I’ve always loved the aesthetics of the ’80s. I was born in the ’70s and grew up in the ’80s and I find the era influences so much artistically about what I like.

In the actual ’80s I was young, poor, and wasn’t terribly cool. I mean, let’s be real, I’m still not terribly cool, but what is cool, anyway?

COOL IS AN ILLUSION

Back then, if I’d had access to the things I do now, who knows how “of the moment” I would have been. I’ve been aching to paint some new pieces, and each one I have in mind is definitely of that era. I have all sorts of color schemes floating around in my head just waiting to be smushed onto canvas.

Even though I’m larger than I used to be (and larger than I’d like to be), over the last year I’ve gotten some clothes that fit that are definitely aesthetic. For example, earlier this week I was wearing very bleached acid washed jeans with a Miami Vice-esque purple shirt. My shoes were flats with an ’80s tropical print. My Totoro cross body bag has all sorts of bright colors but is mainly a lovely robin’s egg blue.

I have always been adventurous with makeup, but over the last year I’ve tried to take that up a notch. I like to put on super colorful makeup, just for me. It’s one of the nice things I can do for myself when I’m feeling negative about my appearance. One of my current favorite things is frosty lipstick, in particular, a shade MAC has recently brought back from the archives: Skew. It’s the perfect, subtle frosty lipstick (yes, such a thing exists!).

There it is in all its glory. SKEW.

Recently I decided to be more adventurous with my hair so I actually went hunting on Amazon for a hair crimper.

I don’t think I ever had a crimper back in the day, but now I do. My hair is short, but certainly long enough to crimp for some aesthetic goodness.

On my phone I have several playlists. A handful of them are synthwave, and ’80s music. When I am feeling down, those playlists never fail to get me going.

I am more ’80s now than I ever was during the 1980s. I’m like an ’80s boomerang, only this time I’m enjoying the era even more.

I have a rainbow neon light, for goodness sake. Young me would be so excited she wouldn’t know what to do with all this information. I mean, she already would have fallen over and fainted to find out I have the complete Baby-Sitters Club series. Shoot, I am always excited about that. I’ve read the entire series multiple times since I acquired it several years ago, and it never fails to make me happy. Those are wholesome, industrious, and kind girls. They were excellent role models back then, and they still are today.

I’m not trying to achieve some sort of super ’80s status, I’m just enjoying the aesthetics of the time incorporated with the way my tastes have evolved. Bringing those elements into the present has been such a joy for me. I can’t wait to create some new pieces to hang on the walls to keep inspiring myself. I’m also enjoying the aesthetics page I created on Facebook. I made it just for me, but I love sharing all the beautiful works I find with others.

I feel like all this is an artistic endeavor I’m happy to be pursuing. And I will take that happiness and run with it.

WHEEEEEEEEE!!!