Minimalism: Teachings on How to Be More With Less
Minimalist art and design symbolize anything that is stripped to nothing but the essentials.
The concept is commonly found in architecture, fashion, art, design, and even considered a way of life. What started as an avant-garde art movement in New York City back in the sixties, is seeing a slow but steady resurrection over the last decade.
To be stripped to nothing but the essentials.
But it wasn’t until a particularly dark winter evening in 2016 when this gal first discovered the magic of minimalism.
At the time, I was in a bit of a rut, totally complacent and frazzled with my loss of motivation. I didn’t know what I wanted out of life, which created this enormously sad and empty void inside.
The pressure to be perfect loomed over me in every aspect of my being, whether it be from family, community, society at large, and perhaps the worst of them all: moi.
Feeling ashamed and lost, I went off the deep end and began filling this void with stuff...
Stuff I’d buy off Amazon and H&M only to use once or twice.
Stuff from habitual “therapeutic” shopping runs to the mall.
Stuff that would rot in my overstuffed closet and the dusty drawers of my wardrobe.
A 15-pound dumbbell there, a ukulele here, a pair of neon leggings, three bohemian hair bands, four black cardigans, five boyfriend jeans, six pairs of the same studs, seven tote bags, eight friendship bracelets I’ve been meaning to give away, nine pairs of fake glasses,
ten excuses to why I couldn’t stop.
All this stuff started accumulating in my room until I was aimlessly swimming in a sea of plastic and fabric.
I was so trapped in the toxic cycle of buying things I didn’t need that I failed to use logic when making purchase decisions. Instead, I relied on impulse and emotion. I didn’t even realize how bad it had gotten until my credit card maxed out.
This is getting personal. Maybe I should reel it in.
So yeah, that was rock bottom.
Then came an enlightening moment after one pathetic day of nonsensical shopping. Browsing through Netflix on a cold December night in 2016, I stumbled upon The Minimalists. And something just clicked.
I know, I know. That is so cliché. Like wow, girl watches documentary. Life changes “forever”.
But it was real. I can’t really explain it other than, it spoke to me.
All these thoughts I’ve been having about overconsumption and what it’s doing to my mental health started to add up after watching this documentary. T’was a game-changer.
So naturally, I religiously began following the minimalist movement online. I learned about the OG minimalist movement derived from the Japanese aesthetic, known as “Ma” (pronounced maah). Ma is the celebration of emptiness, of the space in between things.
As Yukiko Kisaki, a Japanese minimalist & lifestyle writer sites:
MA, in essence, is what makes minimalism possible. MA is in the purposeful pauses in a speech which make words stand out. It is in the quiet time we all need to make our busy lives meaningful, and in the silence between the notes which make the music.
MA is what creates the peace of mind (called heijoshin in Japanese) we all need so that there is room for our thoughts to exist properly and to thrive.
Peace of mind. Isn’t that what we’re all searching for in the end?
For me, it was through minimalism I learned that a life with less was not only possible but it empowered me to follow a path rooted in clarity and purpose. This philosophy also led me to understand the real importance of sustainable brands and the shocking cost of fast fashion.
And so I purged. I threw out, recycled, and gave away loads of pointless crap in that reincarnating winter. In an alarmingly short amount of time, I managed to declutter hundreds and hundreds of crap. Finally, my environment slowly began to mirror my dream of being free from the excess. With each dump, I found a new beginning, a new slate of life.
I kept the items that were essential, the ones that sparked joy—y’know, that thing Marie Kondo won’t shut up about? It’s real. It exists. You have to dig deep to find it.
While cleaning, I asked myself these three questions:
Do I really need this?
And if so, what is its purpose?
Is it necessary and meaningful enough to justify keeping?
These are the reflective moments that help me realize what matters most. After that first purge, I felt immensely better. I can’t stress enough the relief of removing this huge weight off my shoulders (and my closet).
It disturbed me how bad my shopping addiction got in the way of my financial freedom and ultimately, my happiness.
Fast forward four years to today, and I find myself leading a life full of purpose, intention, love and meaning. Minimalism helped guide me towards a better path and ultimately, in becoming a better human being. I’m also proud to be a part of the few and far between, completely debt-free as of this year. Side note: I highly recommend checking out Dave Ramsey’s baby steps to getting out of debt.
It takes time and a lot of effort to unlearn, but adopting the minimalist life is possible for anyone who is dedicated to dismantling their attachment for material possessions. If I could do it, so can you.
And sure, I’m not always as woke as I would like to be. Like everyone, some days are better than others but it’s more about the journey and transformation of the mind.
This seemingly simple ideology (it’s not easy to accomplish in our money-hungry, capitalistic society) is rooted in finding humility and being content with all that you have while turning your back against your own ego.
Minimalism teaches people to believe that you are enough as you are and that you can indeed be more with less.
Because I don’t have a problem with owning stuff but I do have a problem with stuff owning me.