“Less is more.” That catchy, almost hipster expression that seems to make anyone who says it seem cool and knowledgeable. Yeah. That one. That expression, if truly applied to the different facets of our lives, and not just stagnate in our mouths represents a blessing. Picture this. You finally become content with your current possessions. No luxurious material cravings tempts you. You almost sound invincible right?
But then, is it what minimalism really teaches? Frugality? Or that never ending desire to evacuate what we do not need from our surroundings, to the extent of banning ourselves from the mere pleasure of the worldly gains?
Some are said to live by these words. A room with practically ”only” a bed and chair is what makes their heart content. The whiter and plainer the walls, the better. The simpler the company, the brighter the sun shines to them. However, this paints a rather blank image of minimalists in our minds. Do they end up miserable and stingy while keeping up with minimalism?
Well, that’s where we are in the wrong. Minimalism, as many would argue without retreat, is this super-cool lifestyle that one gets to choose to abide by. Low-key but chic. Sedentary but aesthetic. White walls represent high-class fashion. Fewer clothes means an organized capsule wardrobe. Less possessions means you have successfully uncluttered your mind from what is unnecessary. Take it like that— if you do not figure out what minimalist photos imply, you are just too engrossed in this consumerist society.
It turns out that minimalism is a lifestyle in itself— a cool one indeed. Almost feel like art for some. A fashion statement is it for some as the advocates ruthlessly flaunt their way of life on social media. Common captions phrase around ‘less is more’, ‘simplicity is key’ among others.
Still, almost poetically, can a minimalist be interpreted as the polar opposite of a shopaholic? While the latter craves buying more and dwelling in a pile of consumer bags, can we permit ourselves to ponder that a minimalist craves in vacating the most consumer bags possible and living in a nutshell of self-comfort and realist wants? While the ‘maximalist’ yearns for the whole realm of colours, the minimalist contents itself with black and white shades.
Maybe it is time to view minimalism differently and start recognizing the whole spectrum of colors that lie between the binary white and black colors. The infinite grey shades represent this whole range of good habits that prize quality over quantity. Who knows how minimalism will be remodeled later on with emerging technologies, newer generations and newer economic policies? What we already know is that we have learnt so much from this lifestyle which has not failed to impress us whether we live by it or not.
Originally published at mushiirahs.wordpress.com