inkwellphotograph

[inkwellphotograph]

some Japanese dark academia things

I love seeing people talk about living the dark academia subculture within their culture, so here are a few traditional Japanese things that give me the same sense of pride and devotion as being dark academic.

(It goes without saying, this is for all Japanese people, including nikkeijin, hāfu/daburu/mikusu, and everyone else!)

•─•°•❀•°•─•

⚘ The elegance of calligraphy. The feeling of the ink under your brush, watching the smoothness of it.

⚘ Kimono and yukata. The heaviness and comfort of a kimono, and the lightness of a yukata. As a man, I also feel a deep sense of honour on the rare occasions I wear a hakama.

⚘ Gardens, with streams of clear water and dark stones underfoot. Watching the kaede leaves turn orange with the seasons.

⚘ Ink and pencil smudged across your hands, especially if you're right-handed (and growing up sympathetic for left-handed people because of this)

⚘ The beauty of Japanese names. Each character considered for its meaning, pieced together like a puzzle to create something new.

⚘ Shrines and temples. Historic architecture nestled within gardens and forests. Musing over the ancient prayers, celebrations, and contemplations that occurred along the same steps you're walking on, however long ago.

#japan #japanese #japanese culture #nikkei #nikkeijin #dark academia #grey academia #light academia #asian culture #aapi #classic academia #romantic academia #japanese academia #aesthetic #romanticise your life #japan aesthetic #hafu #daburu #mikusu

[inkwellphotograph]

things in my dark academic room

This isn't meant as a 'suggestion' list (but feel free to take it as such if you'd like). These are just things I do because it makes me feel more confident and put-together!

•─•°•❀•°•─•

Waterfall lights hanging over a blood-red curtain, to give late-night studying a more fantasy-novel dorm room feel

Old mason jars filled with crystals and sea glass from adventures long past. Tall jars stocked with fancy pens and stained paintbrushes

Candles. An unnerving number of candles.

A sizable chunk of smoky quartz, gifted to me from a friend whom I helped pass Statistics

Small, delicate angel statuettes. When I was a little boy, my grandmother put them around my room for protection.

Stacks of books (quite obviously), but especially the stack of battered, thrifted ecology and wildlife identification books I've collected over the years (since long before my decision to study the natural sciences)

A four-generation family photograph, taken with relatives I barely got a chance to know

Several ornate wooden lockboxes, protecting anything I hold dear to me

#dark academia #darkest academia #grey academia #romantic academia #stem academia #academia aesthetic #university dorm #college dorm #bedroom decor #classic academia #vintage decor #bookblr #bookworm

[inkwellphotograph]

the colours of winter...

Brown cocoa and coffee. Sky blue tinges on the fallen snow. Black fingers of trees, the growing blackness of long nights. Flushed red cheeks, walking down tree-lined paths with grey clouds overhead. Boughs of evergreen trees, decorations of red berries and red cardinals. Hiding out the cold baking at home with friends, filling the house with warm yellow-browns.

#winter aesthetic #romanticise everything #poets on tumblr #dark academia #romantic academia #winter #naturecore #soft aesthetic #spilled thoughts #spilled ink #warm and comfy

[inkwellphotograph]

the campus library

Those single-person study desks. Especially the ones next to the window, where you can watch the world pass by

A half-finished cup of coffee next to your laptop

Relaxing with your study group next to the fake fireplaces

Trying to find physical copies of sources and books instead of solely using digital sources

Fiddling with a pen while you read

Sitting in the corner, where its a bit quieter

Propping open a textbook. You didn't even have to pay for it!

Admiring the walls and shelves, stocked with academic knowledge from all fields of study. Every day academia progresses further, and we're unbelievably fortunate to live in a situation where we can dip into the wealth of knowledge before us.

#academics #academia aesthetic #dark academia #light academia #grey academia #modern academia #classic academia #chaotic academia #aesthetic #romanticise your life #romanticise school #student life #university life #college life #university student #stemblr #stem academia

[inkwellphotograph]

some science dark academia things

Because all academics can be dark academics.

