"It's simply getting rid of things you do not use or need, leaving an uncluttered, simple environment and an uncluttered, simple life. It’s living without an obsession with material things or an obsession with doing everything and doing too much. It’s using simple tools, having a simple wardrobe, carrying little and living lightly."
There is also a great deal of talk about "simple living", which some people say is the same as minimalism, some people disagree. I think it doesn't really matter. You shouldn't live your lifestyle according to labels and titles.
If you are removing clutter from your house, buying as few material goods as possible, living as self-sustainingly (is that a word?) as possible, yet you take a holiday to an all-inclusive resort, leave a huge carbon footprint, drink yourself silly and buy ridiculous souviners once a year can you call yourself a minimalist? I say, "Sure why not?" We all have different ways to relax and let loose. It's what you do for the rest of your year that counts.
I consider myself a transitioning minimalist. I've always had a simple wardrobe, I've never had more than two pair of sneakers at a time, I can't tell you the last time I bought dress-shoes ( I'm dead serious....it's been maybe 20 years? I don't wear dress shoes. Or dresses.) I love shopping at thrift stores. My furniture is replaced only when it gets too worn. My carpets are "vintage"....ha, read: "original". I don't feel the need for brand name items. I don't want new stuff if the old stuff is still good.
Although before I eschew all brand name items, I will say that quality over quantity sometimes trumps not buying expensive shit. I spent a ridiculous (for me) amount of money on a pair of good, brand name summer sandals, but they've lasted me over five years so far. They've walked the Malecon in Havana, beaches in Mexico, been inside a giant Redwood in California, tiptoed through sea-lion shit on the Oregon Coast and most recently, wandered through Machu Picchu. Worth every penny. I don't need to have the new, the, trendy type of sandal every summer. I like to look at my worn soles and think of the places they've been.
However, before I start to sound too sanctimonious, let me assure you that this isn't the way I've always been. I used to like stuff, and I wanted stuff. My parents were such minimalists that I suppose I rebelled by being the opposite. As a result, I have shitloads of stuff even though I'm not a "purchaser". I guess I'd have to call myself more of a "saver". I hang on to stuff. Not in a hoarder sort of way though, let's be clear about that!
So now I have decided to start getting rid of stuff. That's where the "transitioning" part comes Into play. And I've gotta say, it's not that easy. Well, it's easy once you get started, it's the Getting Started that's hard.
I find it best to do when I'm in a bad mood. It's therepeutic to rip into a closet or spare room while cursing under your breath "Fucking shit. Look at all this fucking shit. Garbage. What the hell do I need this crap for??" If you have a big green garbage bag in your hands, it makes it that much easier. Just grab & toss, grab & toss. Don't think....just grab & toss. Haven't worn it in two years? Grab & toss. Keepin it "just in case"? Grab & toss. Ugly gift you don't like? You know what to do.....
Books were the hardest. Anyone who knows me knows that I only want to read. That's all I want to do. (Well, travel too. Read and travel.) I spent an exciting afternoon last winter counting my books. Boxes in closets. Boxes under the stairwell. Boxes under beds. Books shelves inside closets. Dresser drawers full of book because I don't buy clothes. I had well over 1,500 books. Literally. It was very hard to cull them. And I say "cull" because that's what it was like for me. I think I now have about 400 or so, maybe less, and they're all important to me. I'm not at that stage yet (probably never) where I can give up all my books.
As a result I have a spare room chock full of stuff to recycle/take to dump/drop off at a thrift store. Lots of it is Good Stuff. New Stuff. Some Expensive Stuff. And you know what? I feel fantabulous! I feel lighter and I want to get rid of more! It's addictive, this cleansing business. I feel happy going downtown and seeing all the stuff for sale and truely not wanting any of it. But I still appreciate looking at stuff. I enjoy browsing through clothes, and going to the jewellery store and looking at sparkly things, I love furniture stores. And oddly enough, for a woman who dispises the thought of weddings. I could spend a whole day looking at weddiing gowns. if you ever want someone to watch you model wedding gowns, I'm your girl! But I genuinely don't want to buy any of it. I'm genuinely happy just to look. And that's really true. And it makes me so happy that I feel that way.
Then we need to talk about recycling and being more self-sustainable and earth friendly. Yikes, that's a whole other ball game, and I'm slowly learning to play. You really have to choose your battles here though, you can't do it all. At least I can't. Plastic water bottles. Who actually spends money to buy water when it's 2 feet away from you in your tap...and it's free?! Ummmm.....me. I do. I know I shouldn't, and I try to at least buy it from local companies and as seldom as possible and I recycle the bottles again and again. We rinse out and refill each bottle quite a few times, probably enough times so that deadly chemicals have leached through and are coursing through my body. And then we do this:
And we do this:
Well, ok, no. No, we don't do any of those things. But I might someday. Meanwhile, I do recycle the bottles, and I do use my own cloth bags for shopping and try to buy as much GMO free food, and HFCS free food as I can. I try to walk instead of drive when possible. I try to buy bulk and I try to buy items without excess plastic packaging. I try to conserve water. I could do so much more, but I'm trying.
So while I still have a ton of stuff to get rid of, and many eco-lessons to learn, I'm slowly getting there. I saw a picture the other day of a passport and the caption was: "I'd rather have a passport full of stamps than a house full of things" and that is my new mantra.
