Minimalist WIP | Resources

I discovered the term “Minimalism” a few years back, when I was watching YouTube videos as I was packing my stuff to move. Even til this day after I have already moved, I have been enjoying watching YouTube videos about minimalism. And minimalist doesn’t stop there, it opens you to other kinds of thought process like sustainability, living intentionally, using more natural things on you and around you, etc. Watching and knowing about these individuals taking on these challenges in life, seems like a valid purpose to me as well. I believe that is why I am somewhat addicted to these kind of content since then and now.

Information in video format is efficient these days, especially when people recount their own perspectives. Listening to their experiences and stories  in their own manner of speaking really makes you connect with them and be inspired by them as they have similar goals and ideas relating to minimalism.

Below you will find some resources I like to use/tune in to for inspiration and motivation pertaining to the minimalism idea as a lifestyle choice.

YouTube:

• Madeleine Olivia - not only does she talk about minimalism, she also offers information into her take on veganism. A lot of her videos focuses on vegan diet.
• Alli Cherry - your typical YT blogger but with very good resource information about minimalism, zero waste, sustainability, etc.
• The Minimalist Ninja - recently discovered her videos, she puts out helpful content relating to minimalism and zero/minimal waste lifestyle.
• Jenny Mustard - One of my favourite YouTuber to watch. I love her minimalistic style in clothing and home decor. Her content is visually beautiful and simplistic, reminds me of Muji stores.
• Snapshots of Simplicity - a recent find as well. This channel features very nicely on how to live simply and sustainably.

Blogger(s):

Of course, minimalism is not limited to how you manage your clutter, it is also how you live your life. There’s a duo of gentlemen who have started this wave of minimalism in recent years and they call themselves “The Minimalists”. The things they suggest and information they offer, I find valuable. I like to listen to them as I clean my place. It’s as if they are some friends just chatting away in the background - it’s fun. As far as I know, they have made a documentary regarding minimalism and how they perceive life as a minimalist and how it changed them. They also host and record podcasts and live streams on Facebook and Instagram!

Another blog I loosely follow is by Courtney Carver  and her blog is called Be More with Less - this is one of the first minimalism-related content I came across while I was sorting out my wardrobe. Carver offers great pointers on how to curate a capsule wardrobe as well as encouraging words and advice.

That is it for now. It’s a small list, but it works for me.

Oh! I want to start doing “Quote of the Day” at the end now, since I know a real nice quote that I first heard from “The Minimalists” guys:“Love people, use things. The opposite never works.”

Minimalist WIP | A Reflection, a Lesson & Choosing a Handbag

Fashion is something I have always struggled with. It is not a second nature to me as it is to other girls. Since young, I have no control over what I wore and carried - my mother was the boss of that. Most of us, well at least the millennials, have possibly endured an awkward childhood due to poor fashion choices our parents made. I sure know mine just did not care much about fashion (laughs).

Anyways, I have never been keen on fashion either - until I have moved to NYC. It started to faze me. Now that I think back, was it because of societal unspoken rules or my own fabrication of such conditions for acceptance? That is something I have not found the answer to yet.  One thing I know is that we must keep moving, somehow, somewhere.

Now, back to the point of this post, handbags. I used to own a lot of handbags. For one person, I owned more than 20 bags and I am in my 20s. The catalyst for this problem was , as you have guessed, fashion. I was swept by the idea that I needed to keep up with trends. I had so many different types, ranging from shoulder bags, crossbody, backpacks (my favourite), fanny pack, totes, and even a luxury handbag. What was I thinking? Now, I honestly think I was sick back then, keeping all those handbags just in case I would need it one day. Why? It was simply because MAYBE one day I will use it for that one special occasion. Reality is: I do not go out often enough or have special events happening left and right - so why should I collect all these things? These bags/handbags collected dust in my tiny little close in my old room and took a lot of space (they were all shoved into two big boxes).

Once I’ve realized that I have a problem, it was time to fix it. The last two years, I have dedicated myself to reduce my handbag collection. I turned to eBay to sell some and turned to friends to donate others to. It worked out - and as of last month, I have significantly reduced the bags from that monstrous collection. I realized that most of those bags do not suit me and I know I will never reach out for them any time soon.

Now, I can proudly say that I am owner of collection of three bags/handbags. I am very content! And I use all three for their chosen intentions. My focus is much clearer now that I don’t have so much stuff cluttering my space as well as my mind.

