The art of minimalism
It only occurred to me recently, that one of the main the reasons why I feel so liberated while travelling, is a lack of belongings clogging-up my space…
This was all the more evident when I spent five weeks volunteering at a wellness retreat in the Hunter Valley in 2018.
I know it’s not the most confronting example, but stay with me.
My room was a spatial, clean and uncluttered sanctuary, and all I had was my carry-on luggage to rely upon for clothing and bathroom essentials. For me, there is something so innately satisfying about making-do with just the bare minimum. Okay - so my room was cleaned daily (yes, I will admit, it was joyous), and all my meals were catered for (hey, there had to be some trade-off for being a hard-working volunteer, right?), but just spending time in an ordered and considered space, with a daily purpose, was emotionally cleansing for me.
For me, minimalism is not just about an uncluttered, zenful environment. The term minimalism has many different guises and there are no set rules to abide by here.
I suppose I just see it as simplifying one’s life; hedging back the noise and only revealing the core.
So this is my personal journey (and very much a work-in-progress) towards what I call a minimalist lifestyle:
Input = output
It’s the time-honoured ritual that I’ve been practicing for some time now - actually, since I lived in a shoe-box in London over 25 years ago. For everything new, an old item has to go. Non- negotiable.
Discerning buyer
My friends know I am quite insufferable to shop with; I absolutely love shopping for others - sharing advice, seeing what they like, helping at the dressing room - all that stuff - but forget about shopping for me.
I am a solo shopper for good reason. Unless I see EXACTLY what I am looking for (in which case, I will either save-up to buy it, or bite-the-bullet), I will spend time doing a mental breakdown of how much return on my investment I will garner from my quality item - and we’re talking up to 20 years’ investment people! I stress ‘quality’, because I would rather have less, and buy the best quality I can afford (and love), rather than things that don’t quite hit the mark, and will disappoint me later!
Less is more. Only buy what you need.
Minimalism for me, is about surrounding myself with the items I truly love and cherish - no matter how many bits I own (and usually you’ll find it’s a manageable number anyway). Donate anything that doesn’t make the grade. It feels good.
Removing the toxins
And by this, I mean toxic people, friends, situations and energy-sapping conversations. Believe me, I have suffered my fair share of all of these, and I’m done with the lot. Time alone, on my own terms, is my idea of utter-most bliss. But equally, time spent with the ones I love and value (and who love and value me back), is nothing short of soul-food.
But on another note, keeping my surroundings as natural - and ethical - as possible is also a big driver for me. I use glass containers for all food storage, I no longer use plastic wrap, I try to maximise ingredients where I can (i.e. the left-over almond meal from my nut mylk, I use in my breakfast loaf, I’ll make broth from a chook carcas, I try to avoid packaging as much as possible, I carry bamboo cutlery for the road and I ALWAYS find a use for left-overs. I only buy what I need and use-up as much as I can before replacing with new pantry items. I try to ensure everything in my kitchen gets used, and if not, it goes - or is given to friends who will use it.
Cleaning products (a combination of non-toxic home creations - another work-in-progress! Any tips on achieving a hotel-style shower-clean anyone?) are kept to a minimum - I think I own three items in total - and I use natural body products, including soap, body and face creams with as many non-toxic ingredients, as I can.
Deodorant that doesn’t make we smell like a swamp-monster, and shampoo that doesn’t make me look like Basil-Brush, are my only challenges at the moment. But I’m working on those. Any suggestions are warmly welcome.
I still use main-stream makeup. The perils of hyper-sensitive skin and sadly my vanity, have secured my status as a loyal Mecca Cosmetica customer.
And, I feel it’s mandatory to mention digital detoxification here. The power of technology is truly wondrous, but I limit my time spent scrolling, liking and surfing to the bare minimum. Nothing saddens me more than seeing a cafe full of couples buried in their phones. We need to cherish real connections with real people. Really.
Volunteer
Regretfully, I am guilty of not doing enough of this (mainly through lack of time - which is a poor excuse to start with), but when I do, I get the biggest buzz of my life. Seriously, the more we step out of our bubble and get to the grass-roots of what’s really going on around us, the less we will worry about what we don’t have. Be humble. No one likes a big-shot. I don’t anyway.
Storage - or lack thereof
I quite like the fact that I live in an old weatherboard home with next to no storage. I wasn’t always a fan; but now I embrace it with open arms. If I can’t find a spot to put something, I don’t need it.
But: may I footnote this for the bustling families out there. If I had, even just one child, I am sure I’d need multiple cupboards and storage for all number of bits…beach toys, games, rain boots, kites, basket balls, surfboards…you name it. I get it.
My mantra would be (and still is) “organised storage”. (as opposed to organised chaos). Know what’s lurking behind the cupboard doors, rather than “jammed-in-chaos” because that seriously can’t be good chi right?
Be kind.
What can I say. It just feels good. And it attracts all the gewy nice stuff.