(remember dark academia is only a subculture, so don’t change fundamental aspects of yourself to fit into it!)

•─•°•❀•°•─•

✎ instead of globes and paintings, a study space decorated with annotated data tables, coffee-stained formula sheets, and diagrams with weathered edges

✎ endless rows of spreadsheets, being able to input data at a frightening pace. the glow of a laptop screen despite the night outside the library window.

✎ short, neatly-trimmed nails. all the same, there's dirt under them from fieldwork

✎ walking quickly through the corridors, your labcoat giving you an air of confidence as you exchange nods with likeminded students, all working towards the same goal

✎ booking a group room with your labmates, suggesting explanations with one another as you compare results from the week's work. theories and explanations shared around coffee cups and a quiet evening

✎ annotating the papers you research, re-explaining their findings to yourself over and over until it finally dawns. carrying these papers with you and discussing them with professors

✎ the math and science students in my university always set up 'take a textbook, leave a textbook' in the hallways between the chem and math departments. there are carts full of battered, old chemistry, biology, and calculus textbooks at the start of every semester

#words cannot convey how much i love studying science #this is my life calling #stemblr #stem academia #stem student #dark academia #classic academia #romanticise everything #romanticse school #academic things #dark academia aesthetic #grey academia #science studyblr

[inkwellphotograph]

dark academia on a poor university student budget

Because tuition is expensive and my job doesn't pay much.

•─•°•❀•°•─•

Letter-writing. Decorate the margins with simple doodles that you know they'd appreciate. Find your own, distinctive sign-off. (You can also do this online by customising emails, Google Docs links, etc.)

Libraries. Campus libraries and their hum of student chatter. Once they begin to get too loud for your liking, visit a public library and study amongst the towering shelves.

Thrifting. Slowly phase old porcelain tableware into your kitchen. Walk to class in a gently-battered long coat. Thumb through copies of classics with worn corners and an old love note on the inside cover. Especially if you find an ornate teacup or mug that you can keep at your study space to be completely yours.

Make it yourself. Press flowers between heavy books and use them as decoration in your journal or sketchbook. Cut up some scrap paper and make bookmarks with your favourite book quotes.

Explore. Wander around public parks in your favourite pullover or blazer, taking photos or sketching whatever it is that catches your interest. Investigate back corridors and secret passages on your campus.

Read all those books in your TBR. (I know you have a lot on there.)

Journal, write, sketch, paint, compose... indulge in whatever creative respite you choose. Create.

#dark academia #light academia #romantic academia #classic academia #darkest academia #grey academia #cryptid academia #fairy academia #student life #university life #college life #dark academia inspiration #academia tips #chaotic academia #academics #romanticise your life #romanticise school

[inkwellphotograph]

as winter grows deeper...

The rush of warm air as you step inside your school. Kicking snow off your boots. The cold clinging to your breath as you walk. Thick clothes of all forms. Hot drinks and shared laughter. The quiet of classrooms and libraries as study season thrives.

#dark academia #grey academia #darkest academia #romantic academia #student life #romanticise school #university life #college life #academia aesthetic #winter vibes #winter wonderland #december

[inkwellphotograph]

environmental science is beautiful

Some more reasons why environmental science is a beautiful field of study.

•─•°•❀•°•─•

⚘ Conferences and networking events, with clusters of academics holding a quick-paced discussion of the mechanisms behind everything that sits just outside the window.

⚘ Thick black turtlenecks as the winter begins to set in.

⚘ Muted browns to hide the dust and soil. Muted greens to hide the grass stains. Ankle boots every day on campus, just to feel the weight of them on your legs.

⚘ Not being disgusted by rot. Having an appreciation for the cycles of birth and decomposition, finding comfort in the beauty of having fragments of yourself continue living on in another form.

⚘ Gardens.

