MINDFUL

MINIMALISM: A HAPPIER WAY TO LIVE
Brian Gardner
Minimalism seems to be a buzzword lately in fashion, in design, on the web, even in
homedecor. More and more we’re seeing, both in word and in action, that less is more.
Simple is better. But is minimalism here to stay?
Francine Jay
As we begin to answer this question, it feels
important to mention that minimalism has been
around for centuries. This is not a new concept,
although it’s been popularized by a generation of
people who have lived through economically lean
times.
They’ve learned, as they’ve had to, to reuse
and recycle, to do the best they can with what
they have, to focus on sustainability, and to live
without the luxury and extravagance of previous
generations.
So, if we’re asking if minimalism is a “trend,” the
answer is: sort of.
My journey with minimalism began a few years
ago when I started realizing how the clutter in my
life my schedule, my mind and even my home
was making me feel less than happy with my
circumstances.
I was not lacking resources. Quite the opposite,
actually. I had all the building blocks of a great
life. Still I felt a lack of focus I could not quite
explain, a dissatisfaction that did not make sense
in light of my surroundings and a heaviness in my
soul. So I started to get rid of some stuff.
For me this wasn’t as much about throwing out
a bunch of physical possessions as it was about
minimizing my schedule, getting clear about my
priorities, and being really clear about who I was
and what I wanted out of life.And for me, since
I’m a designer, one of the main ways this materialized
was in the way I design websites. I started
to see how many of the elements I had been
including for so long especially sidebars were
really unnecessary.
In fact, this is how the idea for this website,
No Sidebar, came along. I found myself asking
the question: do we really need sidebars?
And when I ask that question, I’m not just talking
about literal sidebars. I’m talking about the
metaphorical “sidebars” in our life the things we
keep around because everyone else has them but
clutter up function and design.
At the end of the day, I realized: minimalism
doesn’t have to be about living in a tiny house
with only a few t-shirts in your closet. Minimalism
is about paring down and focusing on what really
matters. We can interpret that in whatever way
we want. And in that way, I would say, minimalism
is here to stay.Because once you’ve experienced
the inherent benefits of living with less clutter,
you would have no reason to go back. You’ll
realize your clutter your sidebar, all those extra
activities, even the mess in your closet were just
getting in your way. So say what you will about
minimalism, but it’s not going anywhere anytime
soon. The trends in fashion may fade, the design
tides may turn but the effects of minimalism have
changed all those who have experienced it. If
you’ve yet to experiment with minimalism or even
if you have consider some new ways this age-old
concept could impact your life for the better.
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