Episode 5 | Minimalism
Saturday, May 11, 2024
Welcome to The Everyday Creative, a podcast that encourages creation over consumption. Today, we are talking about minimalism.
Goals for the Episode:
- Define minimalism
- Recognize the benefits of minimalism
- Identify minimalist misconceptions
- Identify the downsides of minimalism
- Share tips for getting started
Defining Minimalism:
There is not one agreed-upon definition of Minimalism, but here’s a couple that we like:
From The Minimalists:
Minimalism is a tool for ridding yourself of life's excess and focusing on what's important so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.
From Becoming Minimalist:
Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things that bring you joy and the removal of those that do not.
Minimalism is also known as simple living, tiny living, or intentional living. Basically, it is about curating the things we own to best reflect our priorities and vision for our lives.
Benefits of Minimalism:
- Reduces distractions
- Fewer things to clean and upkeep
- Saves time and money
- Better for the environment
- Sense of contentment
- Fewer things but nicer things
Misconceptions about Minimalism:
- There no “right” or “wrong” way to be a minimalist
- You don’t have to have a certain number of items
- You don’t have to live a spartan existence
- It is ongoing, not one-and-done
Downsides of Minimalism:
Minimalism can be elitist. It is easy to think about things you can get rid of when you have the ability to easily replace them.
Having a minimalist mindset could create paralyzing indecision. If you are trying to find the perfect thing, you often end up with nothing.
Getting Started with Minimalism:
- Find one thing to get rid of: donate, sell, trash it
- Focus on one area of your house - one room, one drawer, one shelf
- Look for inspiration online, on podcasts or in TV shows
- Stop buying stuff
-
Use a decluttering method
Some decluttering methods to try:
Hot Tip: Once you decide what you’re going to donate, immediately put that stuff in your car. Do not leave it in your house.
The Four Q's:
During this show segment, we introduce four ways to interact with the material presented: A question to answer, a quest to complete, an aspect of creativity we've noticed this week, and a quote to ponder.
Question:
How does minimalism show up in your life? Or does it show up at all?
Quest:
Clean out one drawer. Bonus Quest: Take on one of the decluttering methods.
Quality Creativity:
Bookshelf as an entertainment center
Quote:
"Minimalism is not the lack of something. It's simply the perfect amount of something."
- Nicolas Burrows
Have a Creative Week!
References & Resources
The Minimalists
Becoming Minimalist
What Is Minimalism? A Practical Guide to a Minimalist Lifestyle by Anthony Ongaro
Outer Order Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin
Episode Credits:
The Everyday Creative is hosted by Evie Soape and Emily Soape. It is produced by Emily Soape.
Please drop us a comment or question at hello@theeverydaycreativecollective.com. You can also find us on Instagram @theeverydaycreativecollective and Pinterest.
Theme Music: “Living Life” by Scott Holmes Music. Available for use under the CC BY 3.0 license at Free Music Archive.
Break Background Music: "Alive In It" by Ketsa. Available for use under the CC BY 3.0 license at Free Music Archive
Hi, we're Evie & Emily
Co-founders of The Everyday Creative Collective
We believe that everyone is creative. Creativity can be used to enrich everyday life. Click here to learn more.
