Discovering #cottagecore felt like meeting an old friend. There is a certain coziness about it, which I believe comes from its familiarity. While the trend seems new, it actually incorporates many things that have been around. Think Mori Kei fashion with a western twist, think rainy day nostalgia, mushrooms, Ghibli movies, pie baking and flower gardens. Imagine my surprise, when I met cottagecore and it was full of many of my favorite things, collected together and celebrated.
The style has risen quickly in popularity, but what is it exactly? In essence, cottagecore or the cottagecore aesthetic centers around a love of everyday enchantment, and celebrates whimsy, nature, and simplicity. A large part of the cottagecore aesthetic (look) focuses on the style of dress, and the idolization of living a simpler life. Picture waking up in the countryside in your very own cottage, with a sprawling garden, and a winding path. It often has a good dose of Americana nostalgia thrown in, and can tend to over idolize ‘country’ living.
Of course, we can’t all run away to the country and live on daydreams. I grew up in a Iowa, in a small town which would probably seem rural or quaint to some people. And it was only my grandmother’s generation ago that lacked running water indoors. She often told me gleefully how she, as the youngest, got to bathe first when the water was still warm, and the cleanest. Simple living indeed.
Rather than yearn to return to an imagined long ago, I see cottage core as an invitation. I choose to focus on the elements that resonate more strongly with me;
Embrace the quiet moments, live with intention, everyday is an opportunity for enchantment.
These ideas have been present in my art practice for many years. Sharing the everyday enchantment, the overlooked wonder, the little moments of magic is a large part of why I paint. I find that returning to these ideas is grounding.
I’ve been turning more towards this aesthetic in my home décor as a way to bring intentional moments of magic inside. The key is an emphasis on simplicity, not perfection. I choose white, grey, or natural wood frames for favorite pieces of art, when I frame them at all. I keep the matting simple, or skip it altogether when I can. Here are a few prints, I’ve readied for art fairs.
I use what I already have clustering candles together alongside old bottles found while rambling through the woods. I recycle read magazines instead of stashing them for an imagined later flip through. I leave the flowers in the garden, and do not pick them to bring inside, but make time to sit outside among them and the bumblebees. These moments may not come often. Life is not a curated photo. Laundry piles up, emails need answered. There is always time to be busy, one more thing to be done to ‘get ahead’. So, carve out your moments.
I may not have a country cottage, but I can have wonder, and pockets of joy. Be it a hand-thrown bumblebee mug for tea, a sunflower dish towel, or an eclectic collection of art with my little ceramic frogs sitting on top. But it’s not the having that brings me joy, rather the reminder to slow down and savor the tea. The reminder that doing the dishes is necessary, but can still be enjoyed alongside some favorite music. That when I plant a garden, it not just for myself, but the bees, and chipmunks, and birds as well.
Embrace the quiet moments, live with intention, everyday is an opportunity for enchantment.
Here’s some additional resources to help you get those #cottagecore vibes going.
playlists
I liked this one, It even had some familiar songs on it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmSRmhHtGwA
And here's a collection of songs I enjoy while painting. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZO2KEfE27Xs3c7vYVcmzKETpUKEojBrL
Blogs
just search #cottagecore #cottagecoreaesthetic
And check out the many related fields such as #faeriecore and #goblincore #naturecore
May I buy a print of that beautiful tree you have matted in lavender? It is so lovely. And thank you for talking about Cottagecore which I only recently heard about. But it seems like my kind of thing. Let me know how much the print costs; I may have to wait a week until I get my Social Security check. Pathetic, I know. Linda Willson lindamarywillson@gmail.com