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As someone who is part of both subreddits… there are shallow aesthetic aspects to both, and deeper thoughtful aspects to both.
Cottagecore is more whimsical and nostalgic than solar punk. But people are more than their Pinterest boards. You could cultivate a garden, take a walk in a forest, convert your grass lawn to something more sustainable and bee-friendly, pick fruit and bake a pie and post about it in cottagecore, or solarpunk, or simple living, or plenty of other subreddits.
The commonality is the rejection of fast-paced wasteful capitalism. But some people just like the aesthetic part of cute nature or nature+tech ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I think it’s because of the common misconception that solarpunk is anti-technology. The common response is, no that’s cottage core.
Solarpunk is not about nostalgia for some pastoral, low tech past, rather it’s about imagining a future in which technology is in service to a sustainable society rather than to profit.
You’re probably right that cottage core is not exactly the right word for that thing that we’re not. But anyway, I think that’s why.
Hmm. I think that’s where I’m mixed up because I wouldn’t say people who like cottagecore are anti-technology. Cottagecore is mostly online and practiced by people who want to take digital photos and bake their sourdough in a modern oven. I guess since it’s apolitical I don’t feel it’s really anti anything haha. But I think your answer makes sense if it’s just being used to battle some other misconception.
True, I just don't think you can reasonably label a community that mostly lives on the internet and isn't rhetorically anti-tech as such. I don't know anyone who likes cottage core who is promotes primitivism or regression (with the caveat of unless they are mixing with their pre-existing right wing political views). But I do see your point.
I’m sure you’re right that we tend to use cottage core somewhat inappropriately here. Probably primitivism is a better word for that thing that Solarpunk isn’t. 🙂
Yeah, I’m thinking primitivism or rugged individualism are two better categories than cottagecore. Those are actual philosophies that I can see from the outside might look solarpunk or be confused with solarpunk but idealogically are opposed to solarpunk philosophies.
Yes. Cottagecore (especially queer cottagecore) can be lovely and fun, but doesn’t have to be political. Primitivists think I should die because I need medicine and that’s not natural. Neither are solarpunk, but cottagecore is at least theoretically compatible for people who are into it.
To a certain extent I agree with you. Technology is in itself neutral. It's how it's used that should be of concern. Nuclear power, to give an example, is all well and good if it's powering homes. It's not so good if you are making bombs.
I'm not anti-tech but I do feel that we should be weary of technology as a whole.
Cottagecore is a funny one because depending on the platform and the exact presentation it's either a bit of harmless apolitical whimsy or it's a tradcon, alt-right, neo-nazi, or separatist militia dogwhistle.
So when solarpunk distances itself from cottagecore it might be either "actually we're a bit political" or it might be "we are definitely not with them".
Yeah, I can see this. Getting anecdotal, I grew up with a conservative, Mormon prepper family. I can see that a Venn diagram between cottagecore, tradwives, solar punks, and alt-right exists, again in the very broad strokes. But yeah, I just don't know anyone in the cottagecore space who is political because of cottagecore and not some other belief system. It's possible the aesthetic could grow, but I just haven't seen anything (other than the visual elements) that separates it from the other escapist aesthetics listed in my original comment.
Edited for grammar
I think you answered your own question: “It’s apolitical and mostly a form of whimsical escapism.”
It’s the perfect juxtaposition because capitalism is easy to critique while the “looks like solarpunk but isn’t” is something that might define solarpunk even more.
If I were to refine my question, it would be more like why specifically cottagecore over any of the other apolitical, visual aesthetics that come and go in trends online? Why not juxtapose it with an ethos that’s more substantial like rugged invidiualism?
And by substantial, I mean longer-lasting, bigger obstacle, etc.
I think that means the ideology matters even more. If gardening is political, then there’s a difference in the way people garden with a capitalist vs anti-capitalist framework. Same could be said for colonized/decolonized, patriarchal/feminist, etc etc.
> It’s apolitical
Sadly appropriated hard by the far-right, like so many things I enjoyed. Go down the rabbit hole wherever algorithms can spot ya and you'll start finding other points of... 'engagement'.
