F*ing Minimalism
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The Concept seems so easy, “Own less shit Becky, your life will be better for it!”
The practice is almost a cult following “Oh, I only have 33 things in my closet Melissa and I am SO in tune with my style now!”
The reality of it is somewhere between the best sex you’ve ever experienced and being hit by a f*ing Mac truck.
Let’s back up. If you are unfamiliar with the definition of minimalism lets start there.
Seems simple enough but if you take the time to google the term you’ll find 310,000,000 results. This is not simple. I became interested because I was having a slight mental break down over a few things. I was about to get married (this in itself is its own long ass story so i’ll just bypass that for now and keep going), said future spouse was talking about having our own mutual spawn (yet another long story) and work was driving me absolutely bat shit (we are still hiring if you’re interested!) and this all came together into a very weird version of nesting.
Nesting is when prego people get the need to spruce the place up, not only because new spawn are constantly trying to kill themselves but because in some ways it make you feel prepared for the coming shit show that is parenting.
“but if you get rid of all your stuff how will you be prepared for anything?!”
Key word being stuff, I think humans are natural hoarders. We are sentimental creatures that need things to feel like we are worth. I will be the first to tell you that when I did my first “purge” I openly wept on the floor of my apartment over a mask made of fake feathers.
“how will remember my dead friend? How will i recall the time she visited me on the day of my prom to give me a fake feather mask and a hibiscus plant that bloomed once and died? How will i remember how much guilt i carried when i realized it was the last time i actually physically touched her?” You just did. And the mask that has been in a box for 10 years, through 15 different moves, seven different cities and two states is not why.
But still i cried. and then i said goodbye to it and i donated it to my apartment dumpster. it carried no JOY with it, it was just an object. old, crumbling and collecting dust. I don’t want to keep my memories that way.
Mask Pictured here.
its the thing with orange feathers, its wrapped around a pickle jug filled with matchbooks
That same day i went through NINE (9) 64 gallon plastic storage totes. I made piles sorting between straight trash which included receipts from 2008, “maybes” which was mostly sentimental tidbits and “keeps”, important things like my daughters birth certificate.
I’m sure my future husband thought i had lost my mind but little did he know it was JUST THE BEGINNING!
I searched the internet for tips and tricks on how I could dismiss myself of the burden of stuff.
The Messy Minimalist was the first thing that really stuck with me. I’ve linked her first video in her “Hoarder to Minimalist” playlist below. Its worth a watch just because shes real about it. unlike some people shes just a person trying to make herself better, i can dig that.
Since starting the whole thing i’ve gotten pretty good about paying attention to the things i buy, i wont say its 100% effective because i’m a mom and my kid loves toys and LOTS of them but I’ve benefited by making my home less messy and more manageable and by reducing the amount of junk i compulsively buy like clothes. Don’t even get me started on capsule wardrobes or mid century modern furniture, we could be here for days! aesthetic culture is real.
If any of this interests you I suggest the above podcast as a starting point. it can sometimes feel a bit cult-y but the hey what movement doesn’t on occasion?!
What are your thoughts on minimalism? Do you think it could help you? Do you think its worth it? Feel free to tag me @mlwcomedia with your tips and tricks!
