Minimal living

[Image credit: Untitled by Alix Land (that’s me)]

There is a lot to be said for living in a minimal environment. Owning the minimal amount of possessions you need is a liberating feeling. I often try to recycle, sell or donate my old clothes, books and stuff that just builds up. The premise is that a clear house means a clear head. This is in direct contrast to my designer urge to hoard things; pretty packaging, bits of found type and printed ephemera are especially hard to let go of.

Living minimally means more space for ideas, more efficient living and just better peace of mind. Less things to worry about getting broken or stolen.

A way that I found to start the process of living more minimally was really by necessity. I’d moved into a tiny room in a shared flat with little storage space after university, and I just got sick of all the things I’d accumulated. I began by donating clothes, eliminating collections of papers and passing otherwise unwanted things to family or charity shops. It’s catching though; I then moved on to minimising my bank statements, emails and even my CSS files. I’d halved my possessions by the end of that tenancy. It was a good feeling. But it didn’t stop there, and I’ve had at least three good clear outs a year since then. Perhaps it stemmed from a childhood living in a cluttered house. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to get my possessions down to just a few boxes.

Less is liberating. Less is just right.

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