Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Minimalism?



When I first came across the concept of minimalism I had to chuckle a bit. This first introduction was about people who were counting their things and in heated debates about what constituted a personal item and what was communal and should/should not be counted. The aim was to keep ones possession under 100 items. Why did I chuckle? Mainly because I live with a minimalist who is not even trying. I have not counted his things, that might be going a bit too far, but I seriously doubt that my husband has 100 personal items. Well, maybe if I counted the nails in his tool belt. But wait, would those be considered communal?


Now obviously I am interested in simple living. The name and layout of this here blog is a testament to that, but my goodness, the 100 plus pieces of fabric I have would automatically disqualify me for that breed of minimalism. So I moved on and only mentioned it in joking terms with my guy. They were mostly jokes about me!


Fast forward a few years and a few moves later and the concept is looking more and more appealing. Not the 100 items part but the idea behind the movement. Like many things, the "movement" has found some balance since my first introduction and there is now a little less talk about the amount of things (in terms of a specific number) and more talk about the quality of things you own. More discussion about the role things play in our lives and the impact they have on both our psyche and the environment. A focus on a life of experiences and learning, instead of consuming and becoming tied to our stuff and in turn overwhelmed with all of our things and where to stuff and store it all.


I cleaned out a few things before our big cross continent move but not nearly as much as I wanted. Boxing up the house seems like a good time to clean out, but a big move is a time filled with so many different emotions adding on the disposal of high school year books and citizenship awards from 6th grade was just not happening. I was paralyzed when it came to decisions about those "keepsakes" and a whole lot more. 

Now we have been here for a few months. We are settled in to a house that is even a wee bit bigger than our last and I am feeling the pinch. 

The urge to go out and buy more supplies to organizes all this stuff was hit with a resounding WHY? Followed by what, when and how. 
Why am I keeping this? 
What purpose does it serve? 
When am I going to use it? 
How is this improving my life?

Followed by lots of other questions about specific items...

Some things have been easy to throw into the donation bin. The books I will never read again and could check out from the library if I ever did want to read them. The abstract fabric that I really know I will never use. No really. Never. Those egg shaped polished rocks we got at the Natural History Museum in L.A. some 10 years ago. The ones that keep rolling around on the shelf threatening to fall off every time I dust. Which is not often enough because there is sadly so much stuff on the shelf it is a real pain to dust. Yes. Lots of stuff like that has been easy to part with and there is a rather large pile of stuff in the middle of the garage waiting for a trip to town for a drop off. 


Other things have proven slightly more difficult. The paper I did in 8th grade about the space shuttle because I really wanted to be an astronaut. Those yearbooks from high school. Which is funny because I did not even like high school! My dust journals. And (mom stop reading here) my china. Yes, the china is on the chopping block but I just have not had the heart yet. My parents got it for me when I was five. We were living in Japan and there was a china shop in town. I can actually picture that shop in my mind as I type this. The china is called Blue Dawn. Perfect for their little Dawn. I am not a china kinda gal but I did pull the whole set out about a year ago with the thought of using it for everyday. Oy! That did not last long. It is just to delicate for my disposition. So why keep it? 

This process has been met with cautious support from my "minimalist" man. He has been through my purges before. They tend to loose steam rather quickly because I become overwhelmed and assure myself that I WILL make, use, do that one of these days... And so the stuff needed to make, use, do that is stashed away... in a bin, in the closet, under the bed... And on it goes. 

I can point to many reasons why this time could be different. 

The reminders lately of the frail nature of life itself and what I really want to spend my time doing with the finite days I have left, how ever long or short that may be. 

The idea of moving again. Moving all of these things. Some that came from California, to Nova Scotia, and now to New Mexico without seeing the light of day. Still keeping sake in their special box! 

The simple fact that I don't like the clean and a simple "minimalist" house is much easier to maintain. Extra time cleaning house or extra time for reading, hiking, playing with the kids? Simple choice when put in those terms. 

Living true to my values. I believe that all of this stuff is having a huge negative impact on our ability to sustain human life on our planet. Extreme but true in my view. Earth will go on, it is humans and other species we respect and care about who will find it much changed in the coming times. Our consumption is not sustainable and our slow ability to adapt will make it difficult for our species to maintain life as we know it. I don't want to contribute to that. 

So I have been reading. I have been assessing. I have been cleaning out. Cleaning space for thoughts, ideas, and just simply making white space in life. Just like the white space needed to see the words on a page, white space needed to see the life I have and live it.

Inspiration




27 comments:

  1. I feel the same way. I need SO much white space in my life, and my husband and kids feel the need to keep everything. It's painful for me some days.

