What's to Come and a Wee Grumble

 

Grey. Grey. Grey.

    This post has been coming for awhile, but it's been cold and dark, our internet connection has been intermittent (I think the snow showers three times a week might have something to do with it) and there is more than enough Seasonal Affective Disorder to go around.

    I've been writing this blog for a year. I actually missed the anniversary of it because our internet was down much of that particular week. This didn't start out as a minimalist blog, and I don't see it as it as a one topic blog now. I have no doubt that it is obvious to readers that this blog is more in journal form at times; I'm not selling anything, I do not purport to have all the answers, and I'm far more into connecting with like-minded others with an end to being supportive and supported, and trading information and ideas, rather than audience building.

    I've always loved to write and I drifted away from daily writing after having children. Also, I've been making art in an artistic family since I was a child and would like to get back into creating. I personally love to see what artists are busy with in both art and life. What happened was I realized that for me to go beyond the life deadening cycle of laundry, dishes, and picking up other people's stuff, I had to change our lifestyle. I knew this involved less stuff; I've been familiar with  minimalism since my teens and have a deep love for the austere and uncluttered. What I didn't realize is that it was a movement. While my natural inclination for less had reawakened when I realized that our stuff was holding me hostage, this happened a short while before I came upon the minimalist movement. It was a stroke of luck to find people with similar ideas. Because I have been preoccupied with streamlining our house, that's what I've mainly blogged about this year. Now I see the end of uncluttering in sight and I feel I have a permanent love for this beautiful lifestyle; its simplicity allows us to more naturally appreciate the wonder in our lives. I cannot imagine not writing about it, but it won't be as often.

    I'm just going to be straight with everyone - I'm sewing, painting, gardening, struggling towards sustainability, and fixing up my house this year as well as thinking about many things less tangible. Once I've finished purging, I'll be focusing more on environmentalism and indulging my inner survivalist/doomer just in case it starts to rain fire one day. Hopefully I'll also be making things. Like most people who have chosen a minimalist lifestyle, I'm sure it will continue to influence many of the choices I make, but there is only so much a person can write about getting rid of belongings before they start veering off into issues that aren't about minimalism while desperately trying to make it sound as if they are actually an intergral part of minimalism. Ahem. I'm not going any further.

    And now we get to the wee grumble. I guess you could say I've become more and more disenchanted with minimalist bloggers and blogging. I don't wish to write a whole post about it, but I will say that almost all the issues that have been swirling around in my head were written about in an awesome and comprehensive post by Tanja at Minimalist Packrat. It's a must read if you're starting to sour on some aspects of the minimalist movement or could never get into it for some reason. I am unbothered by how anyone chooses to practice minimalism, whether it be with a backpack and a plane ticket or a house and a television. What I don't like is divisiveness, elititism, and nastiness. Yo! I live in Philly, we've got plenty enough of that as it is. Also, I must say that I find exclusivity really, really boring. And un-relateable. It's difficult to relate to awesome! child-free! single! hot! mindblowing! epic! sexy! nomad! cyborgs! vegan! angst! passion! all the time. If at all. Some of us are tired! cheese eating! community building! employed! content! over 25! even over 30! married to packrats! blue collar! diverse! have elderly parents! human! human! human! human! It was sort of driving me away from even wanting to write about minimalism myself, because I was questioning whether I wanted to be a minimalist, not in the sense of living simply with less, but to claim the label. I'm still not sure about that as I'm not big on labels as it is, but I feel comforted knowing there are others who are happy to title themselves minimalist without feeling they have to participate in some arbitrary rules someone else has imposed on minimalism. There will always be people who wish their "tribes" to be as homogeneous as possible, and then there are those few who are brave enough to welcome and accept those who do things differently. We learn more from those who are different than from those who feel exactly the same as we do. At least that's been my experience.

    So now you know what's in store for me and how I'm pulling myself out of a funk. A wintry, blah funk. I think things are looking up now.

 

 

Comments

[Kim]

I closed down my blog for the very same reason. I just got tired of all the "you gotta do it this way" blogs. It was starting to pull me down rather than build me up. So I quit. I'm still living a life that is perfectly sized for our family and our unique needs.

Life has been quieter without ruler of minimalist blogs to measure my life.

