Scifi book nooks deserve a shoutout now that we’re into fall – the ‘crafty season.’ As a tiny library shelf-sized art piece, book nooks have been around less than 10 years. Like many other ‘minature worlds’ craft projects, book nooks capture my imagination when I run across them.
Where do book nooks come from? Per OnTheBookShelf, book nooks seem ‘to have originated in 2018 from a Japanese artist called Monde. They created a “back alley bookshelf” made to fit alongside paperback books.’ Etsy and Reddit support the burgeoning book nook community and there are new ideas coming out all the time.
Oddly enough – when I see crafters and artists make book nooks, they’re focused on the ‘How To’ but not the ‘Why To’ of book nooks. Why do book nooks suck you in so quickly?
There’s no solid data although you might hear something about creativity, imagination, and nostalgia. My theory is more simple – book nooks and other minature world projects take advantage of different human needs: Safety and security, imagination, creativity. These snug little worlds make us feel unconciously safe. Nothing bad is going to happen here.
Once your need for safety (Hello, Maslow’s heirarchy of needs!) is fulfilled, you start thinking about the little book nook details. The exercise becomes evocative, people connect emotionally and start picturing themselves inside the scene. Just like kids with doll houses, Sim City or Lego cities – intrinsic fascination and projection. You see the scene, and your brain immediately starts to tell stories about what it would be like to stand there inside. Good times!
Beyond that – book nooks are a form of personal expression. On their own, library shelves are kinda boring unless you designed your own. Book nooks fill that gap – Your scifi book nook can be incredibly intricate and detailed, or it be simple (yet shocking). It’s all up to you.
So as you’re considering your next craft project, may I humbly suggest a scifi book nook? There are thousands of ideas out there to choose from – I’d love to see where your imagination takes you.