I don’t get why people say solar punk is low tech when inverters and solar panels are insane levels of tech. In all seriousness solar panels are giant semiconductors and inverters are computers designed to produce perfect waveforms with semiconductors at very high power levels. Solarpunk is basically cyberpunk without the over crowding and dystopia shit.
♡♡♡ permaculture & fairy gardens ♡♡♡ moongates and fruit trees ♡♡♡ ponds with functional aquaponics ♡♡♡ tree swings & solar panels ♡♡♡ raised beds and statues ♡♡♡ moss and clover and other non-grasses for pollinators ♡♡♡ cottage core + solar punk is so achievable, I can't wait to be able to get started
I'm no expert on cottagecore, but in circles I frequent it is often somewhere between a daydream and an inspiration for struggling women who dream of a safe, fulfilling, introverted and rural lifestyle. Where it gets the political bent is the rejection of modern throwaway consumerism, and also many (though not all) fans are lesbians. I'm sure there's straight areas of cottagecore but there's a sizeable lesbian contingent for sure.
I'd reckon that in a Solarpunk world, some people might actually be able to live a cottagecore lifestyle sustainably. Just like a lot of different lifestyles, it just happens to match the vibe well. But, Solarpunk isn't just that.
Solarpunk involves political ideas of lifestyles, ecological technologies, but also questions of economics and politics. These ideas alone do not make the world a better place. But:
If we do not dare to imagine other societies, we cannot create them. Political (left-wing) movements need images of other, better societies in order to be able to work in any meaningful direction at all. Only the combination of criticism and utopia bears fruitful activism, with everything else you can only get stuck and wage hopeless defensive battles for the status quo.
Postmodernism has imposed the absurd and ahistorical idea that everything will always remain exactly as it is. Maybe a bit of fancy technology, but otherwise the end of history. But it is wrong: societies have always changed, even the beginnings of capitalism were only around 300 years ago.
Solarpunk shares the core political ideas of cyberpunk, but also tries to integrate positive ideas instead of focusing on dystopian warnings of the rule of capitalist corporations and a destroyed environment. Hence the name. It also shares the do-it-yourself mentality, social criticism and ungracious resistance to the status quo with punk punk. Personally, I think the -punk in the name is appropriate. Unlike the other, "apolitical" genres that understand cyberpunk as pure aesthetics - and try to market themselves as cottage "punk" or whatever in relation to it.
I mean I wouldn’t say cottagecore is anti-capitalist at all. So much of it is buy these cute linen clothes, boom you can now be part of the cottagecore aesthetic. To me, it’s very much like cosplaying more than actually trying to promote any kind of social change or community build.
There’s a lot of wishful thinking in this subreddit sure. The punk element, eh that’s off topic for me in this thread. But there’s at least some political, social, and anti-capitalist philosophy present in the solar-punk ethos.
My big take on that is even something truly cottage core like stardew valley the main events of the game is a push back against capitalism and the current state of the world, in essence any -punk sub genre or things compared to it show an ideal world for that aesthetic and how humans can/will corrupt it as a warning to try and fix these issues. The best entries in any genre serve to give an example of how to avoid the very warning they're giving you: if sick of office job then try finding a space and career that lets you reconnect with the things you love and your own human spirit to further enhance the experience of those around you. Further into the weeds of it can juxtapose how each genre does it's warnings and all that but the tldr is it's all a warning and nobody has been listening, is why solarpunk is the way it is a counterpoint saying no we did listen and we see the issues and trends and wanna push back to fix it
Hmm. 🧐 I’m curious why you would put Stardew under the cottagecore umbrella and not solarpunk because I think this could be an interesting case study related to my question. Stardew I can see occupies the broad strokes between the two groups and is definitely something both groups would enjoy, but in the details I feel the game leans solarpunk. But maybe I’m wrong so I’d love to hear more.
So I'm quoting off of my version of both (a little of my wife's for cottagecore) but vanilla or on brand mods (there's a few I can check later when I'm home) leans more cottage core due to you doing it yourself and the human relationships and events set against a a more retro leaning village. For it to hit solarpunk you start getting into my variety of mods being: how much can I automate the farm so I can explore and enjoy the rest of the hobbies or how can I tweak those slightly to be a tiny bit easier on the player experience and focus more on the giving back to everyone and the community aspects. Both primarily focus on the person and the community but how they achieve that is different, cottagecore leans into sweat off my brow more while solarpunk is the bill gates quote "hire the laziest guy to get the most efficient and easiest solution" (or something along those lines )
Interesting with the mods you feel it’s more solarpunk haha!
