Fuck The Office Job (The Rise of Dark Aesthetic Brands)

If you're anything like me (and I'm pretty sure you are), then you've experienced the absolute SOUL SUCKING experience of working a traditional day job in an office. Or, let's face it, any job at all.

Despite starting my first business at 16, I found myself working for others on and off over the years. But it always sucked, and I was always miserable.

The request for "normal hair color" and a boring dress code had me looking in the mirror at a complete stranger. It stripped away my creativity and self-expression. Not to mention that the job itself was such a downer.

Picture me in a tax assessor's office sitting in an ugly cubicle surrounded by tax documents, a computer screen displaying software from the 1980s, and a supervisor that asked "Are you sure it's not user error?" every time I complained that the outdated software wasn't working.

Each day I'd get yelled at over the phone (or at the front counter) by men that didn't want to pay a "luxury tax" just for owning a boat, a jet ski, or a plane.

Beyond that, I personally think that #taxationistheft in our current system (our taxes are being used to line pockets at the top rather than help people or make a true difference in this world) so the job went against my values.

I had a guaranteed promotion looming in my future, and some of my family members dreamed of what my life would look like if I kept climbing to the top. But I was only a year into it when I couldn't take it anymore.

I quit and started a new business. I've been working for myself for so long at this point that I can't imagine ever working for someone else again.

I want that for you, too - a business you're passionate about. A business so successful that you never have to step foot in a cubicle ever again.

Freedom. Self-expression. Autonomy.

No more being told what to do while living paycheck to paycheck to make someone else rich.

Sounds nice, right?

It's no wonder that so many of us who belong to subcultures reject traditional work environments. They go against who we are at our cores.

Sometimes we find that the companies we work for go against our values. Other times, we realize that it goes against our very identity.

The Alt Economy

Alternative entrepreneurs don't have to water down their visions to fit into the corporate mold. We can reject the norms and embrace what makes us strange.

In fact, our quirks and questionable interests are quite literally how we can stand out in the business world.

Suddenly, “weird is your superpower" and all the marketing and business coaches preach that to their mentees - but we've known it our whole lives.

Being yourself has quite literally been an alternative lifestyle where only the brave get to experience what it's like to just BE. While others water themselves down to appeal to the masses, we show up in all of our black wardrobe, weird hair, spooky vibe glory - and we're better off because of it.

We're carving out our own space in the world. Sure, you'll have to make it through the dark, bat infested cave first. But when you get to the other side, there are towns full of gothic castles and Victorian mansions - and you get to take your pick.

Dark Aesthetics

For many alt people, aesthetics are so much more than a personal preference - they’re part of our identity. Of who we are!

We reject traditional systems and instead value authenticity, individuality, and a celebration of the unconventional.

No matter if you lean more towards goth, punk, dark academia, grunge, witchy, or something else entirely, expressing your dark side acts as a calling card.

And the more we lean into it, the more we strengthen this subsection of the economy, showing that there is supply and demand.

We create jobs for the dark hearts stuck in office jobs that are slowly sucking the life from them. We create jobs for the neurodivergent members of our community struggling to stay afloat in a traditional workspace.

We are crafting our own communities full of like-minded people that are over mainstream, corporate, and overly polished brands that don't really stand for anything at all.

And the best part?

Brands rooted in dark aesthetics don’t just sell products to people for a profit; they promote a lifestyle full of meaning, art, and identity.

Come To The Dark Side

There’s truly never been a better time to dive into the alt economy and embrace dark aesthetics.

The mainstream is embracing subcultures more than ever, from the rise of goth-inspired fashion on runways to the explosion of dark fantasy in media.

Connecting with niche audiences has never been more accessible. From Pinterest to the Tiktok algorithm, to platforms like Patreon, creators of dark, whimsical, or rebellious brands can directly find and engage with people who resonate with their vision.

Many people are moving away from mass-produced, soulless products. They don't want to see another Shein haul and are pissed that Etsy has become a cesspool of mass-produced products. They want meaning, depth, and connection - qualities inherent in alternative brands.

With the rise of AI, this is only going to become more apparent. Handmade and small businesses are going to absolutely thrive despite it.

Now is the time to claim your space, embrace your vision, and create the brand you’ve always wanted to see in the world.

Dark aesthetics aren’t just a niche - they’re a movement of self-expression and shared values, and a sanctuary for the misunderstood.

Love, Lune Caselle

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