[TheSimplePoppy]

I know Kim, I went to your blog the other day and saw you had deleted it! I knew you had said you and your husband were really busy this year so I thought maybe that was it. I have to say I was feeling depressed and hateful after reading some of these blogs - and I just started to avoid them. Truly, the only ruler we need is the inner one telling us what's right or not! Thanks so much for coming by!

[Victoria - Ozarks Crescent Mural]

I'm naturally a minimalist, so for me, I found it interesting that a movement had formed around what is innate in some of us. I've liked looking at some of the minimalist blogs, but the only one I follow regularly is miss minimalist because it has a tone that I like. I find it funny the idea of having only so many things, like 100, and such. I can't imagine living in a way where I count my belongings! I find it comical, but each to their own.

[Erin Kleider]

Well, as you know, I am no minimalist. I find the whole thing fascinating and admirable, but slightly impossible for my family at least at the present time. I'll have to settle with doing the best I can to reduce my carbon footprint and live within my means both monetarily and physically. What I like about the minimalist lifestyle and probably the most significant thing I have picked up from your blog and others you have alerted me to is the attitude towards money and spending or NOT spending as the case may be. THAT appeals to me and THAT seems like a doable project for me while I try to slowly reduce the other crap I have acquired. What I would say, as a non-minimalist, but an interested party, is that I haven't had much patience for most of the minimalist blogs. I enjoyed the No Baggage Challenge immensely, but besides that sort of mini-series minimalist blog reading, yours is the only "minimalist" blog I read consistently, and what I want to say is that I have always felt quite comfortable here just as myself, standing in the place that I am. I enjoy reading about your "adventures" and it inspires me to be a little better myself, but I have never felt like you have been preachy or elitist about it. In fact, one of the things I have enjoyed is your sense of humor about the whole thing. It has made me feel really welcome and caused me to think hard about a lot of things. I just hope that this encourages you because you do not in any way come off as elitist, exclusive or boring.

[jaime]

I found your blog though the comments on Tanja's blog and I can't agree more with your sentiments.

"...I find exclusivity really, really boring. And un-relateable. It's difficult to relate to awesome! child-free! single! hot! mindblowing! epic! sexy! nomad! cyborgs! vegan! angst! passion! all the time. If at all. Some of us are tired! cheese eating! community building! employed! content! over 25! even over 30! married to packrats! blue collar! diverse! have elderly parents! human! human! human! human!" EXACTLY!!!

I have a confession to make. I spent a few late night hours reading some of your old posts. Not to worry, I am not a wierdo stalker, I just found so much of what you were saying to be right in line with how I feel about living simply.

I think the evolution of you blog is natural and I will look forward to your future posts.

[TheSimplePoppy]

Miss Minimalist was the very first minimalist blog I ever came across and continues to be a favorite. A lot of the new minimalist "rules" and such are unnaturally obsessed with stuff. I don't find that healthy and I don't think many people can sustain that kind of rigorous inspection. For minimalism to take hold in one's life, I think you have to see it as a natural process, not a ticking off of boxes on a mental chart of "real minimalists."

[TheSimplePoppy]

Frugality, sustainability, the aesthetics, and not having to clean so much are the real motivators for me in minimalism. When I was young it was mainly about the aesthetics and before marriage and children it was obviously easy to keep up. Now, not so much!

I appreciate you saying that you feel comfortable here, Erin! I always want to present things in my life in a sharing way rather than THE way; I'd hate reading this blog to be a negative experience for anyone.

[TheSimplePoppy]

I'm totally flattered that you wanted to read old posts, Jaime. I don't think that's stalkerish at all, of course I too, read other people's old posts.

I try to remember (daily, lest my head explode) that there are often many paths to one destination. It would be silly if we were all trudging the same path. It would be nice for others to acknowledge this, but I'm not holding my breath! Still, there seem to be plenty of minimalists out there who are happy to buck the A-listers rules! Thanks for commenting.

[Serena]

Thanks for the post. I took a break from my site for similar reasons, to get re-centered on why I write instead of being distracted by what I think I should be writing about. It has made a big difference. Looking forward to more.

[TheSimplePoppy]

Hi Serena - I was feeling stressed out about writing too, even though I always intended my blog to be a place for me to talk about many different things. Glad you've found your way back to writing!