Like in art, I am a practitioner of minimalism in my life. I'm always trying to reduce to have more time, more freedom, more happiness, etc. I love spaces with just a few objects and simple lines and design. I recently got rid of a lot of my possessions because they were making no sense anymore in my life.

And what about you? Are you minimalists? Do you apply minimalism in your lives?

Share your thoughts.

Thank you!

"Less is more."

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Replies to This Discussion

I appreciate your point of view, Guido. We all have a certain amount of chaos in our personal lives (my studio, for one. My extended family for another!) When I have less personal stuff, I feel better, that's it for me. I appreciate your response Eduardo.

This is rich. This discussion is far IN! Guido, you make me laugh but of course, as you know, I know exactly what you're talking about, being surrounded by music, books, mail art, other art, bottles, notebooks and sketchbooks, letters, photographs, found stuff of many kinds, and so on, including cats. Pens, tins, rust, painted book pages, bags ... where to end? Well that's the question, isn't it. When the chaos suddenly seems paralyzing, your "embrace the chaos" is music to my ears. And so are the wisdoms of people like Eduardo and Mim. (Sorry KDJ, you sound about parallel to me!)

Every little thing does have a memory (or ten) attached to it that feels like Life, and IS a part of life. Memories but also inspirations, possibilities, fire for the imagination. And then there's the synergy aspect, which David Kubiak helped me realize when we talked about assemblage and my reluctance to alter some found things for the sake of assemblage art. David said you don't have to alter them; choose ones to stand or sit together in a way that creates community and synergy. The conversation changed a huge dilemma I'd been experiencing. Similarly, things that inspire you can sometimes create a force larger than those parts individually, even just sitting together on a shelf where you live or work.

Still, the ways of Eduardo and Mim are very appealing when the chaos of the natural self becomes too much. They both talk about getting rid of certain kinds of things, and have rules like 1 thing in, 2 things out. When it comes to stuff like clothes and other mostly meaningless stuff that can accumulate, that is very helpful! In fact, I've taken a few notes and plan to implement these ideas in areas like clothes. Or dishes. Who needs clothes when you hardly ever go out, and who needs 8 plates when there are only 2 of you.

"Letting go" of some of those things, as Eduardo mentions, must be freeing, and that is envy-worthy. And thanks for that link, Eduardo--it is bookmarked now, and those minimalist guys do have some good ideas. I have to admit that they scare me too, though. The pictures of them--there is nothing else there! Sterility terrifies me. But you and Mim don't.

A few years ago when it was still impossible in the studio after closing my antiques shop (same space), a friend did convince me to put one thing at a time out on the road for people to take for free. Suddenly I found it so much fun to see people's delight out there that I was putting out boxes and even some big shelves etc, for days. It was my way of donating, only it helped to see the happiness of people finding unexpected gifts.

Guido, I do love your NO, NO, and NO! Passion at work, out in the open!

What a wonderful discussion, thank you everyone, Eduardo to making this possible!

I need some kind of chaos to create but my favorite job is to clean up my studio - letting things or goals go, is liberating. It's perhaps not so much I let go but I need that illusion of liberty and I hope with small actions approach eventually bigger ones..

Welcome, Carina!

Learning to let go is the most wonderful things that happened to me in recent times. It's indeed liberating...

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