    We're beginning another massive purge this summer. Good luck with your clean out! :)

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    1. Thanks Michelle!
      Painful is exactly how my husband describes it sometimes. He says he has a physical response to clutter!
      Hope you have a great purge this summer!

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  2. We've been really taken with minimalism lately. We've been significantly reducing our belongings over the past month and a half. It is HARD! Not many craft items have gone, I admit. And it's super hard to get rid of the kids' many many many things. Hard for them, that is.

    I totally understand about the china. I was gifted 'wedding china', which I loved but now not so much. It's just too fussy for me. Not to mention other bits of inherited china. And the crystal still in the boxes. None of it is dishwasher friendly, so it just takes up room.

    I didn't know you lived in Japan! I visited there for a week when I was 16 and it was lovely!

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    1. Oh, I'm Nicola in Halifax by the way :)

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    2. Yes. I think the kids things are going to be difficult. We did their clothes last week. That was easy. Personal "treasures" are going to be different. And I realize how much I have trained them over the years to hold on to things! I think I am going to have to live it for awhile before I can expect anything from them in this front. Just contain it to their rooms for now.

      We lived in Japan for three years. My dad was in the military. My parents were awesome explorers so we saw a lot! I would love to go back someday. And I love the simple esthetic of traditional Japanese decorating.

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    3. Oh... And I liked that link about the minimalist family living in China. I need to explore their site more :-) Thanks!

      Wish we were still close. xo

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  3. “Living true to my values” — yes <3

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  4. I totally feel you! But you know the whole story. After having sold everything I (and we) owned I am so reluctant to buy anything. Even something as simple as new sandals. I deliberated over the new sewing machine since the day we arrived here. I just couldn't go on without it though. Now though I can use the fabric I brought with me to make anything we need. Like yesterday I made cloth bag for the girl's crayons rather then buying a box or basket.

    What I am feeling now though is the pull to reduce the waste caused by our food. Everything here that is organic comes in a bag. Be it bananas or rice. It maybe organic but it still comes in plastic. I just got the book you recommend the other day about plastic. I'm hoping to get some good ideas about how to avoid this while still being able to buy organic.

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    1. Yes! I know you get it after all you went through!
      The sewing machine is such a useful and practical item. When it is actually used adds so much to life.
      I seriously need to get rid of the extra machine I have though :-)
      Have you seen the blog Plastic Manners? Another good one.
      I kills me when organic produce has more packaging than the other options!

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  5. The books used to be a huge weakness for me, but I'm getting better at "shopping" the library first and trading in the ones I'm really never, ever going to read again at our local used bookstore. What I'm having a lot of trouble with lately is our kiddo's stuff. Toys that he's outgrown, clothes. We're still in "what if we have another one" mode, so it's hard to know what to keep and what to donate.

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    1. My father-in-law has a used bookstore and I miss living close enough to just pass on my old books for him to sale. I have started using the library more in the past five years or so. I think back at all the money I would have saved if I had started using the library sooner. Why do we get out of the library habit after we graduate university?
      The kids stuff is a big topic. I am already taking notes for a post about that! Tough!

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  6. i was just thinking this morning about how much space my former interests still occupy, and i think i'm about ready to get rid of a lot of stuff. i love the quote from william morris: "have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." bye, bye to my dozens upon dozens of wooden embroidery hoops!

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    1. Yes. That is a great quote!
      It is an interesting thing letting go of those past interests.
      I think sometimes I can see cleaning that stuff out as a failure in some way. But I know I can't maintain EVERY interest for a lifetime so I need to cherish the experience and the time spent and move on. Craft supplies are another weakness I need to overcome!
      Bye, bye wooden hoops.... Hello rings! You go!

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  7. I read this article a few months ago, and thought it made a lot of sense - http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2013/01/how-much-stuff-should-you-own-the-answer-is-simpler-than-you-think/

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  8. You have no idea how timely this is for me! First, I purchased "Zero Waste Home" the other day, based on your recommendation, and I have been reading through that as well as the author's blog. Then, Monday, my mother arrived with a U-Haul full of stuff from my childhood that she had cleaned out from a storage unit she wants to close. Oof. Just as I was formulating how I'll streamline, I inherited boxes and boxes of more things to go through! And these are so tricky . . . some things are clearcut -- sure, I want to keep photos. But what about old cards? The blue ribbon I won in 5th grade? My Madame Alexander doll collection? I'm not clear on what rules to apply to some of it.

    Anyway, I am really enjoying the book, and I think I'm going to buy the one on plastics, too. I've been looking through her blog as well, and it already has me thinking about all the plastic we have in our home. Some of it is just so common in our daily lives, it's easy to overlook. I'm loving having these books as guides.

