people are constantly searching for fashion inspiration, for fitting into something and find themselves.. it's a healthy and natural process of maturing, while experimenting. it's a lot of fun to find new things that makes us happy, right ?
when i was a teenager i was mostly inspired by japanese fashion, specially sweet-classic lolita, mori and cult party kei. purchasing clothing from japanese brands was quite expensive by the time, so i just improvised with handmade outfits. since my mom was a seamstress, i learned a lot and decided to make up my own style based on those .. the perfect style for me, that would make me comfortable and happy.
it took a long while for me to get to the point where i am, and after trying many things, sewing a lot, making accessories, purses and so on, i noticed some things : i love frilly dresses, aprons, stuffie purses, lolita shoes, lace socks, satin ribbons, and i really really love vintage nightgowns.
walking outside with clothing that would make me feel as comfortable as i feel at home, that i could even sleep with ? it's certainly a dream coming true ♡
with time, i discovered that thrift stores are the best place to find cute clothing, when searching for vintage nightgowns !! if in good condition, they can be adjusted to be used as dresses, or blouses. adding embroidering details to them, extra lace, ribbons... they're unique pieces of art. because of that, i don't need to sew all my outfits from scratch anymore - which is great, since i'm not good when sewing complicated things.. and sadly, my mom isn't here to help me anymore.
while trying out different things, i realized i don't really like wearing multiple layers of clothing and accessories, even though it looks beautiful ( vide cult party ) it's just not for me. i'm a simple girl : i like feeling cute, but i hate feeling sweaty and itchy ! living in a tropical country + having sensitive skin doesn't help either ; ;
so i simplified a lot my fashion style over the years, and it somehow matured a bit too. i'm in love with long skirts, frilly aprons, delicate jewelry ( like golden heart lockets & pearl earrings ) and classic cotton fabrics, in neutral or faded soft colors. but, i'm not even a little bit ashamed to keep using child-like motifs as well, when it comes to accessories. it's part of my aesthetic as a whole, it's part of who i am, and how i want to be perceived : a woman who still believes in her girlish dreams, and always will.

that leads us to an important point.. what most inspires my fashion style is my personal aesthetic concepts & beliefs : delicacy, innocence, softness, comfort, nostalgia. these are the qualities that i always look for in my outfits.
you know that i really value purity, and i believe wearing clothes that represent our personality and feelings is important for it. i feel extremely happy to see that my appearance corresponds with who i am.
i believe the secret to finding the perfect style for you is just to find your favorite aesthetics and what best represents your personality ! the essential thing here is to respect your comfort and to have self knowledge. i would say that the more you have sharp eyes to find potential beauty in things, the simpler it becomes to have a style that perfectly represents you, so it's really a matter of practice. i super recommend to practice saving beautiful images that inspire you and making collages with them, either photography of people or just clothing pngs.. it's a lot of fun !! ♡
besides aesthetic blogs & collages, i would say that dress up games are certainly very good for inspiration too !! poupée girl was a really good influence on me as a child, when i was first starting to think about fashion.
basically, being spontaneous and searching for happiness is enough. i promise, it's not as complicated as it seems. you can vary your style within your aesthetics whenever you want, it just depends on how comfortable you feel at the moment with those clothes. according to the day, the weather and the situation, you can suddenly feel in a mood to try something new !

