A Step-by-Step Process to Finding my Aesthetic and what that Really Means

Aesthetic. With social media on a constant rise and an increase in careers available in social media, all I ever seem to hear about is aesthetic. It's used to describe your feed, style, and your everyday life. It's a word everyone uses (including myself) but I'm not sure if I even have a full understanding of what it really means. I mean, does everyone have one? If not, how do I get one? Is it something hidden inside me that I have to discover through enlightenment? All I know is that one thing all successful blogs and influencers have is a strong and clear aesthetic. Perhaps if I found mine, it would turn my blog from a hobby to a career (like we all dream of).


Step 1: What is an aesthetic?

When Google searched, the definition of aesthetic is: "(adjective) concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty." Or there's another option of: "(noun) a set of principles underlying and guiding the work of a particular artist or artistic movement." However, I think the aesthetic in media is more of a synonym with cohesive. Media users like when things match and are pleasing to the eye. This means matching colors with the same cool or hot undertones.

Here are some of my favorite examples of strong aesthetics:



Alyssa Coscarelli, Senior Market Fashion Editor at Refinery29, "alyssainthecity"

Christie Tyler, owner of NYC Bambi (Blog), "nycbambi"



Arden Rose, YouTube personality of Arden Rose and actress, "ardenrose"

Zoe Sugg, YouTube personality/blogger of Zoella, "zoesugg"

Step 2: Take a good look in the mirror (no, not literally)

Although Instagram is crucial to finding and embracing aesthetic, the first place I looked was Pinterest. I feel more free on my Pinterest account and less censored than Instagram, leading me to believe my true aesthetic would be hidden on there. Using my most frequent pins, I took screen shots and found colors hidden in each one to see what they looked like combined and to find any similarities.

Most, if not all, of the colors ended up having cooler undertones which is a great first discovery. I like to think that my "aesthetic" tends to have a more vintage and thrifty feel to it, but I can't help but wonder if I'm actually just being trendy.

Step 3: Get a 2nd Opinion

By second opinion I really mean find another source. This is where Instagram comes into play and I'm going to use my private account to see what I can find.

Step 4: Data is Inconclusive

The only similarity I notice about my different feeds is that there's blue hidden in every one. I'm not surprised. Considering blue is my favorite color and my entire room follows a theme of blue, I would expect blue to be a part of my aesthetic. Perhaps some people have stronger aesthetics than others or maybe it's significantly exaggerated for he business end of their blog/social media.

Although I admire those with a strong sense of who they are and what their ideal color palette is, I can't help but wonder if deciding on a strict theme is limiting to all creatives. What if you take a photo that you love but it doesn't match your aesthetic, are you supposed to just send it to the recycling bin for only you to see every time you revisit it like visiting a grave? I guess it comes down to being true to yourself and losing followers/likes or sticking to an aesthetic and continue to grow your business. Both are honorable answers no matter what one you choose.

Maybe my aesthetic (or lack thereof) is what's holding back the success of my blog. I do, however, feel that I'm one step closer to finding my personal theme what it truly means to be a social media influencer.

I encourage you to take a look at your social media and see if you can discover your aesthetic. Remember, though, that even for professionals it's always a work in progress and forever growing/changing like our personalities.

Thanks for reading!

Sarah Grace xoxo