Post Dark Academia
I know it's been a while since I posted on here; I still love learning and all the positive parts of dark academia, but I feel like I've grown out of the aesthetic over these past few months. Or years. However long it's been. So I'm proposing a new aesthetic, for people who used to be into dark academia, and want/need to move on from it now (or, like anyone else. I'm not gonna stop you).
This aesthetic centers around the critical analysis of your local education system and the worldwide educational system in general, and the ways that capitalism controls the schools we go to, as well as a general critique of broader capitalistic systems. It involves self-care and self-improvement in the name of loving you, and aspiring to love yourself if you don't. It still focuses around learning for learning's sake, but doing so in a way that promotes your health and self-improvement, and the kinds of learning that may not be typically valued in traditional educational systems (from learning art, and not just classic art, to learning about indigenous peoples, to learning about different ways that people learn (this may be more relevant in the U.S, I'm American and don't know much about other countries educational systems, but here we're horrible about doing a one-size-fits-all methods of teaching).
Activities could include:
taking a self-care bath or shower to relax after a long day of school
reading classics from non-western/non-European countries
protesting in favor of free colleges and universities
taking a long time to linger over your meal, thinking deeply about a subject you love
forming a group of students at your school dedicated to making the education there higher quality and more inclusive
holding deep conversations with a stranger you met in the park
going to the park, appreciating nature in whatever ways you can
unionizing
listening to folk punk (bands like The Mountain Goats, AJJ, etc) and other political music, plus music that just makes you happy
learning breathing techniques
lighting candles for dinner or midnight snacks, especially if you're alone
genuinely caring about social issues and trying to educate yourself on them
reading that book you're in love with in all the little spaces of time; in waiting rooms, while waiting for your Zoom class to start, during commercial breaks, on public transport, etc
being in awe of nearly everything that touches your senses, even things you've seen/felt/tasted/smelled a million times before
going crazy over what you're passionate about
and feeling like you have permission to leave behind what you're not passionate about
My dream for this aesthetic is to be like a bigger version of dark academia. I don't know if this will make sense to anyone but me, but I feel like I've got to try. I loved being part of the da scene, but the problem is it's not my scene anymore. It's just not where I want to be. I welcome anyone to add to this list, create whatever they want, you know the drill! Moodboards, playlists, outfits guides, anything. One of the big things to me about this aesthetic is that it needs be accessible. No gatekeeping, no shame, no nothing.
much love, and I'll add more things to the "post da" tag soon <3