i have received messages from time to time through these years asking for the name of my personal aesthetic, and particularly recently i have been questioned about making a name for it, for its growing popularity.. but making up labels to describe everything, is that really necessary ?
i find it kinda funny that nowadays people are so invested in making specific names for visuals. when i started using tumblr, people would just use adjectives to describe images, or the name of the person who posted it. what do you see, what do you think, what do you feel when you see my content ? those words should be enough.
my main aesthetic is simply my aesthetic, based on my beliefs and motifs that i like. that is why you can't find exactly the same kind of content i do so easily, unless you search for my name ( middlepot / pooftie ). i feel happy when people give me credits for the aesthetic when getting inspiration directly on my content, but i want to make it clear that although the specific concepts of it were made up by me, i am not the first person to ever take pictures the way i do. keep in mind that i only take credits for my own works and thoughts, not for lace ribbons and stuffies, okay ?
to clarify : i don't mind having my images reposted, no credits needed ( just please don't claim you own them ), but i absolutely appreciate it more when people credit me properly. if you do, please write either "middlepot" or "pooftie" on it and don't try to label my personal works and beliefs without my permission. if it is my content it's not only aesthetic, and i prefer having people coming to my website to find more, if they like !
in my opinion, simply crediting people who inspire you by using their own names + adding a few motifs or adjectives as tags is a way better way of organizing aesthetics on internet as a whole. although it might seem like aesthetic names are a consensus, they aren't. you won't be able to find lots of relevant content if you rely solely on those words, because not everyone is actually willing to use them. not all creators are on tumblr, pinterest or even speak english.
we are human beings, and can't be labeled that easily. you can know multiple people who like similar things, but each one of them are different anyway. i understand that it can be more convenient to search for specific tags to find content you want to see, but i don't feel comfortable making up an "aesthetic name" for my life, my appearance, my particular way of living and doing things .. i am simply myself, and i like the things i like.

there are multiple "properly categorized" aesthetics that i am very fond of ; but of course you won't be able to find images exactly like the ones i make, draw, edit, or choose to save on my pc, unless you straight up search for my name. if you like someone's content, it's better to just ask or search for their inspirations instead of making up tags that only a few people will use actively. on tumblr you can easily check the sources from the posts !
i have been inspired by many wonderful people over the years, and that's why i am here now, with my own aesthetic. the visuals might be actually very similar to others, but the feeling always vary from person to person. when posting my content i want to make you feel specific emotions ( comfort & safety ), that other person who also likes frilly dresses and teddy bears might not relate to, when creating their own content. finding different people's ideas coming from similar visuals is very refreshing, and inspiring !! let's embrace and respect those differences.
i believe everyone has their own particular aesthetic, so don't rely completely on labels to choose what you should wear, which music you should listen to, how you should make art and please : don't rely on it for how you should look or act like. respect your particularities and be purely yourself ♡
it's okay to search for specific aesthetic names to just explore the possibilities, but at some point you will naturally feel left out of them, for now understand yourself to the point of not being able to relate 100% to concepts created by others. there is no need to worry if your personal aesthetic is different from what you find out there. ♡

lately i have received questions on how i feel about people who get inspired by my work. it seems that there are many content around the internet that look very similar to mine.. and well, each time i see new content with similar ideas / aesthetic, i feel happy and proud ♡
i keep in mind that the point of all my work and efforts is not to feed my ego, but inspire others to become a better version of themselves. if they find comfort in my personal aesthetic or something similar, i can safely believe that i'm spreading good things !!
sharing kindness is always welcome ! it's just so great to see that community growing and more people creating new things.. it's all i ever dreamed of, and there is no way i could let my ego get in the way of my peace of mind just so i can feel "special". i also get inspired by others all the time, i'm not above or below any of these people, we're just all trying to be happy. 
i think that being careful to make new content and not just replicate other's ideas over and over is better spent time, but we hardly get ideas completely out of nowhere : we often mix things together, and this is valid as well. experimenting is important.

finding content that looks really similar to yours, specially when the person isn't even giving credits, can be bothering. i understand, but i also understand the point of someone who is partially ( or entirely ) copying others .. it can be really embarrassing to give the source of all your ideas. hiding the source is just an immature way of trying to find their comfort zone, to avoid people saying they're not original, and it usually doesn't take too long for the person to get new ideas, detach a bit from that one specific "idol" and feel more confident to share sources of inspiration.
for that reason, it's important to be patient with these people. instead of getting angry and talking to them in an intimidating way, remember that you're someone they look forward and that it would be really painful for them. when you're rude, people often get into a "self defense state" and act rudely too. the best thing to do is just ignore and keep doing what you're doing !!
if there are people getting inspired by your work, you're in the right path. there is no need to feel afraid, there is no one trying to steal your identity. ♡
also : we must accept that other people can find success by doing similar things that you do. this is not a competition !!!

