JVL
Xuebing Du
art blog(derogatory)
Andulka
todays bird
Peter Solarz
official daine visual archive
@theartofmadeline
will byers stan first human second
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tannertan36
Game of Thrones Daily
occasionally subtle
Fai_Ryy
Kiana Khansmith
Mike Driver
Stranger Things
roma★
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@cryingwthejinns
here’s your reminder to let yourself create. not create ‘well’, just create. draw badly. write shitty poems. sing stupid songs. make whatever you want & have a great time doing it. that’s what creation is for. it’s self expression, not perfection
"We're as likely to hurt the universe as we are to help it, and we're not likely to do either"
— Virginia Woolf, a diary entry
Painting by Peter Solarz
admit it, we’ve all fantasised about slow-dancing in the kitchen barefoot in our pyjamas at 2am in the arms of someone we love while old romantic jazz songs play softly on the radio
cows stuck in... situations
30 things in 30 days
day 1: buy yourself some flowers
day 2: wake up at sunrise
day 3: make brownies from scratch
day 4: start and finish a paint project
day 5: read a book in 24 hours
day 6: visit a new museum
day 7: cook a cuisine from a different country
day 8: get food delivered to your home
day 9: do a summer cleaning of your room
day 10: do a summer cleaning of your laptop
day 11: video call a long distance friend
day 12: stay off social media for a week
day 13: go to the movies
day 14: make a memory book
day 15: donate to someone in need
day 16: compliment a stranger
day 17: buy a houseplant
day 18: paint a plant pot and fill it with a plant
day 19: eat street food
day 20: have a picnic in a park
day 21: visit a farmer’s market
day 22: visit a local library
day 23: listen to some podcasts
day 24: binge watch a series in 24 hours
day 25: learn a new language
day 26: sell things you don’t need
day 27: write a letter to your future self
day 28: play an online game with a friend
day 29: host a virtual movie night
day 30: start a book club
one’s eyes are a gateway to their soul, and souls are never strangers. not really.
people who write love songs having never been in love with an actual living breathing human are a different type of amusing
-The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller
lovers to sworn enemies to inseparable lovers is a trope that needs some serious attention and more, detailed books in that genre.
love languages: going along with them on their errands, taking quizzes together, sharing bakery goods, waiting for them to tie their shoe, asking 'what happened next?' when somebody interrupts them, walking home with them and not leaving until they've made it inside
feeding them grapes, reading out to them as they lay their head in your lap, baking together and licking frosting off each other, leaving little wholesome notes around for each other, dancing to your favorite song in the kitchen at 2am
Denizler Kitabevi Bookshop in Istanbul, specializing in antique maps and maritime books.
dark academia / on a budget
dark academia is great for us students since it doesn’t require a lot of money to begin with. i personally believe sustainability is also very fitting to the aesthetic (& it can save some money), so here & here are my posts about being environmentally friendly!
clothes, home & cosmetics
• thrift! whether you need books, clothes, furniture or decorative pieces, don’t forget to check out thrift stores near you. you can definitely find quality pieces for a fraction of the price, & it’ll be much more ethical than buying from a fast fashion store. the men’s section is great for blazers & tweed jackets, & women’s sections usually have beautiful vintage dresses. thrifted books often have lovely annotations that make you wonder about the previous owner(s). make sure to wash any clothes you buy before wearing them & verify that the furniture doesn’t have any unwelcome pests.
• do swaps with your friends & see what your family already has stored! does your friend have a shirt they don’t wear anymore? maybe they can give it to you, perhaps in exchange for something you have. i once gave my friend a t-shirt i never really wore, & she embroidered it beautifully & now gets a lot of wear out of it! my mum on the other hand has a lot of clothes she doesn’t wear all that much and she’s always happy to share them with me & my sister.
• learn to mend your clothes! you can do a lot for an ill-fitting pair of trousers & it’s easy to fix a hole in your favourite sweater – no need to throw those out & go buy new ones. this also applies to furniture! a little bit of wear can also look really beautiful on an an old desk.
• don’t fall for trends! get clothes & decorations you like & that suit your tastes & your lifestyle. we so often get stuck to the idea that our lives would be so much better & more beautiful if we just had that one piece of decor, that certain coat or shampoo or notebook. honestly, no item will ever magically change your life. & remember: you can admire things without having them. i love checkered skirts, but would never wear one myself – they simply aren’t for me.
