Minimalism myths
Let me start by saying this post originated as a joke in our Whatsapp group chat, so please do take it with a pinch of salt. Livvy commented about how she couldn’t refer to herself as a minimalist as she had bought two tops from Facebook Marketplace and before you knew it, the three of us were laughing at the various myths surrounding minimalism and who can and can’t refer to themselves as a minimalist.
Essentially, in order to be a minimalist you must have a photo-ready house at all times, never buy new clothing, start every new conversation by telling the other person you’re a minimalist, own less than 33 belongings and you must live in wild and beautiful countryside and walk absolutely everywhere because owning a car is SO unnecessary and non-minimalist…
Obviously I’m kidding, but the reality is that a lot of people see minimalism as a trend, one that is “fashionable” and temporary, and attached to it are a lot of prejudices and fabricated theories of what it takes to be a minimalist. Funnier still is that when searching “define minimalism” the dictionary result that comes up talks about art and music, not the lifestyle choice many individuals are steering towards, which leads me to my big question: what is the definition of minimalism and does it matter?
I personally think there doesn’t need to be one, it’s a bit like defining “normal”; do any of us have a clear-cut definition for what it is to be normal? I’m willing to bet one person’s point of view and understanding is vastly different to another’s, so why does it matter what other people consider to be normal in the first place? Or someone else’s opinion of “what it takes” to be a minimalist? Forget their opinions and keep on keeping on I say!
For what it is worth the way we pursue minimalism is to ensure that we only have what we need, what we use, and things that bring us joy (deep, meaningful happiness as opposed to the kind of joy reached through instant gratification). By living like this we have cleared out a lot of space in our homes, which has made them feel nicer to be in, and it is much easier to find things. It makes us more intentional about what we buy and where we buy from and it has helped us create a more relaxed environment in our homes. So, whilst we do have boxes of sentimental items and ornaments that we find beautiful, we no longer have “junk” boxes, “I don’t know what’s in there draws” or “just in case” items.
That said, here is our list of minimalism myths, just for fun:
- Your house is always tidy.
- You never spend money.
- Your house is entirely white.
- There are only house plants on the work surfaces.
- You have counted all your belongings and they amount to less than 33.
- You only eat 3 different meals because God forbid you have more than 4 things in your cupboard.
- You don’t have boxes of stuff in storage.
- You’re not at all sentimental.
- You only have 3 outfits per child and they are all white and grey.
- Your children are bored and have no toys.
- You have loads of money because you never buy anything.
- You never go out because you never buy anything.
- You don’t have any technology and live like you’re in the caveman days.
- Once you’ve thrown away X number of things you are allowed to label yourself a minimalist and you’re done.
Please do comment below with other minimalist myths that you have heard, I’m sure there are a whole bunch more than 14 out there!
Keep on keeping on,
Summer and Livvy
