SolarPunk Guide

Disclaimer: Living a SolarPunk lifestyle is an ever-evolving practice.

So, let’s break down how you can be SolarPunk through FACTS:

FOOD - Our relationship with our food is the most crucial relationship will have in our lives. Each thing we decide to eat is quite literally the choice between consuming poison or consuming medicine. To be a SolarPunk, you are aware of the effect food has on you, and you decide to choose to eat medicine over poison. Healthy food for you and the environment is local (made near your town) and without harmful chemicals. You can make the most beneficial decision by visiting your nearest farmer’s market each weekend and stocking up on local vegetables, fruits, nuts, meats, coffees, teas, and more. Making this decision is healthy for you and more beneficial for the planet.

ART / ACTION - Human beings are creative by nature, and it’s essential for each of us to work with our bodies and senses to create things. You can choose any art forms you like, such as DIY projects, music, dance, standup comedy, design, painting, and anything else that comes to mind. Being creative can increase positive emotions, reduce depressive and anxiety symptoms, and improve the function of your immune system, so adopt an art form or many art forms today and every day.

CLOTHING - Your skin is the largest organ of your body, and you should treat it healthily. Wearing organic materials such as cotton can give you health benefits. This doesn’t mean that you can’t be stylish either; many people in the SolarPunk community purchase vintage or organic thrift clothes and combine them with new layers of creativity, such as patches, felt art, tye-dye, and much more.

TECHNOLOGY - They say you are what you eat, but what about what you consume digitally? That means we must decide what is healthiest when consuming media and content through technology. SolarPunks utilize technology to learn, make new friends, and build projects that improve the world. Spending time on social media and other entertainment platforms should be done wisely, and boundaries should be set so that we can spend more time living and less time sitting alone staring into black mirrors.

SHELTER / SOCIETY - We are all products of our environments, and where we live and how we spend our time say a lot about us. SolarPunks focus on living in a way that harmonizes our relationship with nature. Incorporating nature inside and outside your home can help you tremendously mentally and physically. From having house plants you take care of to growing gardens, it all matters and can help you be the best SolarPunk.

SolarPunk History

Most of you may be familiar with the term “CyberPunk,” that digital world aesthetic that seems more dystopian than anything else. CyberPunk has been the setting for films like “Ready Player One,” “Blade Runner,” and “Akira.”

“SolarPunk” is an aesthetic and conceptual future like CyberPunk. Still, instead, it embodies a beautiful envisioning of a world where technology, nature, and individuals are healthier and happier alongside one another. Examples of SolarPunk films include “Black Panther,” “WALL-E” Credits, and “Dear Alice.”

Since its inception in the mid-00s, SolarPunk has gained more and more popularity and is widely regarded as the only hope we have for a healthier future. What started as a literary genre is the blueprint of what many imagine as our reality. SolarPunk embodies the ideologies and creativity needed to allow us all to find a healthy relationship with eachother, nature, and the evergrowing power of technology all in one.

The growing mental health, environmental health, and infrastructure challenges create fear and anxiety for each of us. However, we can fix it once we collectively turn our focus to what we want for ourselves and the future of this world. Fixing these problems is what the SolarPunk movement and being a SolarPunk is all about.