I recently realised I'm a minimalist. For the longest while, I just assumed being a minimalist meant living like a poor person when you could afford to live better. I thought minimalists were people who got a camp tent and a tv for their apartment and called it home.
Yesterday, a friend told me that he heard someone say "minimalism diminishes creativity". To a certain extent, that's not a lie. Minimalism tends to get rid of the extras that most times are not necessary. The absence of these things, to certain eyes, would come off as the absence of creativity.
How minimalism helps me
I've never been a fan of extravagance. I like the basics and that works for me. I can't say I'm the most self-confident person, but I do know I'm confident in my skin.
Thanks to how easy it has been for me to embrace minimalism, I've been saved from embarrassing situations. There have been days when going for less, rather than more saved me from looking out of place and making horrible mistakes.
I keep things simple in my head, and thankfully it translates into everything I do. I got into Product designs and I realised that being a minimalist helps a lot with creating User Experience flows.
Thanks to how I always try to simplify things, I'm able to create very simple flows that are usually user-friendly and super easy to navigate. It helps me always search for the simplest and most convenient flow possible and that gives me an upper hand with my work.
I believe it also has a lot to do with my life choices and the kind of people I keep around me. I avoid complicated relationships. The simpler the relationship is, the better for me. If it's properly defined, then we respond to each other accordingly.
Keeping things short, smart and simple helps with every aspect of life. Thankfully, everyone I'm close to has the same mindset. I have drama-free relationships and it helps everyone stay focused and respectful in our relationships.
Conclusion
I'm glad I got to understand properly what minimalism means. I've always known I'm a simple person and honestly, I used to wish I could be a little more, you know, out there and fancy.
I'm still learning to embrace it and I'm glad to know I have a place here where my simple quirks are seen as normal.
I believe that in a world of excesses and appearances, many people want to keep it simple.
I'm beginning to believe that too.
😉
Hello @young-boss-karin
You've highlighted two important points:
One is your former view of minimalism. Yes, there is a big difference in poverty and minimalism. Also being poor and getting by comfortably does not class one as a minimalist either. Minimalism is when one is content and creates happiness from within, not on external material things. Many poor people tend to not have minimalist mindsets because they still believe and see acquiring excessive tangible possessions as success or the key to finding happiness.
Secondly, the idea that your friends have about losing creativity from minimalism. That's contrary to my belief. I think minimalism forces me t be more create, to improvise and find solutions to people who might have everything at their disposal.
👏 It's the only way to be!
I enjoyed reading your take on this matter:)))