There are a series of criteria that I created to narrow down on what I think is my ideal type or types of handbag. To many, this may seem silly: why do we need to be so strict with choosing a mere handbag? The answer is simply because I do not want to make the same mistakes again and accumulate handbag after handbag. It will become a cluttering monster pile again.

Self discipline is important, because you are setting standards to mold yourself - that is to say you are taking control on how you want to shape yourself as a person. And self-discipline, I believe, is key to building a self that you chose based on your principles and morals - your beliefs.  

One thing I chose for myself is to shift away from fast-fashion consumerism. It is not easy to do as I have been following fast-fashion for all these years until recently. However, we must start somewhere, it is not too late if you are willing. Well, let’s start with choosing a handbag after the cleanse (declutter).

Steps to Choosing a Handbag for Everyday Use:

1. What kind is your favorite handbag?
1. E.g. shoulder bag, crossbody bag, hobo, backpack, clutch, etc.
2. What size? (consider your lifestyle and think of how much you normally need to carry around with you)
1. E.g small, medium, large
3. What silhouette do you fancy?
1. E.g. structured, hobo, etc.
4. What kind of surface material do you prefer?
1. E.g. fabric, leather, canvas, PVC, etc.
5. Preference in terms of product sourcing ethics
1. E.g. real leather or PU leather
6. What is your price point?

Using the questionnaire above helped me narrow down the kind of bag(s) I can comfortably carry around most occassion. With it I was able to decide to have one main bag, which is a mini backpack, for everyday use (great for running errands, work, shopping, and casual outings with friends); one medium-large backpack or bookbag for grocery shopping, outdoor-sport occasions; and one crossbody for those rare formal events. So far these three types of bags work for me because they serve the purpose I have chosen for their existence in my collection. I have been rotating between them depending on what the occasions call for - though the one I use heavily is my mini backpack.

Well, if you have made it this far into this piece, thank you for your time!

A Minimalist Work In Progress

My take on minimalism is different from that of a, let’s say, ‘traditional’ minimalist. I loosely follow the ideas behind minimalism - basically, I would select certain aspects of minimalism to follow. It began without me realizing that I was into the lifestyle. Recent years, I have moved at least twice - I would stay in one place at most three or four years and then I would move again.

Last couple of years, during my latest move, I realized that I have a mountain of stuff. Living in the fast-paced and the ever-so-busy city that is New York City, I was engrossed in too many interests and hobbies: fashion (though I have no sense of style, I enjoyed shopping for fast fashion clothing), makeup (Korean makeup & skincare specifically), and finally cosplay. With my geeky tendencies plus an ever growing number of trends in the city - all these things combined created a very efficient consumer. As a good consumer, I was always in the lookout for sales, in-store and online. And I was proud of all the “savings” made after every purchase. And believe me, I would even flaunt those purchases to my coworkers.  It was addictive, like a drug. It felt good to show off the deals I was able to snatch. Alas, I ended up becoming something similar to a hoarder, or more like a trend collector.

As I was organized my stuff and packed them in boxes - I realized something: I have a problem. I have a monstrous amount of things ranging from fast-fashion clothing items, accessories, DVDs, comic books, textbooks, two sewing machines, three large bags of unused fabrics, 5 suitcases full of seasonal clothing, etc. There’s more, but I am already embarrassed to keep count. I questioned myself, I am just one person, living by myself, why do I have so much stuff? I found no answer, but shame. I asked myself why I needed all these things. I don’t necessarily use ALL these things - but just a select few from the multiples that I have collected. Why does one person need all of these things? Can I to use them all?

Finally, I decided to relentlessly sort out my things and let go of the stuff that I never touched in a month. I had to rewire my thought process to questioning myself as I looked through my things: do I need this? Does this make me happy? How often have I been using it? Once I have sorted things into things I need and love, the rest I donated them to friends or charity shops. It was all so simple - let go.

*Though I got a few remarks from my landlady, saying how wasteful I am. Yes, I have to admit - I was wasteful because of the things I bought under the influence of trends. They have already served their purpose in satisfying my temporary interest in them. I was ready to let them go, along with my shame, and "wasted money" (this one was added because of my landlady).

It all makes sense to me now, the things I kept were those that are functional and what sparks joy in me. And that is alright. I do not need the extra stuff, because the more I own, the more it will weigh me down for my next move.

Simply put, minimalism helped me move, and move on easier (quite literal at this point, since we are talking about material stuff I need to move with).