This is definitely not a brand new thought or idea. It's really just something that has been resonating with me lately. This article, Owing Less is Great. Wanting Less is Better., struck a cord with me. I believe Less is More, but living it is a totally different thing. Living in a small home, I feel like I have to purge and reorganize often, or we get swallowed up by the stuff. And nothing stresses me out more the stuff everywhere. Right now, I'm ready to part ways with so many of my possessions.
I think my desire to live a little more minimalistic comes from my years of living overseas and in 3rd countries. I've shared this before, but I grew up in Papua New Guinea. Just the nature of being halfway around the world, my parents couldn't bring a lot of their stuff with them. Our home was very minimal as a result. And it didn't feel cold or uncomfortable. Then, when Lonnie and I moved to Papua New Guinea as newly weds and also Yemen with 2 little kids, we took just our suitcases with us. And guess what? You really don't need all the STUFF. I think my life was so much simpler with less things to take care of and clean up. Sure, I missed some of the sentimental things. But, most of the stuff that fills my home now, I really have very little emotional connection to.
It turns out that having very few possessions as a child totally didn't ruin me. Hey, maybe having just a few toys was good for developing my creativity.
So now, where do I start? Being a design blogger, and really just having a passion for creating comfortable and fresh spaces, I find I want to buy and hunt down cool stuff. I need a way to get rid of what I have before I bring in new things. My new mantra is Quality Over Quantity. Before I buy that cute trendy item at Target or that killer mid century piece at the thrift store, I need to make sure I really have a place and a purpose for that item. I really don't want more stuff, so why do I feel compelled to have it. I know it's a huge part of our culture as Americans, but I really want to be more conscious of my actions.
To start, today I'm taking a load of furniture and clothing to my local thrift store. I have furniture pieces in my garage that I think I'll refinish or use for something. But, really they are just adding clutter and stress to my life. It's time for me to part ways with my $5 thrift store chairs you guys. Really, how many chairs does a girl need? It's hard, I see potential in these items. But, if they've been in my garage or closet for a year now and I haven't done anything with them, it's time for them to go.
Next step, I think I'll have a little prop sale at my studio. I've got some really good stuff you guys. Maybe these items can find a new home.
To keep me focused or this new goal, I created a little 8x10 printable. If you are on a mission to become more of a minimalist or just be more aware of what you are buying, maybe this little print will help you as well. Download the free printable HERE!
Ok, enough of my rambling, now I want to know what you think. Do you have any advice for me? Can you relate? How does you stuff make you feel?
You should read this article http://goforthandmother.com/2015/06/minimalism-for-the-modern-family-lets-be-realistic.html. Especially the paragraph below. I think its brave to live with less and not replace stuff with more stuff. But otherwise it is all very contradictory to me. You asked and thats my opinion anyway.
ReplyDeleteMinimalism is quite the wrong word for most of us. “Minimal” is a quantitative word, and implies that people with this philosophy have a minimal number of possessions. However, even the majority of the mainstream, self-proclaimed “minimalists” have a HUGE amount of possessions in comparison to a monk, a child in a second- or third-world country, or even in comparison to a family of the same size and living in the same area of our country 50 years ago. So when modern day Americans, and especially middle-class families, look around their relatively large homes with many possessions, the word minimalist feels so very, very wrong. And it is.
This is so hard. I am HUGE stuff collector but I also adore a good purge. Since we just moved to a smaller rental home, I was able to get rid of load of random items that I had been holding onto for that "someday" I might need it. Feels good to be a little lighter right now!
ReplyDeleteGood morning and thank you for the free download! As I scrolled through your IG posts my heart leapt when I saw this! This will be such a helpful reminder as I continue with my minimalism journey. Because it's true, the end goal is Quality. And not just quality of stuff but the quality of emotions. If we're not overwhelmed and stressed by all the stuff (possessions, commitments, projects, etc.) then our state of mind and well-being are of the highest quality (happy, peaceful, joyful) and that's the quality of life I want to give to my three kiddos and husband.
ReplyDeleteI'm motivated to continue purging the clutter because the peace and tranquility that washes over me flows downstream to my tribe and that's the greatest gift I can give them.
Have a beautiful day!
Darline