⚘ Studying alone by the water. Staring down under the dark surface and imagining all the microscopic lives thriving underneath.

#dark academia #classic academia #grey academia #academia aesthetic #environmental science #dark naturalism #environmentalism #earth academia #green academia #romanticise everything #romanticise school #stemblr #stem #stem academia #ecology

[inkwellphotograph]

dark academia ⚘ november thoughts

November is a very special month to me ♡

(remember dark academia is only a subculture, so don't change fundamental aspects of yourself to fit into it!)

•─•°•❀•°•─•

✎ stepping into the first snowfall, leaving the crisp imprint of your boot

✎ long coats, scarves, and boots

✎ watching autumn breathe its final breaths, dwelling on the inevitability of death

✎ white haze on the windows, the elegant fractals of frost on the leaves and grass and fence

✎ flipping though your current novel with gloved fingers as you wait for the bus

✎ hanging your favourite coat off the back of your chair, leaning against it during a particularly boring lecture

✎ really delving into your studies. it's better to stay on top of things while you're ahead of the game

✎ taking the time to look after yourself, whether that's in books, art, coffee, or sleep. don't burn yourself out by lighting the candle at both ends. a seasoned academic knows to take care of themself ♥︎

#dark academia #academia aesthetic #light academia #grey academia #classic academia #romantic academia #cryptid academia #dark academia winter #aesthetic #november #fall #autumn #winter #monthly academia things

[inkwellphotograph]

True love is stored in the book dedication, immortalising how deeply they've impacted your life and screaming out to the world: "I wouldn't have made it without you! I love you!"

#this one's about my dearest #aesthetic #true love #writeblr #writing #bookblr #booklr #poetry #author life #dark academia #light academia #romantic academia #classic academia #i love you #soft suggestion #lovecore #soft aesthetic #warmcore #warm and fuzzy #romanticise your life

[inkwellphotograph]

environmental fieldwork

Because being an environmental scientist is one of the most beautiful scientific pursuits. ♡

•─•°•❀•°•─•

✎ Black and brown turtlenecks under lab coats, as the chills start setting in.

✎ Crunching autumn leaves under heavy boots, looking up at the finger-like bare branches.

✎ Swirling a beaker by the waterside, watching the colours of your titrant mix into your sample.

✎ BOD bottles. They're such an elegant piece of glassware.

✎ The feeling of soil between your fingers as you sit against cold rocks.

✎ Cosying up with a hot beverage after trekking through the snow, watching the wind howl outside.

✎ Marvelling at the unfamiliar, almost alien creatures under your microscope. Knowing there's a whole world of indescribable life that you'll only ever scratch the surface of.

✎ Slowly becoming more familiar with the world around you. Knowing the trees by their leaves, the rocks by their hardness, or the soil by its texture makes living on this Earth so much more beautiful.

#environmental science #enviro sci #stemblr #stem students #stem academia #earth academia #green academia #dark academia #grey academia #classic academia #college life #university life #university student #romanticise everything #ecology #dark naturalism #romanticise school #nature aesthetic #naturecore #goblincore #earthcore

[inkwellphotograph]

Late autumn, I love you.

I love you, bare-branched trees and leaves speckled with black underfoot. I love you, seeing your breath in the morning and the warmth of the sun in the afternoon. I love you, flowing long coats. I love you, cinammon and vanilla candles. I love you, sharing warm drinks with the people you hold dear. I love you, first snows of the season.

#autumn vibes #winter vibes #aesthetic #romanticise everything #dark academia #light academia #naturecore #academia aesthetic #romantic academia #warm and comfy #heart shaped #spilled thoughts #spilled ink #gremlincore #goblincore #cottagecore #lovecore #student life

[inkwellphotograph]

The colder the weather gets, the more layers you can add onto your outfit.

#big sweaters and big jackets unite #cosy #cosycore #warm and comfy #dark academia #grey academia #classic academia #student life #college life #uni life #uni student #autumn #fall #winter

[inkwellphotograph]

environmental science is beautiful

I see plenty of posts about STEM dark academia, but those are usually focused on chemistry, biology, and math.