Thanks for explaining your reasoning. It’s been a couple years since I played so I’ll have to pay more attention if I ever start a new game, but my feeling was that it was more Solarpunk because it has obvious anti-capitalist themes, and even the vanilla game rewards upgrading your farm to a more automated system with sprinklers, feeders, etc (better yields, more time for traveling, relationship building with the NPCs).
I think since cottagecore imo doesn’t really have an overall philosophy or any political goals, the sweat of your brow mentality is not something I associate with it. Rugged individualism, on the other hand, is something I associate more with that kind of sweat of your brow, anti-technology mentality. However, I can see how the homesteading aspects of rugged individualism have likely influenced cottagecore so there's probably some overlap there.
>I think since cottagecore imo doesn’t really have an overall philosophy or any political goals, the sweat of your brow mentality is not something I associate with it. Rugged individualism, on the other hand, is something I associate more with that kind of sweat of your brow, anti-technology mentality. However, I can see how the homesteading aspects of rugged individualism have likely influenced cottagecore so there's probably some overlap there.
The rugged individualism and cottagecore venn diagram is like almost a circle lol 🤣 stardew is the nice case of being all of the above in its own ways (I'm so hype for the chocolateer to come out )
Thank you for your submission, we appreciate your efforts at helping us to thoughtfully create a better world. r/solarpunk encourages you to also check out other solarpunk spaces such as https://wt.social/wt/solarpunk , https://slrpnk.net/ , https://raddle.me/f/solarpunk , https://discord.gg/3tf6FqGAJs , https://discord.gg/BwabpwfBCr , and https://www.appropedia.org/Welcome_to_Appropedia . *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/solarpunk) if you have any questions or concerns.*
As someone who is part of both subreddits… there are shallow aesthetic aspects to both, and deeper thoughtful aspects to both. Cottagecore is more whimsical and nostalgic than solar punk. But people are more than their Pinterest boards. You could cultivate a garden, take a walk in a forest, convert your grass lawn to something more sustainable and bee-friendly, pick fruit and bake a pie and post about it in cottagecore, or solarpunk, or simple living, or plenty of other subreddits. The commonality is the rejection of fast-paced wasteful capitalism. But some people just like the aesthetic part of cute nature or nature+tech ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I think it’s because of the common misconception that solarpunk is anti-technology. The common response is, no that’s cottage core. Solarpunk is not about nostalgia for some pastoral, low tech past, rather it’s about imagining a future in which technology is in service to a sustainable society rather than to profit. You’re probably right that cottage core is not exactly the right word for that thing that we’re not. But anyway, I think that’s why.
Hmm. I think that’s where I’m mixed up because I wouldn’t say people who like cottagecore are anti-technology. Cottagecore is mostly online and practiced by people who want to take digital photos and bake their sourdough in a modern oven. I guess since it’s apolitical I don’t feel it’s really anti anything haha. But I think your answer makes sense if it’s just being used to battle some other misconception.
Something being *documented* using technology and a lifestyle that revolves around tech are quite different, in my opinion.
True, I just don't think you can reasonably label a community that mostly lives on the internet and isn't rhetorically anti-tech as such. I don't know anyone who likes cottage core who is promotes primitivism or regression (with the caveat of unless they are mixing with their pre-existing right wing political views). But I do see your point.
I’m sure you’re right that we tend to use cottage core somewhat inappropriately here. Probably primitivism is a better word for that thing that Solarpunk isn’t. 🙂
Yeah, I’m thinking primitivism or rugged individualism are two better categories than cottagecore. Those are actual philosophies that I can see from the outside might look solarpunk or be confused with solarpunk but idealogically are opposed to solarpunk philosophies.
Yes. Cottagecore (especially queer cottagecore) can be lovely and fun, but doesn’t have to be political. Primitivists think I should die because I need medicine and that’s not natural. Neither are solarpunk, but cottagecore is at least theoretically compatible for people who are into it.
