Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.
Today, I’m happy to feature Wild Poppy from London, who describes her joyful decluttering as “retail therapy in reverse.” Love it!
Wild Poppy writes:
As a child I didn’t have a lot of possessions, but I would find a pretty pebble, a shell or a marble and with naive appreciation would revel in the luxury of my find. I accumulated a small store of these treasures. My young life was not cluttered with more material things.
I was gifted to have a mother whose focus was not on acquiring either money or possessions. We lived a simple, contented, happy life and enjoyed our vast garden, the Yorkshire Dales.
As I got older I never did develop a desire for more material things, thanks to the guidance in my formative years. However with the passing of time, it was difficult not to acquire more. I would not avidly seek to expand my store of possessions yet clothes, books, crockery, furniture etc. would still find their way into my home.
At one point I was living in a tiny London bedsit, containing only a sofa bed, a very narrow set of drawers and a wardrobe. My total living space (not including communal bathroom and kitchen) was 8′ x 9′. This had to be kept clean, neat and tidy in order to serve as a study, a lounge, a dining room, a craft room and a bedroom. So the one-in-one-out philosophy enabled me to keep my little home functional.
After five years of living in a veritable cupboard I was given the opportunity to move into a larger room, and I confess the prospect of sleeping in a real bed was tempting due to issues with my back. So I cleaned and painted and bought additional furniture for my new place… and now had added space to stash unnecessary items. I had under-bed storage and more surfaces to display pictures and trinkets.
Yet the more I owned, the less I enjoyed what I had. Ironic, I know.
One day I stumbled across The Joy of Less by Francine Jay and immediately the concept of minimalism she presented made perfect sense. I determined to put into practice the ‘streamline method’ and began to recycle, give to charity or simply bin all those items that no longer had any practical value.
The more I disposed of, the better it felt… Retail therapy in reverse. Shopping drained me, decluttering invigorated me. So much so that I threw ‘err on the side of caution’ out with the rubbish, and enjoyed the vast amounts of space I could see on shelves and in drawers and on every visible surface.
Space equals potential… Potential to create, to craft, to paint, to write, to entertain, to relax.
This age of technology enables us to become free of much physical clutter. We now have virtual forms of music, books, magazines, photographs, movies. This doesn’t mean we can become complacent. Minimalism is a progressive endeavour. Virtual items can surreptitiously collect. Therefore my laptop and tablet are also subject to my regular declutter frenzy.
My card craft supplies make up a fair percentage of my total possessions, so that too is submitted to a regular streamlining. If I buy a pack of pretty papers and know I’ll only use 8 of the 12 sheets, I won’t hold on to the extra 4. If I buy die cut shapes in assorted colours, there will be shades that I am unlikely to use, so they also get pared down. If I buy a collection pack, there will be items I will never use, so they too must go. The resulting selection offers a lot less indecision and heaps more inspiration.
So I relish the simple act of opening a wardrobe door to find, not the magical land of Narnia, but a spacious rail of neat and tidy clothing, colour coordinated and ready to wear. Or pulling open a drawer to see underwear arranged in a manner closely resembling the order of a filing system.
My journey to a more minimalist self did not begin with an overindulged childhood, nor did I ever find myself desirous of a great quantity of possessions, rather I was set on the right road, and though there have been twists and turns along the way, I am continuing to perfect the art with each passing day.
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
“Retail Therapy in Reverse” ( •‿• )
What a very well written and inspirational entry.
Loved the description of the pristine wardrobe and the practical suggestion on what to do with for example the extra craft items.
I found it all very balanced and sensible too; your aim is to ‘create potential’. Otherwise I suppose one could become so overly consumed with not owning material things that one in a sense might grow ‘markedly more concerned with material than with spiritual, intellectual, or cultural values’ as one definition of a materialist states. Shudder.
I declutter (terminate things) with ‘extreme prejudice’. And I feel free and energised. At the same time I am very grateful that I have a kind and understanding husband; and he appreciates the great restraint I show with regard to ‘his’ things…
Finally I would also like to thank Francine Jay for her blog.
