7 Ways to Turn Your Aesthetic into A Lifestyle

Have you ever wanted to turn your aesthetic into a lifestyle?

Aesthetic | adj: concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.

Having an aesthetic is certainly not a life requirement, but there is something about it that feels so unique when it’s actually your lifestyle. My favorite thing about Instagram, like most people, is the ability to visually create and share my art. That never gets old and that is why people continue to join the app daily. My second favorite thing about Instagram is the ability to create a visual aesthetic. Is it easy? No. Is it just about presets? No. Can it be learned? Yes.

Aside from looking at profiles over the years of being on social media, Pinterest is actually where I learned how to create and craft my aesthetic. Turning it into a lifestyle came over the years because I realized I actually wanted to and enjoyed dressing like what I saw in the images. Understanding my style as it relates to fashion has definitely had a role in turning my aesthetic into a lifestyle. For so many years I let others, like we often do, dictate the type of clothes I wore, so now that I’ve had a chance to explore, I have nailed down my aesthetic. Saying all of that to say your wardrobe will tell you a lot about your aesthetic. That said lets get into 7 ways to turn your aesthetic into a lifestyle.

Get Clear on Your Desired Aesthetic

In order to turn your aesthetic into a lifestyle you have to get clear on what you desire your aesthetic to be. The moment I started dressing for myself and not for other people, my style began to evolve and I intentionally started shopping for things that matched what I desired my aesthetic to be. In my opinion having an aesthetic isn’t to box you in, but to give you a sense of direction especially if your goal is to turn your aesthetic into a lifestyle.

Clarity for me looked like, creating a secret Pinterest board with everything that matched the aesthetic I wanted. I desired minimal, luxe and clean. Put a name to your aesthetic. I had already purchased a few things prior in the color palette that I desired my aesthetic to be, but having that Pinterest board has really kept me focused. Dressing like my aesthetic wasn’t the issue, really curating my lifestyle to match was the original challenge. To put a time frame to it, I got married in March and had already had my Pinterest board for my aesthetic change. It took until August for me to actually and creatively bring it to life. Get clear first, then you can turn your aesthetic into a lifestyle.

Turn Your Aesthetic into a Lifestyle by Looking In Your Closet

Your closet will tell you a lot about yourself and your current aesthetic. What colors are already in there? What do you see the most of? What do you gravitate toward the most? That is actually your current aesthetic; whether or not it’s displayed visually on Instagram is another thing, but your real life aesthetic is currently defined by your closet. Now if you don’t like what you see, this is where you will begin to switch things up and switch things out. In order to turn your aesthetic into a lifestyle keep the things that lead in the direction that you want to go.

Take Inventory of What Doesn’t Match

Once you’re clear on your desired aesthetic and you look in your closet, you can then take inventory and eliminate what doesn’t match. If you haven’t worn it in a while, even more reason to let it go. Don’t ponder on it, don’t “I may wear it in 6 months,” just decide. Decision making will be a main factor in turning your aesthetic into your lifestyle. Just decide. If it isn’t want you want, that’s also a decision, but either way you have to choose up.

Turn Your Aesthetic Into a Lifestyle By Intentionally Seeking and Shopping Your Aesthetic

For me buying something I don’t like and can’t wear often is a non-negotiable; I’m just not going to do it. I intentionally buy the colors I enjoy wearing because my lifestyle and aesthetic are the same. Intentionally seeking out my aesthetic makes it easier to create content. I don’t have to plan for a day when I’m wearing colors that match my aesthetic, I always match my aesthetic so at any moment I’m ready for a photo (almost any moment). Someone completely opposite of me on the color scale, who does an amazing job, is Color Me Courtney*. It is clear she intentionally buys a variety of shades of colorful clothes. She doesn’t just have a colorful wardrobe on accident. She is a great example of turning your aesthetic into a lifestyle. Her apartment, her fiance, everything she does is rooted in her love for color and she INTENTIONALLY makes that happen. That’s the difference between someone with an aesthetic and someone without. There is still a level of intentionality that it takes to turn your aesthetic into your lifestyle.

*Linked below.

Make Your Aesthetic Personal and Live It Out Daily

Clarity and intentionality lead to the ability to tailor your aesthetic to your real life and gives you the power to live it out daily. The reason I used such an extreme example is because I’m very minimal and someone like Color Me Courtney is the opposite, so I didn’t want only my minimal perspective to be the example. If you love color or want more color in your aesthetic or the profession you have involves more color, that’s okay too! I just want you to understand that in order to turn your aesthetic into a lifestyle you have to make it personal to your life and when you do that it becomes easier to live it out.

Use That To Fuel Your Brand Foundation, Design and Colors

If you’re new here, my website, logo and my feed also have gotten a major upgrade over the last couple of weeks. I started my blog before I started my other two brands, but I feel like starting those brands have given me fuel to get clear about what I really wanted my blog aesthetic to be. That clarity and that time to sit with the ideas fueled my new brand foundation, design and colors and that allowed me to truly turn my aesthetic into a lifestyle. At the end of the day, the difference between you and someone who is killing it, is the clarity they have around their brand and what they are doing. Like Mattie James says, it’s not because it’s easier for them, they have decided to really lean into it and do something consistently, show up consistently and look how they have decided they want their brand to look.

If you’re new to social media or you are new to creating an aesthetic, before you can turn your aesthetic into your lifestyle, you have to get back to the foundation of your brand. The foundation is most important because when moments of doubt or comparison creep in you know where you stand and can adjust accordingly if necessary.

Turn Your Aesthetic Into A Lifestyle By Sticking To It

Last, but certainly not least, in order to turn your aesthetic into a lifestyle, you have to stick with it.

*Color Me Courtney Instagram

Beginner’s Guide to Creating Your Aesthetic

3 Benefits of Having an Aesthetic

3 Tips for Taking Aesthetic Photos

Feel free to drop any questions you have in the comments below!