Personal aesthetics have so many different dimensions. They can be used as a device to express who you are for yourself or other people, appreciated personally by yourself as you surround yourself with belongings that make you feel good, or something entirely different. Aesthetic is whatever you want to be, and I think that is important to remember, especially as college students, we are emerging adults beginning to curate our lives.
When I Google “aesthetic types,” a wide range comes up, from fairy grunge to coastal grandma to dark academia to Barbiecore. Based on this research, and on a Buzzfeed quiz I took, I find myself leaning towards light academia. That said, it is hard to pinpoint an exact aesthetic that I follow, because life simply doesn’t work that way. My life is a jumble of colors that don’t exactly go together, but all my belongings bring so much joy that they might as well form my own cohesive aesthetic, one that is just mine.
This idea, in my opinion, is what an aesthetic is. Not necessarily a format to follow but a creation that comes through as life is built and grown. Having a cohesive aesthetic shouldn’t require overconsumption to make everything match, but rather a celebration of how different corners of life come together.
In my room here at St. Olaf, my main focus is the cozy factor — lots of fuzzy blankets, lamp lighting — no big lights — and pictures and posters on my wall of my favorite people and memories. So even though I don’t follow a Pinterest algorithm when designing my life, I think it very well could be a Pinterest board. When you compile the things that you find lovely, pretty, calming, and that overall make you happy, that’s aesthetic. If something doesn’t fit an exact section on the internet, don’t worry — that doesn’t mean it is any less wonderful or worthwhile. There is no need to stick to a framework or style; the little differences are what make life interesting. Your life is yours to create!
