How do you pick just one personal aesthetic?

I’ve always had a hard time picking favorites. If you ask me my favorite food then I’ll ask “what’s the weather?” If you ask me what my favorite color is, I’ll ask about the object in question. I feel like there is always more to these questions than just having a favorite. For example, my favorite color for clothing is black, my favorite color for a bike is orange, and my favorite color for a wall is gray. 

So, what’s my personal aesthetic? In short, I have no idea. I’ve enjoyed dressing different ways for different occasions and different times in my life. I have lived in cozy mountain cabins, small minimalist apartments, and now in a (rundown) 60’s cookie cutter family home. Sometimes I like sleek red convertibles, and sometimes I find large pickups to be the coolest car in the lot. Each of these styles/architectures/designs have appealing elements, as well as some things that I would rather change. 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anne_Hathaways_Cottage_1_(5662418953).jpg

I wrote in a previous post about the Tudor architectural style. It is definitely one of my favorites, but I probably wouldn’t appreciate it as much in an urban environment. For those locations, I find myself really captivated by modern architecture with bold lines. I think these are wonderful, but I do wonder how it would feel to have huge floor to ceiling windows that are often found on these homes. 

https://markstewart.com/product-tag/mark-stewart-modern/

 Another aesthetic that you may have noticed I enjoy, if you’ve been reading my previous posts, is the craftsman/woodworker handmade aesthetic. I made a coffee table out of wood for my upcycle project, and while it was in a more modern style, it was mostly all wood and made with hand tools. Additionally, I am in another class right now where I am building a ukulele out of wood, using primarily hand tools. It is hard to describe this as a personal aesthetic though, as it is more of a hobby that happens to conform to an aesthetic. I hope that I am able to use it to create objects that conform to other aesthetics as necessary. 

Another aesthetic that I really appreciate is “boho” or the bohemian aesthetic. The reason why I find it so appealing, is because it seems to combine multiple aesthetics to create a cohesive space. It allows someone like me to live in a modern space, have handmade furniture, and add natural elements without looking like a disorganized mess.

Source: Instagram @shylacino

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4 Comments. Leave new

  • Ryan Cochran
    March 14, 2021 1:20 pm

    Hi James, I had a hard time picking my personal aesthetic as well and ended up just focusing on the types of clothes that I wear. If I had to pick a type of architecture that I like the most I do not think that I would be able to. Do you think any of these aesthetics will play into your project or the type of aesthetic that you want to put into your final project?

    Reply
    • I had considered writing about my clothing aesthetic, but I felt like I don’t have the vocabulary to describe clothing styles. I have considered how these aesthetics may play into my final project, but haven’t landed on anything. I am planning on doing some sketching over the next few days as part of our next blog post assignment. Once I have some ideas on paper, I think I might have a better idea of where to go.

      Reply
  • Hannah Moller
    March 12, 2021 11:57 am

    Hi James, I definitely understand the hardship of trying to go decide what your favorite aesthetic is and I am happy to know that other people had a hard time as well. It was difficult for me to decide what I wanted to talk about for this and it probably took me more time then what I usually take to write these things. I was wondering if you had come up with any clear path on your 100 ideas for your project and if not maybe to help decide you would want to pick for the project maybe first pick an aesthetic that would would have a fun time implementing.

    Reply
    • Ugh, I felt the same. I wrote out probably 5 different posts talking about different things before I finally settled on architecture. It is a little weird how hard it is to speak about yourself and your own personal preferences. I think I have settled on trying to make bikepacking bags for my final project. I have never even used a sewing machine, so I am a little intimidated, but I think I will be able to make something. My bike has space for a handlebar bag and 2 stuff sacks on the front fork, so I have considered how I could really shape the front of the bike to conform to an aesthetic. I think I will explore some minimalism first (square, bold colors, extremely functional), and then potentially try to find some fabrics that are more art deco to see how that would look. Ultimately, I foresee myself going for something in the nature aesthetic to match the activity. Also, my bike is green and the model is a “Redwood”, so it would really all tie together nicely.

      Reply

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