the aesthetic

aes ·thet ·ic
/es' THedik/
·Concerned with beauty, or the appreciation of beauty

From my understanding, aesthetics are becoming the foundation of my generation.

Let Me Explain.

Whenever a certain trend, or look, is popularized, many people attempt to emulate this look, or seek to create "feels" that are just as beautiful. This is not pertaining to simply artwork, but fashion trends, blogs, even relationships are being built up based on the aesthetics. Am I exempt from this trend? Not at all! My entire blog was created based on what I found visually stimulating, and how I felt others would receive my work. But it can be acknowledged that there are people who buy certain items, or date certain people because of the aesthetics, as opposed to how it makes them feel. 

There are so many posts regarding 'Relationship Goals' or 'Squad Goals' based primarily on photos of what seems pleasing. College students, who typically follow the "Broke College Student" model, are spending hundreds of dollars on brand name items because of 'Looks' and how it looks to others. By all means, spend your money on what you want, and date whoever you please, but make sure that the items you bring into your life do more for you than visually excite you. Go deeper than the aesthetic.

 I feel as though the people in my age group aren't very genuine. There are people who tattoo religious symbols such as the Ancient Egyptian Ankh or the Hindu Om, but aren't aware of the sacred nature of these symbols and what they mean to those who are believers. People who smoke weed because it looks cool on Snapchat. People who drink Hennessy, not because they like it, but because it is so heavily praised.

What is real? How do you know if someone is genuinely a yogi, or simply doing yoga so that they can post on Instagram? A number of African-American woman have been transitioning to their natural hair texture because of the visually appealing nature that is associated with the "Natural Hair Movement". These are very beautiful journey's that are enjoyed by a number of people, but if that is not who you are, why participate?

Dig Deeper. Go further than the aesthetic and find people, places, and things that ACTUALLY make you feel something; NOT because it merely looks good to others.

Journey Peacefully!