I’ve always really liked world building, and I love leaning heavily into using theater of the mind to flesh out a location or a scene. Part of that description would include, of course, the senses. Music can definitely help set a vibe, but I always think something that elevates that is the scents that fill a space.
When I started writing stories, I would usually burn incense or candles, and listen to some background music for inspiration, but I was always looking for something a little more niche — I was just being really picky and particular. Eventually, after lamenting the fact that I could never find what I wanted, I was like “wait a second…how hard could it be?” Harder than I thought — again, because I’m very picky — but easier because it was a very natural extension of the creative process for me.
An easy starting point for me was to pick classes I liked to play, develop a scent based on a character I made, and run with that! That has since expanded to creating something for ALL the classes, which is where my starting lineup was really established. I always had a scene and an image in my head that I built the scent around, which is exactly what I tried to lay out with the scenes for each candle in the shop, and I hope that they transport you to that location!
What started as a little side project in 2022 has really grown, even through all the times I set things down to focus on other projects. Picked it up with some newfound focus and came at this with a lot more dedication and ideas in 2025…now they’re being used to enhance D&D campaigns, provide some inspiration, or just create a cozy space. I’m really excited to keep developing fragrances…that part of my brain is always on, even if it’s running in the background.
Cheers,
Darby