since i am receiving many messages lately, but i am also working a lot lately, it's expected that i would start to be seen as a little unapproachable.. which makes me a little worried, so i'm here to clarify :
i feel really happy with messages i receive, knowing that you took a bit of your time to make me smile, or that you trust me enough for asking for advice .. it's certainly a delight ♡
i always do my best to read everything, but sadly it's not always possible to write back to every single person ..

i love talking to you fluffies, and helping as i can. many messages i receive are requests of support, advice, specific content, or complicated questions - things that would take me a while to do. because of that, i try to prioritize my time & energy into writing to those who need a thoughtful, detailed response. if i have enough free time, i try to respond to everyone, but it's not always doable, much less in a timely manner.
when it comes to writing messages, it can take quite some time to do so, especially the way i do. if you ever exchanged emails with me you know what i'm talking about : i write pretty long virtual letters !
and i love doing so, don't get me wrong - but sometimes my inbox get so full, with dozens of messages, so i have to be very careful not to push myself to exhaustion.
i am a very introverted person, and on top of that i have to fight social anxiety on a daily basis.
because of that, socializing can be really hard, really tiring, and i simply can't find any energy left after hours of typing ;;

needless to say, i prioritize my health above fulfilling very specific requests ( i try my best, but i obviously can't do that for everyone ) .. if it is of interest of multiple people, i will certainly keep notes !
so if i couldn't respond to your message, please know that there is a reason, and i'm not ignoring on purpose. maybe i will still respond to it at some point, or even post about it, if it's an interesting request. in any case, be sure that i have read it - i always do !
rest assured : i never find your lovely messages a bother ( if, naturally, a kind and honest message, of course ) but i ask for your patience.
as i said before, i like to make sure i'm responding, helping & clarifying doubts properly. that easily takes hours to do, and well.. sometimes, i would rather give myself some rest instead.
when people start resending messages over and over ( probably because they think that i haven't seen it ) it gets quite overwhelming .. and there is even a risk of you getting flagged as spam !

i also can't completely ignore the doubts of people who are not so kind with their choice of words - even if i never respond to them - if i can clarify or fix anything, i do so, then write about the topic here ( if there is a point in their message, and not just meaningless hate, or a random rumor ) .. !

edit // if you are wondering where you can message me :

🧷 please don't hesitate to reach me out by sending an email to letters@middlepot.com or simply using the contact form !
i do participate in small platforms & communities, and i like using all kinds of message boards on people's sites, but emails are the standard option of contacting someone on the internet.
i will always prefer a safe & organized space for talking, especially for giving support.
please, let me know if i can help, and i will do my best !!
i always check my inbox ( might take a long time to respond, but i read everything ) and i like to talk about all kinds of things through email, it's very comfortable .. like exchanging virtual letters ♡

🧷 i am also open for real life pen pals from all over the world. from small postcards to big envelopes filled with stuff, i love exchanging all sorts of things, especially stationery and handmade small items. ♡
if interested, please let me know by email !

🧷 i respond to some my fluffy life pupu mails too ( id : adm-puf ) , but please don't ask for support in there, use the contact form instead !!

edit // the big modern social media sites are unreliable, unorganized, and unsafe.
they undoubtedly have ill intended features for making people feel insecure, addicted, and stressed out.
they purposefully limit creativity, encourages shallow drama, and punish people for not following trends.
i am tired. i don't want that anymore.
i never wanted to be controlled by others like that.

so, from now on : my social media accounts will be officially inactive !
i am officially unplugging myself out of the ugly world of the platforms runned by big companies.
i will, at most, only use "disposable" private accounts if i need to interact with specific content i like, and that's it.

i never felt comfortable using my accounts in a personal way, for both my sanity & safety i've always kept things this way.
since 2012, when the old web as i knew was starting to collapse rapidly, i have been searching for a way to escape those uncomfortable spaces and find a way to express myself the way i want.
many people feel the same as me, and are also trying to walk away from big social media, so i try to help myself and others by working on solutions !

