How to Cultivate a Mystique
(Annotated Collector's Edition)
I wrote this and then, to be rigorous, submitted it for peer review to the seasoned master I learned half of it from, local mystique-mage πππππππππππ. His commentary proved comprehensive enough that it is ππππππππππ ππππ for the intermediate reader looking to gain a more in-depth understanding of the subject.
Drape things dramatically over your head when the occasion presents itself. A towel, a blanket, a shawl, etc.
πΆπππ π πππ πππ’ππππ π πππππππ. πΆπππππ ππππππππππ, ππππππππππ ππππππππππ πππππ.
Smell like something. It can't be something bad, but it can be something scary. Or not! It can be comforting! It can, and perhaps should, be something you canβt name.
Master the discipline of light. Own and know how to deploy a system of lamps, string lights, lanterns, LED strips, and such for any mood you might wish to create.
πππ πππππππππππ ππππππππππ ππ πππππππ π’πππ πππππ ππππ πππππππ. πππππ πππ π ππππππ πππ ππππ πππππ'π ππ πππ’πππππ ππππ ππππ ππ ππππ ππ ππππ π’πππ πππππππππππ ππ πππππ ππππβπ’ππ πππ ππππ ππππππππππ π ππ’π ππ ππππ’ ππ π’πππ ππ’ππππππ π ππππ ππππ’ πππππ ππ‘πππ πππππ ππ’ππππ πππ’πππ ππ ππππππ πππ π ππ’ π’ππ ππππ ππππππ π’πππ πππππ ππππππ ππ πππ π’ππ ππππ.
Get a good speaker or two. Or learn to play the guitar or drums yourself, but that's harder.
πΎπ πππ ππππ ππππ, ππ'π π ππππππ’ πππππ π ππ’ ππ πππππ’ π’πππ πππππππππ ππππ, ππ πππππ πππππ πππ ππππ ππ π ππππ.
Master time. Hang up a calendar on your wall and put a watch on your wrist; wake up to a soothing alarm clock instead of your phone. An Echo or Google Home is an acceptable alarm too.
ππππ πππ πππππ ππ ππππ ππππππππππ πππππ. π²ππππ ππππππππππ π πππ πππ ππππππ ππ πππππ ππ π πππ’, πππ π’ππ πππ πππππ ππππππ. π»ππππ ππ ππππππππππ π’πππ ππππππππππ’ ππππππππππππ ππ ππππ ππ’ πππππππππ ππ π ππ’π ππππ ππππ ππππππ πππππππππππππ, πππ ππππ’ ππππ ππππππ ππ ππππ’ ππππππππππππ’ πππ’ πππππππππ ππ π’ππ πππππ ππππ (ππππ ππ πππππππππ). π°ππ’πππππ πππππππππ ππππ ππππ ππ’ππππππππππππππ ππ ππππππππππππ ππππππ πππππ ππ ππππππππππ ππ πππππππ ππππ ππ πππ πππππ ππππππ ππ π’πππ ππ’ππππππ.
Practice drawing. If it's boring, draw something more interesting, like a person. Learn a few little tricks, like how all the facial features are proportioned, how to strategically erase, how to shade, and how to draw straight lines.
πΎπ ππππππππ ππππ πππππππππππ πππππππ, ππ ππππ π’πππππππ πππππ. ππππ ππππ’ ππππ ππ πππππ: ππππ ππππππ πππ π, ππππ π ππππππ πππππππ π ππππππ πππππππ π’πππ ππππ (ππππ ππ ππ π ππππππ πππππππ ππ πππ ππππ), ππππππ ππππππ πππππππ ππ ππππππππ.
Carry around a little notebook along with a pen or pencil.
π²πππππ π’πππ ππππππππππππ ππ πππ’πππππ ππ πππ π ππππ ππ’ π ππππππ π’πππππππ ππ ππππππ ππ πππππππ ππ ππππ ππππππ ππ ππ.
Wear a necklace, no matter your gender. This has powerful energy because it is near your heart (and neck).
ππππ ππ πππππππππ’ πππ ππππππππππ’.
Wear some rings. These make your hands adorned, which is important because they are nearly as sacred as your heart. Painting your nails can accomplish the same goal, but it's more annoying to maintain.
πΈππππππππππ πππ πππππππ’ ππ πππππ ππππ: ππ‘πππππ πππ‘πππππ, ππππππ, ππππππ, ππππππππ πππ ππππ (π.π. πππ ππππππππ). πΈπ'π π ππππ ππππππππ πππ πππ πππππππ πππ£πππ πππ π’πππ πππππππ πππππ.
Carry a chest bag, or at least a belt bag/fanny pack. Now you are self-sufficient. You are a microbackpacker. Interlocutors understand that you may pull out an unexpected delight.
πππππ ππ ππ πππ πππ ππππππππ ππ π’πππ "πππππππ."
πΌπππ ππ πππ ππ πππππππππππ.
πππ ππππ ππππ ππππππππ πππ πππ ππ ππ ππππππππ; πππ ππ π πππππ’.
πππππππππ π ππππ πππππππ ππππ
πππππ π’πππ ππ π ππππππ ππππππ
πππππ’ πΊ ππππππ
πππ ππ’π βππππ πππ π πππππβ ππ ππππ, πππ πππππππ πππ ππ’π π±π΄πΈπ½πΆ π πππππ
ππππππππ ππππππππ/ππππππππππ ππππππππππ ππππ π’ππβππ ππ π πππππ-ππππππ πππππππ ππππ (π’ππ πππ)
πππππ ππππ πππππππ ππ ππππ πππ ππππππππππ ππ. π»ππππππ πΆππ’ ππ ππππππππππ πππππ π’ππ ππππ ππ πππ ππ ππ πππ, πππ πππ ππ’ππππππ ππ πππππππ πππππ ππ π πππ ππ π ππππππ'π ππππππ ππ πππ ππ ππ πππ πππππ, πππ, ππππ, ππ πππ ππππππππππ’ πππππππ ππ πππππ πππ ππππ πΈπΆπΆπ½.
ππππππ: ππ πππ πππ πππ ππππππππ’ ππ ππππ π’πππ πππππ, ππππ π πππ πππππ π’ππβππ πππππ ππππππ ππ πππ πππππ ππ πππ ππππ πππ ππππ ππ ππππ βππ ππππ π’π πππππ ππππ’βππ πππππ πππ ππ πππ π? ππππ.β ππ π πππ ππ ππ πππ πππ πππππππππ.
Paint your nails in public. Or go to the park and tattoo yourself.
π½πππ ππππππ πππ πππππππ πππ ππππ ππ‘ππππππ ππ ππππ ππ πππ πππππ’ ππππππ π’ππ πππ πππππ ππππ (πππ πΈ).
Motor around town in anything but a car or your feet, and not just for the urbanist bro gaze: a skateboard, roller skates, a bike, an ATV, a unicycle. You are faster than the walkers, but you are not so gauche as to be seen in a car. Unless someone else gave you a ride, but it can't be an Uber driver or a family member. Adopt a signature mode of transport, or show up on a different one each time.
πΈπ ππ ππππππππππ ππππ π’ππ ππππ π’πππ ππππ πππ ππππ ππ π’πππ ππ π π πππ ππππππππ, πππππππ, ππππππ, ππ πππππ πππππππππππ.
Bake muffins. Hand them out.
π΄ππππ’ππππ’ π ππππ ππ ππππ πππ ππππππ πππ πππ ππ πππ πππ πππππ’ πππ’ ππππ’ ππ.
Occasionally tweet out a timestamped hash with a wink.
how did it just keep getting better
I laughed the entire read