    Thanks for bringing this to light!

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    1. Wow! That was like a punch in the gut!
      This all has me thinking about the things I am saving for the kids and how they will feel about it all when they become adults.
      So happy you are reading the books. They are really inspiring and informative. Another blog to check out for plastic is Plastic Manners.
      I have been taking notes for so more posts on this topic. Please keep in touch about changes you make. I would love to hear about it!

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  9. I am in this same space lately. The china is a great example, it was sitting in a cabinet, not being used. I have removed it and if we still don't use it it will go. It is funny because I think having a child really made me realize the most important things aren't things but memories and I don't need all this stuff to make memories.

    I will admit to a problem with books, but we do a book purge at least once a year. Oh and the crafting supplies, that is a hard one because it is such a big part of our lives.

    My mom has kept everything from my childhood and now as my parents get ready to downsize they pass on boxes of my stuff. My first question to her is you still have all of this and what the heck am I suppose to do with it. Obviously I don't feel the same way about my kindergarten report card as she does :)

    I have no desire to be a minimalist, one because I don't much like labels, but I know we are living with less than we had 10 years ago and I can still find things to get rid of. I do it because it feels right, for me and my family, not to be a minimalist.

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    1. I could not agree more about labels. That is why the '?' is up there. I am not a fan of labels at all.
      I am so fascinated by the comments about childhood things being passed on to them. It makes me really think about what I am keeping for my own kids!
      I feel the same way about books and craft supplies. I think if they are being actively used then fine. And I have to keep in mind that we are art studio, school and home all wrapped into one location. Maybe we would have a bit less if the kids went outside of the home for the bulk of their day?
      And yes about it feeling right, not because it is part of a certain philosophy! Yes!

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  10. It was a move that initially pushed me in this direction, too. We had so much stuff. Seeing it all, in boxes, and then seeing how much of it I didn't care for--it changed me. Now, when I go into stores selling all kinds of decorative junk that no one needs, I cannot stop myself from thinking about coming times and our slow adaptation. And it makes me feel ill. I don't think your concerns are extreme at all, and I believe there are more of us who have them than one might think.

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    1. Thanks Rita. Nice to know we might not be as strange as we feel sometimes. It is hard not to think so when I look around at the rampant consumerism.

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  11. Every time we moved we purged. Then the moves were spaced apart by 14 years. Now it's been since 2003 and I get the idea to get rid of stuff. I have a problem and save way to much stuff. However, I'm a neat freak so you'd never know :) My kids are getting close to being on their own. I have old dishes etc, to set them up if they say "no" then I'll donate them.

    I have to say I am glad that I saved stuff from my mom, she died in 1998 and each little slip of paper she wrote to me is precious, I have so few. Oh and I have her knitting notebook of her notes :)

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    1. Moves are a huge motivator... Both before and after the move.
      I think the idea of passing things on to help the kids get set up is a great one... Then of course the option to donate!
      The knitting notebook and notes from your mom sound like treasures indeed. I often think of stuff like this. These "primary source" writings and journals. They are precious from both a personal and historical perspective. I have to put some more thought into this...
      Thanks for sharing Karen!

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  12. Some days I think I could walk out of my house and leave everything behind.* I am overwhelmed with both the stuff and the thought of trying to deal with it. I am not sentimental about my childhood. I *am* a bit sentimental about my children's, but they'll get to decide what they want to carry forward from the things I've chosen to tuck away.

    The last time we moved (about 9 1/2 years ago), I got rid of any box that had remained unopened since our previous move (about 2 1/2 years before). I didn't even look to see what was in it. If we hadn't bothered to open it or unpack it in 2+ years I figured we wouldn't miss it.

    *I think I'd take my sewing machine + supplies, some choice art supplies, and my laptop....

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    1. Getting rid of a box unopened sound brave to me. Don't know if I could do it! I hear the logic but still...

      Yes to the *. Me too!

      I have been thinking a lot about the childhood keepsake thing. Happy to hear your thoughts on it.

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  13. I too found that the keepsakes are the most difficult to deal with when trying to pare down and minimize. My husband and I are getting ready for a second cross-Atlantic move and it is very difficult. One thing I have found helpful for me is capturing these keepsakes digitally. I took photos of the insides and outsides of cards we got for our wedding, and we have them displayed in a digital photo frame that shows them in a slideshow so we can actually enjoy them instead of them sitting in a pile on a shelf collecting dust. It's a process, but one that I'm glad I am doing to make us happier and not feel so weighed down!

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    1. I do love the idea of digital frames. My daughter fell in love with the one my in-laws have. Great idea to photograph the cards for it!
      Thanks for sharing Dana!

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