If you’re on Pinterest or Tumblr, you have probably seen the “dark academia” aesthetic. I came across a few posts, and I realized that DA is something I’ve been a part of for my whole life. I’d like to explain with a list (because lists are just a part of this blog, and you know it).
- Reading Alice in Wonderland, deciding I didn’t like the ending, and writing my own where Absolem convinces Hatter to jump through a portal and visit Alice instead
- Filling notebooks with stickers, receipts, little scraps of pretty fabric or flowers, and any thought that pops into my head
- Making a cup of tea or coffee when something doesn’t feel right
- Always focusing better when it’s raining or gloomy outside
- Loving long walks and picnics
- Craving second-hand bookstores and thrift shops because I like to imagine the lives of the people who owned the things I purchase there
- Keeping movie tickets, programs, concert bracelets, and railway cards in a lockbox to preserve the memories
- A shelf of photo albums from my childhood
- Late-night research about psychology, ancient architecture, or what it would be like to live in 18th-century London
- Smiling at animals and calling them beautiful
- Hearing “mystery of love” by Sufjan Stevens and realizing it’s an anthem for life
- Planning anything and everything, down to the last detail, but always changing something someone else planned because it’s creative expression
- My favorite color is dark forest/army green, and most of my room is denim, green, gray, and cozy brown
- Giving each of my plants names, and some of them represent my friends, so if they aren’t doing well I check on the friend
- Doing nothing on road trips but listening to classical music and staring out the window
- Owning more jackets than any other item of clothing
- Preferring to walk or bike rather than drive
- Hating crowded places, but liking to watch crowds from a distance to see how other people interact
- Keeping a frantic, giant mountain of different ideas in my notes app (but very well organized)
- Hiding polaroids and small objects I find on nature walks in bags and jacket pockets, not finding them till later
- Owning far too many pens, but organizing them by type… ordering refills of the ones I like
- Insisting on visiting a city strip mall just so I can examine the Japanese paper in that one stationery store, holding a freshly-purchased notebook to my cheek because the pages are so soft
- Learning better when I hear something out loud, rather than see or touch it
- Spending hours staring out my window while clouds gather in the sky and a storm pours over the world
- Watching the entire Harry Potter series every fall, making some of the foods they have in the Great Hall
- Feeling guilty about keeping books I love because other people should read them, too
- Highlighting quotes I love in “Looking for Alaska,” specifically the quote that says “NEVER USE A HIGHLIGHTER IN MY BOOKS!”
I’m going to stop here… but I think I’ll do a part 2 later because I really enjoyed making this list! Comment any dark academia things you do in your life and why you like it. 🙂
–ellynn ❤
Hi!
I have always felt close to the dark academia aesthetic. I love coffee, reading books, poems, greek culture, museums, art, ballet and studying. I dream a lot about moving out of the country I’m right now, leave my parents and get into a school with the dark academia vibe, like the Edinburg university.
I like this website because it kinda has my aesthetic and people with common thoughts.
Katelin
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Also the dark academia aesthetic is kind of dying, as it was mostly intense in the 1930-40s. Now there’s Pinterest and Spotify playlists to preserve the aesthetic. I really like that this page is talking about it. It’s a great place to tell thoughts.
Katelin
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Hi Katelin, I’m so glad you appreciate it! It’s so cool that so many people feel the same way — this nostalgia for an era long past. I thought I would go to a prestigious school for that exact reason, but I ended up going to a state school, and it’s still wonderful! It’s all about the mentality of loving to learn and not caring about how. Keep on craving beauty in your everyday life ❤ thank you for stopping by!
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