Thank you for your kind comments. I too ‘feel free and energised’, leaving more time for more important pursuits. Thank you :o)
Thank you for mentioning digital decluttering. Too often, I fear, digital storage goes overlooked and ignored because people are daunted by the quantity of data and it is physically “small”.
It’s so true. Sometimes the less space something takes up the less likely we are to tackle the job of streamlining. Thank you for reading my entry and for your comments :o)
“Retail therapy in reverse” — love it! Sounds like you had a great head start with your upbringing… good for you!
I certainly did. Thank you for your comments and for taking the time to read my entry. It’s true that the ‘buzz’ some get from shopping, we are able to get from disposing of items that no longer hold any value. Thanks :o)
I do think it is an art, and like any art requires awareness and practice. Lovely post about contentment really. I am using Marie Kondo’s book to great effect and seeing potential everywhere!
Awwww… thank you. What a lovely comment. I guess contentment is closely related to being happy with less. Thanks for reading my entry :o)
I love reading Monday posts, and this one is timely especially because of the paragraph about streamlining craft supplies. I am an avid quilter and it requires constant mindfulness to not acquire huge amounts of leftover fabric. Like Freda, I too have been using ideas from Marie Kondo’s book, and yesterday I spent quite a bit of time handling scrap fabric to feel if particular pieces bring me joy, or instead could be donated to other quilters. Such a difficult process, because even ugly fabric hues can bring depth and interest to a quilt’s design, much like a paint palette offers an artist.
I have recently been introduced to patchwork/quilting and appreciate the desire to keep hold of those pieces of fabric that could potentially be used later. However I find I am MORE inspired the LESS I have. Thanks for commenting on my entry. Happy quilting :o)
Beautifully written, and a refreshing read after last week’s contributor.
Awwww…. thank you. What a lovely comment. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my entry :o)
As I have been de=cluttering I have empty cabinets. My husband wants me to have a big, new dresser instead of the small one I bought 40 years ago at a garage sale. I want to own less and have more empty shelves and spaces.
I agree…. ’empty shelves and spaces’ stops us from becoming suffocated by our own possessions. Thanks for reading my entry and leaving a comment :o)
I like the thought of donating craft supplies. I myself have found yarn at thrift stores, and felt like I struck gold! “Retail therapy in reverse” speaks to me, too — great turn of phrase!
It’s SO true. Others can benefit from our streamlining. We could be needlessly holding onto the very item for which a fellow crafter is searching. Give them the joy of discovery and we’ll experience the joy of decluttering :o)
Oh the freshness! Thank you for invigorating my minimalist quest. There is spirit and joy in your post. It’s the energy I seek from minimalism and not the materialism. Best wishes from Newcastle-upon-Tyne on your fabulous life, Jane x
Hey… a fellow Geordie!!! I was born in Newcastle :o) Thanks you SO much for your LOVELY comments. Gan canny lass x
Wild Poppy,
Your story is so inspiring! I admit, I always feel as if I am paring down. I love the idea that even though you craft, if you know you’ll never using something, you let it go immediately. Brilliant! If you blog or are on Facebook, please give details. I’d love to learn from you :)
Jane
Inspiring? Thanks so much. What a lovely comment :o) I don’t use Facebook and don’t keep a blog. Thank you for your kind words.
I would agree with Jane. If you would like to be a regular contributor to this blog and if Francine whishes it, I am sure many of us could find a lot of inspiration from your insights. I found that your entry was beautifully written and your genuine sense of minimalism shines through it!
Awww… thank you. What a lovely thing to say. I appreciate that, thanks :o)
I find so many free items for art projects that I don’t save things like I used to. I pass on a lot of materials to the park district or the public library.
Our local library has a frugality group. We trade ideas. One woman was talking about coupons for craft items. I usually use paper and cardboard bound for the recycling and fabric from clothing that is worn out. Rummage sales and thrift shops are also great for craft supplies. I got beautiful shiny papers left from gift wrap.
I had put some cardboard away for a group craft. When I looked, my cat had gnawed on the edges. We made an origami project instead. I have plenty of old magazines to use.