up Method:

• Your aesthetics would be tailored more towards your interests and you would feel more secure in your aesthetic community/individual unnamed one because it comes from yourself rather than outside influence.
• You have less of a chance of doing the behaviors that the disclaimers discourage. That section has been made as a response to many behaviors in the top-down method that has become more popular in contemporary social media. In avoiding those, you are avoiding toxic behaviors in the aesthetic community and instead focusing on yourself.
• Others may admire your personal aesthetic and you can become a trendsetter and form a community.

Drawbacks of the Bottom-Up Method:

• The process would be more uncertain and drawn-out, especially if your tastes vary extremely and you are indecisive.
• You might base your aesthetic on your personality, hobbies, and habits, which will be against any aesthetic that has the purpose of expressing another part of yourself, desires that aren't fulfilled, or aspects of your life that do not need to be aestheticized.
• Depending on whether or not you feel like you could fit into a named aesthetic community, you might not have an online friend group to discuss and express your aesthetic interests.
  

Disclaimers

While some of these may seem trite and self-evident, keep in mind that many people are on this wiki to find themselves and are generally inexperienced with the community. Many assumptions have been made due to the hyper-categorical "cliques" that have arisen due to the presence of "choose one" memes, self-identifications, and influencers that have specific niches. Therefore, it is necessary to have this list to dispel any assumptions.

1. Aesthetics are not a race. While there is definitely a fear of missing out and a desire to not waste time, trying to assume an aesthetic as quickly as possible (shopping hauls, consuming only one type of media, etc.) is not something you need to do. In fact, not taking the time to experiment or dwell on your decision can in fact lead to wasted money, time, and a lack of knowledge on other available aesthetics.
2. Aesthetics can take decades to develop. The whole aesthetic journey is a process that is constantly limited by money, responsibilities, and environment. You need to take time to research, acquire objects, and evolve your aesthetic. There is no end-point where you are going to feel completely satisfied and match the paragon of a community.
3. You could (and should!) move on from an aesthetic and evolve if you feel unsatisfied and drawn to something else. See the sunk-cost fallacy. The entire point of aesthetics is to be a source of happiness, and even if you feel like being in your old community is safer and does not require research, new items, or new communities, you will have regret in the long run.
4. You can have more than one aesthetic, pick and choose from multiple aesthetics, and even leave your aesthetic unnamed. Shoehorning yourself into a single label limits you and will make you less willing to explore other aesthetics and assume aspects of them that would bring you happiness. However, some aspects of aesthetics are non-negotiable, and it is best to experiment and understand the fundamentals if you choose to blend different aesthetics together.
5. Not everything in your life has to be aestheticized. Because of the popularity of social media photography, many people assume that their peers live in idealized worlds that match their aesthetic exactly. In truth, many, if not most things should have their practicality placed above whether or not they fit your imagined lifestyle.
6. Assuming a new aesthetic will not magically change your personality, habits, or mental state. You either have to work for them if you aspire to have those traits or you should not try to have them if you do not want to. For example, you can buy all of the highlighters you want, but until you actually use them to take notes, you are not Studyblr. Choosing to be Cottagecore does not mean you have to abandon sarcasm and swearing. Aesthetics are not a reflection of the personality and personality is not a reflection of aesthetics.
7. Your physical appearance is independent from your aesthetic. While cultural background does influence your choices, you do not have to pick up or drop an aesthetic because of your race, gender, weight, and age. This is especially true for ethnicity, as people assume that only people of a certain race can participate in an aesthetic. While some races show more in photographs (largely because of the Western standard of beauty), it does not matter. If your gender and weight are not typical, some aspects do have to be changed in fashion, such as tailoring, being unable to wear certain garments, etc. However, this does not make you any lesser than your peers.
8. Opinions on authority are different in every aesthetic community. The opinion of whether or not some people have more knowledge and should be listened to is debatable. Anyone can choose whether or not to adhere to guidelines, ways of thinking, or listen to on authority within the community. However, there are definitely right and wrong ways to participate in aesthetic communities. Some have very strict guidelines on what constitutes the aesthetic, what subjectively looks good, and who should be listened to. This is especially true in communities that have been antagonized, are based on a strict definition, or are inherently political/musical/etc. Trying to not listen to people who have more experience in these communities will get you shunned, and the reasons why are often justified. You should gauge whether or not you are willing to humble yourself and listen, or if that social environment is not for you and should instead assume a derivative aesthetic.
9. Aesthetics cost money. But the amount varies on which aesthetic. For example, Punk, Hippie and Weirdcore fashions are definitely based on thrifting or DIY. "Mid-range" aesthetics like Dark academia would also still need a fair amount for money, so expect to save some. This is especially true in expensive aesthetics such as Boujee and Lolita. Do not cut corners and purchase replicas, shoplift, or steal in order to achieve your aesthetic. There is no shame in saying that you cannot afford something or that you are going to buy it later. Also note that indie brands are NOT rich capitalists that are commercializing aesthetics. Clothing and art takes hours to make; the prices reflect that and are fair to the employees.
10. Do not appropriate a culture. And this does not mean that you should only stick to the aesthetic from your own culture. Rather, this means that you should research, avoid fetishizing and stereotyping, and avoid speaking over people of that culture.
11. There is no "better" or "best" aesthetic. Aesthetics are largely subjective and have different purposes that would make them impossible to be judged on a hierarchy.

Finding Sources of Inspiration

Sources of inspiration is a broad term that includes not only this wiki, but also

• Fiction
• Influencers and celebrities
• Location
• Hobbies and activities
• Time period
• Art and architecture
• Time of day and year

It is generally a personal experience and decision in knowing what is part of your aesthetic. We are all naturally drawn to certain inspirations due to our own personal psychology, surroundings, communities, and different ways of thinking. Therefore, it's best to explore all of the offerings by simply being exposed to what aesthetic possibilities are out there.

Identifying What to Keep and What to Discard

This page is under construction

Incorporating Aesthetics Into Your Life

This page is under construction