Traditionally a minimalist approach applied to art or design or theory. Today there is a growing movement towards minimalism as a lifestyle.
Like most people, I have generally been influenced + driven by our consumerist culture, always feeling if I just was able to buy the perfect cushion, bed linens, art work, piece of clothing, dish set, + on + on, that I would finally feel content, be satisfied, be happy. of course, that never happens.
Our place is filled with stuff. Even when we get rid of lots of stuff, it’s filled with stuff. + all the stuff doesn’t bring life satisfaction. In fact, it does the opposite.
The desire to embrace a minimalist lifestyle has become my goal more specifically over the last few months, but the journey began three years ago when my husband + I were on our honeymoon. *[LINK TO OTHER POST]* Our suite had a very small kitchen, equipped with the bare necessities; a small sink, a bar fridge, toaster oven, two burner stove top, + a half size dishwasher. We menu planned based on what we had to work with, + because of the limited space were forced to make sure everything was cleaned + put away each night. It’s easy to get away from that in your own home where there is more space + more kitchen ‘stuff’ than you need – if we don’t wash a mixing spoon one night, no worries! There’s another one in the drawer for the next meal prep! Not so in our little honeymoon kitchen. + we made really delicious meals too. It was an opportunity to experience how possible it is to live with much less, particularly because we didn’t miss any of the stuff we had at home. We never felt like we were making do, we felt like we had enough + were comfortable.
Since then we have been actively + regularly purging. + then we had a child + the stuff started accumulating again…purge, accumulate, repeat.
Last winter, after our son turned one + we were emerging from the new-baby haze, I came across the concept of the capsule wardrobe from THE EVERY GIRL . I hadn’t felt like ‘myself’ in ages, had been dressing for comfort + ease of nursing rather than style. I needed to weed out everything that made me feel frumpy. I narrowed down my entire wardrobe to 40 pieces (including footwear + outerwear, excluding lounge wear + work out gear – but even that was narrowed down to the items that still made me feel good while wearing). + as my capsule wardrobe developed, I could more clearly see my ‘style’, making it easier to turn away from impulse buys that looked super cute in the store, but usually made me feel obligated to wear after a few months because I’d gone + spent the money. It also made getting dressed in the morning a breeze because I already had a closet/dresser full of pieces that worked together + felt good on. That’s a win-win-win situation, right there.
Over the past year, I have been inspired by other designer friends who seem to have a clear vision of who they are + what they like + how they want to live their life, + it has inspired me to define that for my family. It’s necessary, in order to make space for creativity, financial freedom, serenity on the regular, + to feel like I’m living the life I was meant to. I’m tired of feeling bogged down by the ‘shouldas’. What about what i want – no need to be doing?…
As I delve into this minimalist lifestyle thing more deeply…
[ Even to label it as a lifestyle seems reductive, trendy, a bandwagon to jump on – it’s really an overwhelming desire to get rid of distractions so I can live the life I want .]
…I’m finding an enormous number of resources online that sum it up better than I can.
THE MINIMALISTS: on minimalism |the pitch
Minimalism Explained by Colin Wright
25 Reasons You Might Be A Minimalist by Courney Carver
Benefits of Minimalism on becomingminimalist.com
+ the ultimate (in my mind so far, anyway) in online minimalism: mnmlist or Zen Habits, both by Leo Babauta
The first step on the road to living in a minimalist way, like most things, has been identifying that our consumerist, accelerating, busy, more, more, more culture causes unhappiness, dissatisfaction, + numbness. + I don’t want that. I don’t want that for my family + I don’t want that to be my child’s experience as they grow up. We must model a life created with intention. + with every step we take towards a minimalist life, I feel that life being created.
