Minimalism
- Thread starter CherieR
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I guess it depends on what you mean by being a minimalist. I suspect that people who chose to live in tiny houses secretly dream of having more space. There is a book, which I have read a little of, called "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing" by Marie Kondo. It advocates getting rid of a lot of stuff that is just cluttering up your life. The world offer lots of garbage to fill your life with that is a total waste of time and a distraction from focusing on the Word of God and on living the spiritual life.
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I have know people who kept everything! I saw it as a weakness, not as a good idea. They did it because they saw value and usefulness in everything, but they were also very insecure and thought they would live long enough to need it all. They failed to accept the brevity of this life and gave no thought to eternity. I see life as preparation for eternity.
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Hi Cherie!
I'm really enjoying your threads about organizing and minimalism.
I've been interested in the subject of minimalism for a few years now, and I know something that's been helpful for me is to look up information about it via YouTube and various blogs. For instance, one minimalist I follow on YouTube became so as a backlash to growing up in a household with a hoarding parent, so I've found her views to be quite interesting.
And, like anything else these days, many have made minimalism a religion, eagerly pouncing on anyone who isn't following the lifestyle as rigidly as they are (composting toilet, anyone? Uh, no thanks.)
The videos I've found most helpful were the ones that have talked about both the pros AND the cons... For instance, a woman who went all out and bought a tiny house, only to find that hosting people for dinner--something she loved--became an issue, along with the simplest of decisions, were now a challenge. She loved to travel with her tiny home, but there are weight restrictions when traveling, so now, even something like purchasing cast-iron cookware (because of the weight) was something off-limits.
Personally, I think you have to find what works for you, because that will be different for everyone. For example, I've tried cutting back/donating lots of things all at once, only to find that I had to go back and re-purchase some of those items because it just wasn't working for me. A few examples...
* Trying to learn how to cook... with only two pans... and finding out what a pain the patooey it was when I was trying to make a recipe that called for multiple preps at once.
* Having only enough work clothes to make it through one week (I now have enough for two weeks), because even though it was a nice "minimalist" principle, I found it to be a total waste when I went to do laundry every week and only had enough for a partial load.
I've also found that some hobbies are just not designed for minimalism. For instance, I occasionally try to sew, and one of the things I've found are essential to me are real sewing books, and not a Kindle, because if I'm trying to pin fabric together and look up one technique on page 23 and another on page 217, flipping back and forth between pages is a lot more helpful in the moment (and for my sanity) than trying to scroll through a screen. Needless to say, my bookshelf would give a "true" minimalist nightmares.
So I'm pretty sure that most minimalists would look at me and scoff, but I have to find what works for my own life and God-given callings and interests.
One thing I do appreciate about the minimalist movement is that it HAS made me aware of how much I consume or accumulate, which has in turn made me a lot more conservative in my choices, and in donating things I truly don't need.
I'm really enjoying your threads about organizing and minimalism.
I've been interested in the subject of minimalism for a few years now, and I know something that's been helpful for me is to look up information about it via YouTube and various blogs. For instance, one minimalist I follow on YouTube became so as a backlash to growing up in a household with a hoarding parent, so I've found her views to be quite interesting.
And, like anything else these days, many have made minimalism a religion, eagerly pouncing on anyone who isn't following the lifestyle as rigidly as they are (composting toilet, anyone? Uh, no thanks.)
The videos I've found most helpful were the ones that have talked about both the pros AND the cons... For instance, a woman who went all out and bought a tiny house, only to find that hosting people for dinner--something she loved--became an issue, along with the simplest of decisions, were now a challenge. She loved to travel with her tiny home, but there are weight restrictions when traveling, so now, even something like purchasing cast-iron cookware (because of the weight) was something off-limits.
Personally, I think you have to find what works for you, because that will be different for everyone. For example, I've tried cutting back/donating lots of things all at once, only to find that I had to go back and re-purchase some of those items because it just wasn't working for me. A few examples...
* Trying to learn how to cook... with only two pans... and finding out what a pain the patooey it was when I was trying to make a recipe that called for multiple preps at once.
* Having only enough work clothes to make it through one week (I now have enough for two weeks), because even though it was a nice "minimalist" principle, I found it to be a total waste when I went to do laundry every week and only had enough for a partial load.
I've also found that some hobbies are just not designed for minimalism. For instance, I occasionally try to sew, and one of the things I've found are essential to me are real sewing books, and not a Kindle, because if I'm trying to pin fabric together and look up one technique on page 23 and another on page 217, flipping back and forth between pages is a lot more helpful in the moment (and for my sanity) than trying to scroll through a screen. Needless to say, my bookshelf would give a "true" minimalist nightmares.
So I'm pretty sure that most minimalists would look at me and scoff, but I have to find what works for my own life and God-given callings and interests.
One thing I do appreciate about the minimalist movement is that it HAS made me aware of how much I consume or accumulate, which has in turn made me a lot more conservative in my choices, and in donating things I truly don't need.
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