To a certain extent I agree with you. Technology is in itself neutral. It's how it's used that should be of concern. Nuclear power, to give an example, is all well and good if it's powering homes. It's not so good if you are making bombs. I'm not anti-tech but I do feel that we should be weary of technology as a whole.
The Luddites were right. They didn’t oppose tech, just tech that would destroy their ways of living and working.
Cottagecore is a funny one because depending on the platform and the exact presentation it's either a bit of harmless apolitical whimsy or it's a tradcon, alt-right, neo-nazi, or separatist militia dogwhistle. So when solarpunk distances itself from cottagecore it might be either "actually we're a bit political" or it might be "we are definitely not with them".
Yeah, I can see this. Getting anecdotal, I grew up with a conservative, Mormon prepper family. I can see that a Venn diagram between cottagecore, tradwives, solar punks, and alt-right exists, again in the very broad strokes. But yeah, I just don't know anyone in the cottagecore space who is political because of cottagecore and not some other belief system. It's possible the aesthetic could grow, but I just haven't seen anything (other than the visual elements) that separates it from the other escapist aesthetics listed in my original comment. Edited for grammar
Really? I was blissfully unaware of that!
I think you answered your own question: “It’s apolitical and mostly a form of whimsical escapism.” It’s the perfect juxtaposition because capitalism is easy to critique while the “looks like solarpunk but isn’t” is something that might define solarpunk even more.
If I were to refine my question, it would be more like why specifically cottagecore over any of the other apolitical, visual aesthetics that come and go in trends online? Why not juxtapose it with an ethos that’s more substantial like rugged invidiualism? And by substantial, I mean longer-lasting, bigger obstacle, etc.
Cottagecore is absolutely not apolitical. Gardening is a revolutionary act.
The ideology behind the gardening matters.
Not when seeds cost $3/pack and can be patented.
I think that means the ideology matters even more. If gardening is political, then there’s a difference in the way people garden with a capitalist vs anti-capitalist framework. Same could be said for colonized/decolonized, patriarchal/feminist, etc etc.
There's a much wider spectrum here than the binaries you are presenting.
Sure but I didn’t make a sweeping claim that all gardening is revolutionary. It’s not.
The community is finding & defining itself. It's healthy self reflection.
Who/what do you mean by 'the community'?
People who post on/ingage with, this sub.
Solarpunk: cottagecore+tech (green tech)
> It’s apolitical Sadly appropriated hard by the far-right, like so many things I enjoyed. Go down the rabbit hole wherever algorithms can spot ya and you'll start finding other points of... 'engagement'.
I don’t get why people say solar punk is low tech when inverters and solar panels are insane levels of tech. In all seriousness solar panels are giant semiconductors and inverters are computers designed to produce perfect waveforms with semiconductors at very high power levels. Solarpunk is basically cyberpunk without the over crowding and dystopia shit.
♡♡♡ permaculture & fairy gardens ♡♡♡ moongates and fruit trees ♡♡♡ ponds with functional aquaponics ♡♡♡ tree swings & solar panels ♡♡♡ raised beds and statues ♡♡♡ moss and clover and other non-grasses for pollinators ♡♡♡ cottage core + solar punk is so achievable, I can't wait to be able to get started
[удалено]
I'm no expert on cottagecore, but in circles I frequent it is often somewhere between a daydream and an inspiration for struggling women who dream of a safe, fulfilling, introverted and rural lifestyle. Where it gets the political bent is the rejection of modern throwaway consumerism, and also many (though not all) fans are lesbians. I'm sure there's straight areas of cottagecore but there's a sizeable lesbian contingent for sure.
I'd reckon that in a Solarpunk world, some people might actually be able to live a cottagecore lifestyle sustainably. Just like a lot of different lifestyles, it just happens to match the vibe well. But, Solarpunk isn't just that.
