This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Ky Tanella. Find them on Instagram at @ky.tanella. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
It’s often hard to describe the people we love or why we love them. Spoken words (or words in general) can sometimes fail to capture the true meaning of how we see someone, not just on a physical scale but also on an emotional and mental scale. Sometimes, it literally feels like fate when you’ve met someone you just click with – like a million things had to fall in place to bring you both to this moment.
Words can also fail you when trying to describe yourself, and sometimes, cute little images are the only things you can muster. We find who we love in everything sweet or relatable, so we share videos with the caption “you” or “us.” “This is how I see your soul, btw,” and similar romantic trends often focus on the visual aspects of someone’s personality, or how they’re perceived. While that can usually be a nightmare to think about, doing a trend like this with a loved one can make you feel seen in some weird way, and you’re doing it with someone you love/trust! Like the picrew trend or the grid trend, it’s usually “how i see you vs. how they see me,” which is generally accompanied by some sweet or romantic music – which usually means I’m crying.
It’s unclear how this trend became such a phenomenon. It often draws hundreds of thousands of views, with a handful of comments vulnerably lamenting, ” This is how I see myself.” After a day or two, I couldn’t escape them on my FYP, and I ate up every single one.
Common Themes
After endless hours of scrolling through this hashtag on TikTok, I can confidently say that I’m an expert on this trend (not really, I just messed up my screen time stats). There are usually some themes that these tend to fall into, so if you relate to any (or find yourself thinking of someone special), I highly recommend a Pinterest deep dive. Even if you don’t post it anywhere, I’m sure that person would appreciate an image and a text saying “this is how I see your soul, btw,” it’s nice to know that people are thinking about them!
Whimsy
Whimsigoth, Coraline, witchy aesthetic! Usually categorized by deep purples, spirals, and the night sky, this might represent someone sweet, but a little moody. Maybe someone a little more reserved, someone who loves black cats, or someone who likes to collect crystals in their free time. We all have a black cat friend, and I think this style is right on the money for them!
Sun & Moon
This one hits home for me. I literally have a Sun tattoo (I’m getting my matching Moon for graduation, eek!). The Sun and the Moon are usually whimsy-based as well, but someone bright, someone who emits sunlight, would be a warm, welcoming orange in this scenario. This person might be overly optimistic and endlessly positive, gravitate towards warm tones, and appreciate being in the Sun whenever possible. The Moon might be more introverted, day-dreamy, and have a more chill vibe to them (not necessarily negative)! They find themselves constantly staring at the Moon, and may even be invested in its cycles, and what it means for their fate!
Jeez, now I feel like I’m reading birth charts.
Nature or Animals
Send me a picture of a fawn and say, “This is you,” and I’ll be happy. You can have a lot of fun with animal and nature-based aesthetics!
Someone could be flowery, like a fresh spring breeze and full of color (minus the pollen). They could be beachy, like a gentle wave crashing and summer Sun, or like the excitement you get when you collect a really good shell. Or they could be a forest, obsessed with animals, reserved, earthy, and endlessly beautiful, like you could get lost in them. A lakeside, an open field, or a marsh, the abilities to complement are endless here.
Comparing people to animals can be really sweet. I get those videos of two cats cuddling, and it reminds me of my partner all the time. Black cats (moody, reserved, bright) and orange cats (energetic, crazy, goofy) have often been compared to human relationships. Forest creatures like fawns usually get sent to people who have a gentle, innocent energy, similar to foxes or rabbits. Certain insects can represent people who’re maybe a little quirky or weird, but just as beautiful as the other animals (like june beetles, ladybugs, butterflies, moths, etc). I love a good moth or fox comparison for my witchy friends!
Academia
These are usually accompanied by some sort of The Smiths song, with pictures of shelved books, Mary Janes, deeply colored flannels and record stores. This is prett alternative, but I like to think of it as a sort of dark academia vibe, with some vintage vibes thrown in there! If one of your buddies (or partners) is a vinyl collector, an ivy league graduate, or someone who loves to read, this would definitely be their vibe.
Colors
If your person recently got their aura read (or you just have a definitive color assigned to them), this is usually what you’ll find, especially if you’re representing a friend group. It’s beautiful when the TikToks will sometimes mix their colors together to represent harmony in friendship or partnership! I just asked my partner, and he said I give off mauve, olive and mossy green vibes – how sweet, I’m gonna cry.
Travel
Sometimes, people will monetize their travel content with this trend, often showing a gorgeous sunset, a large flowing waterfall or some beachy waves. They’re always needlessly beautiful, and always make me jealous, like I want to jump through the phone. It’s so cute, thinking of someone like a sunset, or like a private, soft sandy beach.
As you’ve probably guessed, I love this trend! I think it’s such a sweet, innocent way to represent and spread your appreciation for your loved ones, and it’s so easy too! Make one for your friend or lover this month, I guarantee they’ll appreciate it!
What do you think of this trend? Let us know in the comments down below, and happy scrolling!
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