You’re bombarded with video after video of a home with a gorgeously dynamic color palette and beautiful architectural features then ‘fixed’ by painting all the walls a gray, beige or white and replacing all the furniture to fit the same mundane look.
The end result is usually a pristine, hollow, almost sterile looking home.
Minimalism is an ideology based around living with fewer material goods, which is meant to lead you to live a more mindful and intentional life. Living with less gives you the opportunity to find long-term gratification, as you are not reliant on the superficiality of materialism to bring you joy.
Oddly enough, modern day minimalism is often discussed in the context of an aesthetic, bringing forward images of white couches and blank walls. It is only made more prevalent as you scroll through the endless social media feeds of so-called minimalist influencers.
The irony is many who turn to minimalism often do so with sustainability in mind. Being more mindful of what products you choose to consume in turn will create less waste to end up in landfills.
Keeping this in mind, isn’t it odd people turn to decorating over perfectly good homes and replacing functional furniture in the name of an aesthetic?
To be a modern day minimalist, you still have to consume the right products.
The modern and generalized perception of minimalism is so heavily based on buying the correct items to fit the “minimalist aesthetic.” It begs the question of whether it would count as minimalism at all.
Minimalism is a belief system, a moral value. Obviously, it would look drastically different from person to person. So why am I staring at my phone screen to watch someone rip the soul out of their home every other day just for the same boring result?
Minimalism is becoming a trend in which you buy as many boring white, beige and unnecessary products as your heart desires just to be able to claim that you prefer the ‘simplicities of life.’
A common misconception that dominates the mindset of minimalist influencers is the idea of needing to get rid of visual clutter. This in itself is a valid preference, as many find bright colors overstimulating. The problem lies in the fact that it is not about preference, or at least long term preference. It is about following the latest micro trend which hopefully will be the one that lets you feel whole again.
Overconsumption has been glamorized on social media, leading people to believe that they need a new fancier, high tech version of products they already own. The fact is if you have a product that is serving you perfectly well, you don’t need to replace it.
The overconsumption of minimalism disregards the basis of consuming intentionally.
Once the craze for minimalism dies down, the trend cycle will move onto something else to exploit and commercialize. Then the people who bought into the previous trend will purge their items and restock their amazon carts to buy their next ticket to happiness.
The most frustrating part is that there are plenty of ways to incorporate aesthetics into minimalism mindfully. You can buy or thrift your items slowly and when the need arises. This creates a way to actually have time to sit with your purchase and understand whether it added any value to your life.
Consuming without thought leaves you surrounded by a plethora of useless plastic and a looming sense of dread. Another reminder that peace cannot be bought.
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