Goblin Mode

Welcome, Goblins


If you picked up this book, you’re probably interested in getting in touch with your goblin nature—even if you’re not sure yet what that means. You might be looking for more ways to connect with nature and feel present in the world. You might be looking for a community of nonjudgmental, curious people whose interests overlap with yours (however unconventional those interests may be). You might be tired of the constant performance associated with taste and style and looking for something that feels cozier and more representative of who you are. Whether you’ve been feeling one or all of these urges, the goblin life could be just what you’re looking for.
     We live in a culture that values perfection and conformity, so it can be difficult to feel like we have a place in the world if there’s anything different about us. Our identities and relationships are boiled down to their simplest forms so that we’re easier to digest. The goblin lifestyle pushes back against the idea that we must be clean and smooth and poreless in order to exist in the world. Dirty, sticky weirdos are just as deserving of love as anyone else. Our worth isn’t dictated by how easy we are to advertise to.
     But what do we mean by a goblin, exactly? To start with: well, you know, a goblin! A weird little guy from fairy tales and folklore. And from those weird little guys comes the inspiration for goblincore. Goblincore is a term that originated on social media to describe a particular combination of clothing, decor, and general outlook. Adding the -core suffix to the end of a word is a way to show that a particular clothing-decor-outlook combo is bound together by a taste or vibe. So goblincore is a set of tastes that feel inspired by or reminiscent of goblins. What kinds of things are reminiscent of goblins? Anything goblins love, like mushrooms, mud, and bugs. Goblincore is an aesthetic for those of us who are a bit too disorganized for minimalism, a bit too grungy for hygge, and probably a bit too sticky for anything else.
     If any of that sounds interesting, exciting, or familiar to you, then you’ve picked up the right book. In these pages, you’ll learn about how to incorporate a goblin spirit into your everyday life. From exercises to keep your observational skills sharp, to crafts that bring more goblin style into your life, to fashion and decor tips that will bring goblin-y goodness to your home and closet, this book offers all kinds of advice and activities to help you unlock your inner goblin. Are you interested in spending more time outside, or spending more time on your outfits? Would you rather learn to forage or learn about frogs? In here, you don’t have to choose! Learn about any and all of the weird hobbies and unexpected interests that your goblin heart desires.
     This is all to say that the goblin life is for everyone. It can be as simple or complex as you want to make it, and ultimately it’s up to you to decide what kind of goblin you want to be. The goblin world welcomes everyone, and it has a lot to teach us about how to create a more inclusive, interesting world. Embracing your inner goblin means embracing the things that we’re taught to ignore about human nature: the good, the weird, and the sticky. It’s about getting back in touch with our inner child and giving that child the steering wheel. If any of this sounds good to you, you might just be a goblin.