• get decorations from nature! pick flowers & dry them, decorate with spruce branches at christmas & pine cones in autumn. make your own bouquets in summer.
• don’t worry about buying expensive stationery! although muji is pretty affordable, moleskines & leuchtturm notebooks sure aren’t. you can definitely find beautiful notebooks & pens for a lot cheaper. in the end what matters is what you write, not what you write on or with.
• you also don’t need expensive cosmetics! there are very good products for skin, hair & makeup even at the cheapest price point. just do a little research & don’t let yourself fall for trends & your favourite influencers’ recommendations.
food & drink
• make dark academia inspired meals! let me explain: the foods i mostly associate with the aesthetic are pretty affordable & suitable for students – bean stew, lentil soup, porridge… make coffee & tea at home, there’s no need to pay a ridiculous amount for them at cafés. same goes for alcohol in case you drink – buy a bottle & invite your friends over to read, converse & play board games instead of going to bars.
• forget name-brand food! i always buy store label, it’s much cheaper & always just as good. unless tea &/or coffee is a hobby of yours, you can definitely just get the more affordable version. if you want (& have the money to), choose one thing to splurge on: i always get my favourite coffee that’s slightly more expensive, but it’s the only product where i don’t just go for the cheapest option.
• if you drink alcohol, find the best cheap wines in your country! i never buy anything above 10 euros, because i know which 8€ bottles are absolutely worth my money. also remember to not drink too often (or at all) – it’ll save you money & it’s good for your health. as a side not: ditch the cigarettes (or don’t even start), it isn’t cool or aesthetic whatsoever & it’ll cost you way too much, not just in money, but in your wellbeing too.
lifestyle
• embrace a more minimalistic dark academia aesthetic! i will do a whole other post on this, but while dark academia is often a cluttered style, there is definitely a more minimalist version of it that i think is suitable to people that also want to spend less &/or have less to spend.
• make do with what you have! chances are that most of us already have a lot. discover what you own & make use of it. maybe you have a pair of jeans that fits well but the colour isn’t great? dye them black. do you have a shirt that just doesn’t fit too well & thus you never wear it? tailor it or find new ways to wear it! no toaster? you can easily toast bread on a pan.
• appreciate what you already own & learn to want less! this ties in with the previous point. cherish the things you already own & let go of the need to constantly get more. the thrill of buying something new wears off very quickly. instead, give love to what you have.
• visit libraries! i can’t remember the last time i bought a book. they take up a lot of space which i simply don’t have in my tiny studio – i only have the books i love the most, the rest i just borrow from my lovely local libraries.
• walk or take the bicycle! public transportation is amazing, but in the summer months i prefer to walk whenever possible. it saves me a lot of money (unless i already have a long-term ticket!).
• find free &/or low-cost activities! museums are often free for us young people, as are walks in nature & board games in libraries. instead of going to a café, brew coffee at home & invite a friend over. cook together, read together, watch movies from free online services. i certainly cannot afford to go to cinemas or bars, but i don’t mind since the world is full of things to do for no money at all.
• you don’t need the latest technology! of course a working smart phone or computer is necessary for online school, but does a dark academic always need the newest iphone? i never buy a new appliance before the one i have is broken & irreparable. i’m doing just great with my early 2014 laptop that has gotten me through high school & soon my bachelor’s too!
• remember that the dark academia aesthetic is not about owning things or looking a certain way! be curious, do research, read, write, think, explore the world around & within you.
As much as I love dark academia, here are my personal additions/suggestions:
- girls of color helping each other with complex protective hairstyles before class
- diverse study groups using ancient philosophies and myths to argue against modern systemic issues (ex. plutus)
- falling into research rabbit holes after learning about the whitewashing of ancient greece (the STATUES vex me)
- responding to racist comments with an eye roll and thoroughly researched and rehearsed responses
- veering (slightly) off topic in essays to talk about racism and other issues close to their hearts, and getting a better grade because of it
- dealing with microaggressions from classmates and teachers- in a very da way- mysterious but direct (and lowkey pretentious)
POC BELONG IN DARK ACADEMIA. ALWAYS.
i can be obsessed with romance and also be totally fine on my own it’s called having depth and dimension and being in denial
life sucks
i am merely existing, less alone living.
life sucks.
everyday i think about how i want to paint and write and quickly sprawl down my ideas for a future that isn't promised, and get back to slaving away in front of a screen, beside a pile of textbooks.
