Can Everything Become Steampunk?

Welcome back! I'm giving you a short yet thoughtful post today. We're always going to see disputes about the criteria for steampunk. What counts as steampunk? Can anything or everything be steampunk? Should there be limitations or guidelines for steampunk? There are countless questions about steampunk floating around the worldwide web. Basically, I want to address one particular question. Can we add steampunk elements to anything and everything with a degree of authenticity? The short answer is yes. Anything can become steampunk if you're creative enough.

I've seen people decorate all kinds of things with distinct steampunk characteristics. Clothing is one of the more popular choices, but I've seen other items as well. I've seen steampunk jewelry boxes, cell phone covers, furniture, prop weapons, musical instruments, picture frames, etc. There's also a terrific variety of steampunk visual arts. Check out Facebook, Google Images, or Instagram for steampunk crafts. You'll find all kinds of artwork. Maybe I'll find a steampunk game controller for the Xbox. That would be pretty cool.  Steampunk also makes a lot of appearances in entertainment, including comic books, novels, movies, and video games. You might assume that steampunk excludes modern items. Steampunk computers? Preposterous! Computers didn't exist during the 19th century! But that's not always the point. Steampunk is world building, time travel, fantasy, cosplay, innovation, and science fiction. That means modern items are fair game too. Just make sure your steampunk projects have enough stylistic elements. After all, steampunk has a very distinct visual aesthetic. People should look at your project and say, “That looks like steampunk!” 

Feel free to view popular steampunk blogs and my earlier posts for reference. I have many steampunk interviews, photos from steampunk festivals, and discussions about writing steampunk fiction. If you want to add steampunk elements to something, just do whatever feels right. You're the maker. 

Earlier this summer, I wrote a general post about dieselpunk. I should probably write something similar for steampunk later this year. It would be a basic overview of the genre and subculture. I think it would be helpful for people who want to learn more about steampunk and feel ambitious enough to create their own projects. 

Leave a comment if you want t0 start a discussion. I'm going on vacation soon, but you're still getting a new post next week. Be safe and have fun in the infinite world of steampunk.