after some months of use, my web code snippets have been a good help for making social media sites less stressful ( and cuter ) for me, but, as expected .. only as an inactive user.
i am still checking some youtube channels & tumblr blogs regularly, and it's actually nice !
( i received messages from people telling me that the codes helped them too, so i will keep them updated, there is no need to worry about that )

the thing is : whenever i try to create content inside them i feel restricted, unsafe, i see my work being reduced in quality, my creative potential being discarded .. and my imagination cannot flow naturally.
the more i experience ways to freely create & share things with people on the internet, the more i want to make use of it, and bring that nice feeling to others through my projects !

i have been using forums, message boards, chat boxes, online games and many other kinds of small social platforms since ever, and i will continue to do so !
it's just that from now on, i will have a preference for places that make me feel safe, runned by people i trust, so i can prioritize my well-beign.
i actually think that big platforms tend to make it harder than usual to both find small creators, and to reach a niche audience for your content .. which is really a shame !
my content, aesthetics and interestes are super specific, so i don't feel welcomed on big communities at all.

the standard way for me to find new cool stuff and get to know people is to explore the internet for blogs, personal websites, forums and group chats in general.
that is the way i feel most comfortable, and where i got to know most of my friends too ♡
because i am already used to the "old web" format of internet ( that's how everything started for me ) , i don't think it's truly hard to socialize, find new interests or even advertise content without the use of big social media.

during the 2010s things went downhill and almost everyone was obsessed with social media, because it was still something new and cool, but since the 2020s began i can see a clearly change on people's perspective.
i am not the only person leaving big social media, i know many others who did / are doing / are willing to do the same, and because of the growing popularity of "webcore" aesthetics, 2000s fashion and the neocities platform, many people are making blogs and personal websites for themselves, which i feel super happy & excited about !!! ♡
i am really hopeful for the future of the internet, and i will embrace this completely and do my best to help by making my own projects, and sharing those of people i admire.
please visit my /recommended page, as it is frequently updated with new wonderful sites !!


edit // now about discord & line .. i stopped using them because as i have mentioned a few times, these apps have some problems ( including safety issues, unhealthy social-media-like features, and multiple paywalls ) , so i don't feel 100% comfortable using them. because of all that, my accounts have become private for a long time, until i gave up completely.
also, i do prefer a slower message exchanging, as i like to write long messages, and these platforms are not very friendly when it comes to that. mail exchanging remains unbeatable !
for group chatting, i've always liked to use message boards on people's sites way more than using specific chatting apps, since they are accessible, convenient, and customizable. you don't have to install anything, make accounts, or pay for having access to cute stickers & emojis.
that's what i'm looking for, so i will be working hard to make my own message board features for the puf cafe !

it's important for me keeping my content organized, avoiding reposting things all over the place and keeping my personal content in appropriate places. i'm trying my best to do so, but i used to do it purely for keeping the quality of my sites, not wasting time reposting or make the mistake of oversharing, naturally ..
however, i stopped to think deeply about it and realized that the content we post on the internet really affects other people directly, and some things don't always have the positive effect that we would like to convey. i always post things with the intention of motivating and inspiring, as well as motivating myself to keep improving and to receive constructive criticism, but unfortunately negative effects can happen when people compare each other or idolize each other.
i seek genuineness and transparency with my words, and this avoids some bad impressions and consequently negative feelings. when we are sincere in referring to ourselves, it is very motivating to other people. if you don't empathize with others they won't consider you trustworthy and they won't embrace you wholeheartedly, they can certainly consider you a threat, develop a negative rivalry or even insecurity and envy. if you are narcissistic or self-deprecating, you'll do yourself harm and irritate, encouraging people to feel bad things about the success of others.
it is not possible to magically repair people's self-esteem, but it is possible to avoid worsening the situation and to strive to be a good example. if i can, i will !
i insist on sharing my ( imperfect but true ) journey with others who can identify and find some hope in my words. i want people to see what i produce and try to be productive too, i want people to get to know themselves and discover individual happiness. doing it properly can be a delicate process, i've made a lot of mistakes and i know i'm still making a few, but im happy if i can fix that little by little.
i'm sorry if i have ever demotivated someone for any reason, i will be extra careful with what i expose to make sure i'm posting things in appropriate places in the appropriate way, for people who are really going to make good use of it. thankfully i have been doing a good job with this recently, but i know i still have room to improve.. !