•─•°•❀•°•─•

⚘ Filling boards with elaborate cause-and-effect trees for ecology. Food webs, nutrient cycling, and pollution effects.

⚘ Hot coffee on long walks around local gardens, marvelling at the complexity of the natural world as it goes about its day.

⚘ Home-grown veggies and spices. Save yourself money, practice your horticultural skills, help reduce your carbon footprint, and eat food you feel proud of growing yourself.

⚘ Ducking in and out of crowded hallways in your labcoat, catching sideways glances from other students.

⚘ Black clothes that won't show the soil stains

⚘ Very steady hands from titrating in your chemistry labs, drawing perfect hexagons from organic chem

⚘ Stained lab books and guides tucked under your arm as you run between classrooms

#enviromental science #enviro sci #stemblr #stem academia #stem student #natural science #dark academia #academia aesthetic #romanticise everything #romanticise school #student life #grey academia #light academia #cryptid academia #chaotic academia #green academia #goblincore #earth academia #naturecore #earthcore

[inkwellphotograph]

It's not quite that simple. But nothing in life is ever that simple, right?

Maybe sitting in a cosy secret study spot won't guarantee you'll pass all your midterms. But the secrecy and quiet of the place might help you focus without succumbing to the panic of droning students around you. Maybe it won't get your assignments in on time, but the quiet and comfort might give you that movie-character aesthetic and inspire you to at least open your laptop.

Sure, you'll probably have your fair share of tough-grading, strict professors (especially in first year). But when you start recognising the faces of your department, it costs nothing to smile as you walk past. It won't make their classes easier, but they'll smile at you in return when you come into their office. Maybe you won't pass their course, but professors you wave to in the corridor are far more likely to round that final 89.8 up to a 90 than professors you never speak to.

Maybe it's not quite that simple. But maybe it makes enough of a difference that it will make things that much simpler.

University seems like a lot but in the end, it all comes down to finding the coziest secret study spot and greeting your professors in the corridor.

#i dont know if this was meant to be joking or not #but i wanted to say this anyway #i'm not just being pretentious either #finding the good study spot makes it that much easier to study #getting to know my professors makes classes that much more bearable.... even the really hard ones

[inkwellphotograph]

dark academia ⚘ october thoughts

Feeling like a classy academic this month ♡

(remember dark academia is only a subculture, so don't change fundamental aspects of yourself to fit into it!)

•─•°•❀•°•─•

✎ taking note of how the street changes. the leaves rot into the ground, and the local halloween decorations begin to pop up.

✎ the crisp, encroaching winter air on your breath as you walk across campus. finally layering all those sweaters and jackets you love.

✎ spooky music while studying.

✎ pullover sweaters with a vintage print, flannel shirts, ankle boots.

✎ choosing your halloween costume to match/complement that of your friends, lover, partner, etc. paying close attention to all the smallest details in your outfit.

✎ watching your favourite movies under a fuzzy blanket with a cup of tea/coffee/cocoa (especially if you're a horror lover like myself).

✎ enjoying the autumnal festivities around you: images of orange leaves, pumpkins, spiders, bones. even if you don't celebrate halloween, the black and brown aesthetic is quite nice.

✎ the crunch of brown and orange leaves under your shoes.

#dark academia #october #autumn vibes #academia aesthetic #light academia #cryptid academia #darkest academia #romantic academia #classic academia #spooky season #spooky vibes #grey academia #autumn #fall #monthly academia things #halloween

[inkwellphotograph]

I really love cleaning and re-decorating my study space. Sorting my books, putting my art supplies into jars, and dusting everything. Every time I reorganise, I get overwhelmed with this need to study, read, and create.

#cleaning inspo #study space #academia #dark academia #grey academia #light academia #college dorm #university dorm #student life #romanticise everything