When choosing the image I wanted to use for this assignment, I wanted something that gave off a “cozy vibe.” I’m also a huge fan of the color green, so choosing this image was a no-brainer. When I look at this image, it looks inviting and feels like the living space that I’d like to come home to after a long day. It looks like the closest representation to what my “mind palace” would look like if it existed, well, outside of the confines of my mind.
A living space where I could throw my bag in a corner, slip into my cow slippers, and just… exist. One where I wouldn’t have to be productive or exert any extra energy, I would simply be allowed to exist. Too often, productivity is used as a way to assign worth to an individual, to the point where that productivity becomes toxic. We measure our worth and overall value based on what we can pump out and give to the world, choosing to serve everyone and anyone before we focus on ourselves.
When I think of cozy or just existing, I like listening to city pop. It’s a genre that’s not too busy and just serves as a backdrop for me to enjoy while I continue to romanticize my life and simply exist. Where I can retreat away when life becomes difficult and overwhelming, when I simply just need to be Jo. Not Jo is defined by what I offer to others and pump out, but just Jo.
Hi Jo! I agree, this picture does look really cozy and warm. Definitely a place I wouldn’t mind coming home to everyday or as a retreat location after a long week of work. The audio is upbeat and makes me want dance while cleaning or moving around. Great post.
Jo,
My first thought when seeing this image was the juxtaposition between the natural elements (with the abundant plant-life) and then the furniture. This image is not only cozy, it’s versatile because it could draw the attention of homebodies with its private room vibe while also appealing to nature lovers with the green plants.
What stuck out to me about the audio (and what made it perfect for the picture) is that the percussive intro sounds like it could be a sample of someone setting a glass mug down on a wooden coffee table.
Green is very versatile. It can represent nature, but also tech, science, and extraterrestrials, things both worldly and otherworldly. This scene is cozy though and natural though, not very sci-fi! It’s interesting and important to think of how colors and also color palettes may be interpreted for design purposes (I brought up purple in a post last week).
Hi Jo,
It’s interesting you chose an AI-generated image for this assignment. If only that kind of living space was real! I also love ” cozy vibes, ” and this image, combined with the audio, reminded me a little of those lo-fi YouTube streams with the anime girl doing homework.
I love the message you’re sending that it’s okay to just be, especially in a culture dominated by messages telling us we have to be productive and focus on “the grind.”
Overall, the image and audio combined make me feel like sinking into a comfy couch with a cup of hot tea and relaxing. Great job!
Hi Jo, I love the picture you’ve painted us of lounging in your cow slippers. I can imagine someone laying right on that cozy couch, eyes closed or maybe trained on a book, the song you chose playing through their headphones. The world may be buzzing around them outside that window, but inside this room, there is absolutely nothing going on. I had the same thought as Kendal, the pairing you chose also reminded me of the lo-fi characters who work on homework in their peaceful rooms, usually accompanied by a cat or some other animal, completely unbothered by the hustle and bustle of the world continuing outside. We all need a retreat, like you mentioned. Somewhere we can go to get away from it all, and this room looks like the perfect place for that.