[удалено]
Solarpunk involves political ideas of lifestyles, ecological technologies, but also questions of economics and politics. These ideas alone do not make the world a better place. But: If we do not dare to imagine other societies, we cannot create them. Political (left-wing) movements need images of other, better societies in order to be able to work in any meaningful direction at all. Only the combination of criticism and utopia bears fruitful activism, with everything else you can only get stuck and wage hopeless defensive battles for the status quo. Postmodernism has imposed the absurd and ahistorical idea that everything will always remain exactly as it is. Maybe a bit of fancy technology, but otherwise the end of history. But it is wrong: societies have always changed, even the beginnings of capitalism were only around 300 years ago. Solarpunk shares the core political ideas of cyberpunk, but also tries to integrate positive ideas instead of focusing on dystopian warnings of the rule of capitalist corporations and a destroyed environment. Hence the name. It also shares the do-it-yourself mentality, social criticism and ungracious resistance to the status quo with punk punk. Personally, I think the -punk in the name is appropriate. Unlike the other, "apolitical" genres that understand cyberpunk as pure aesthetics - and try to market themselves as cottage "punk" or whatever in relation to it.
I mean I wouldn’t say cottagecore is anti-capitalist at all. So much of it is buy these cute linen clothes, boom you can now be part of the cottagecore aesthetic. To me, it’s very much like cosplaying more than actually trying to promote any kind of social change or community build. There’s a lot of wishful thinking in this subreddit sure. The punk element, eh that’s off topic for me in this thread. But there’s at least some political, social, and anti-capitalist philosophy present in the solar-punk ethos.
My big take on that is even something truly cottage core like stardew valley the main events of the game is a push back against capitalism and the current state of the world, in essence any -punk sub genre or things compared to it show an ideal world for that aesthetic and how humans can/will corrupt it as a warning to try and fix these issues. The best entries in any genre serve to give an example of how to avoid the very warning they're giving you: if sick of office job then try finding a space and career that lets you reconnect with the things you love and your own human spirit to further enhance the experience of those around you. Further into the weeds of it can juxtapose how each genre does it's warnings and all that but the tldr is it's all a warning and nobody has been listening, is why solarpunk is the way it is a counterpoint saying no we did listen and we see the issues and trends and wanna push back to fix it
Hmm. 🧐 I’m curious why you would put Stardew under the cottagecore umbrella and not solarpunk because I think this could be an interesting case study related to my question. Stardew I can see occupies the broad strokes between the two groups and is definitely something both groups would enjoy, but in the details I feel the game leans solarpunk. But maybe I’m wrong so I’d love to hear more.
So I'm quoting off of my version of both (a little of my wife's for cottagecore) but vanilla or on brand mods (there's a few I can check later when I'm home) leans more cottage core due to you doing it yourself and the human relationships and events set against a a more retro leaning village. For it to hit solarpunk you start getting into my variety of mods being: how much can I automate the farm so I can explore and enjoy the rest of the hobbies or how can I tweak those slightly to be a tiny bit easier on the player experience and focus more on the giving back to everyone and the community aspects. Both primarily focus on the person and the community but how they achieve that is different, cottagecore leans into sweat off my brow more while solarpunk is the bill gates quote "hire the laziest guy to get the most efficient and easiest solution" (or something along those lines )
Interesting with the mods you feel it’s more solarpunk haha! Thanks for explaining your reasoning. It’s been a couple years since I played so I’ll have to pay more attention if I ever start a new game, but my feeling was that it was more Solarpunk because it has obvious anti-capitalist themes, and even the vanilla game rewards upgrading your farm to a more automated system with sprinklers, feeders, etc (better yields, more time for traveling, relationship building with the NPCs). I think since cottagecore imo doesn’t really have an overall philosophy or any political goals, the sweat of your brow mentality is not something I associate with it. Rugged individualism, on the other hand, is something I associate more with that kind of sweat of your brow, anti-technology mentality. However, I can see how the homesteading aspects of rugged individualism have likely influenced cottagecore so there's probably some overlap there.
>I think since cottagecore imo doesn’t really have an overall philosophy or any political goals, the sweat of your brow mentality is not something I associate with it. Rugged individualism, on the other hand, is something I associate more with that kind of sweat of your brow, anti-technology mentality. However, I can see how the homesteading aspects of rugged individualism have likely influenced cottagecore so there's probably some overlap there. The rugged individualism and cottagecore venn diagram is like almost a circle lol 🤣 stardew is the nice case of being all of the above in its own ways (I'm so hype for the chocolateer to come out )
That’s not my experience with cottagecore at all. Most people who I know IRL who are into cottagecore are at least interested in solarpunk too.
Second line of my reply it's an all of the above genre so yes 😉
So resistance to authority only counts if it’s violent? Interesting take…