By miss minimalist |
Today I thought I’d give you a peek at my minimalist workspace – in case you’ve ever wondered, this is where the magic happens. 
From the time I was a child, I’ve never been a fan of desks. When I was young, I used to spread my homework out on the floor; somehow it felt more expansive, more conducive to creative thought. I was always slightly uncomfortable in schools and offices, where I had to conform to a more proper workspace.
When I moved into my new flat, I was thrilled to see the deep, low windowsills – a perfect minimalist office! I love the natural light, and the ability to “people watch” on the street below. And sitting on my cushion puts me into a calm, peaceful mood – helping me achieve a yoga-like mindfulness while I work.
You’ll notice that I don’t have the usual desk accoutrements in my workspace – partly because it doubles as my living room windowsill, and partly because I don’t require much more than my laptop. I do almost all of my work digitally, so really don’t need pens, paperclips, or a stapler standing by. I keep a tiny stash of office supplies in a kitchen drawer, and a folder of essential paperwork in my wardrobe.
I know this setup won’t work for most people, and am certainly not suggesting you adopt it – just giving you a little glimpse into my world, and what works for me!
 Miss Minimalist's Workspace {If you’d like to read more about minimalist living, please consider buying my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
By miss minimalist |
Inspiration: Minimalist NYC Apartment: Victor and Soeun V.’s New York City 518 sq. ft. studio apartment was a winner in Apartment Therapy’s “smallest coolest apartments 2007″ contest. It’s a wonderful example of how minimalist living can make even the smallest spaces seem open, airy, and serene… {read more}
Minimalist Platform Bed: Of course, the ultra-minimalist solution to bedding would be a mattress on the floor. But if you’re not quite ready to take that step, the Gallica bed from the Futon Company (pictured at left) is the next best thing… {read more}
Ebay Reality Check – The True Value of Your Treasures: Are you holding onto certain items because they might be “worth something?” If so, it’s time to take the Ebay Reality Check. Just about everything imaginable has been sold on Ebay.com—which makes it a great reference with which to value your items… {read more}
Inspiration: Minimalist NYC Apartment
{If you’d like to read more about minimalist living, please consider buying my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
By miss minimalist |
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. (Note: the schedule is now full through mid-December — but if you don’t mind waiting, feel free to send me your submission!)
Today, it’s my pleasure to present Alisa Moore’s story. I think her minimalist lifestyle on Bainbridge Island sounds wonderful, and I hope you find it as inspiring as I do!
Alisa writes:
 Alisa Moore I come from a family of minimalists, so it’s not surprising that I feel best living in a small space, owning few possessions, no major electronics, and working from home most of the time, allowing me time to garden, read, hang out with my teenager and his friends, sew, cook, and just think!
After 24 hectic years in the San Francisco Bay Area, I returned to my childhood home, Bainbridge Island, where I lived aboard a 34’ sailboat with my parents and my brother in the early 70’s. After living here for 4 years, my parents divorced in 1972, and I followed my dad, his new wife, her three kids, and Lhasa Apsho to a huge house in Omaha, Nebraska. We lived in an affluent neighborhood (for the schools) and lived your typical American family life, which nearly killed my dad and step-mom with resentment and frustration. Flash forward 12 more years….I’m driving across the country on college graduation day, to move onto a historic wooden sailboat in Sausalito, neighboring my parents’ new 50’ sailboat. One by one, we kids all followed them to the Bay Area.
When you live on a sailboat, you shop for fresh food daily, you store very little food or other belongings (they’ll all mold anyway!), and your world becomes nature, visiting with your neighbors, and observing the subtle and ever-changing landscape of your surroundings. You enjoy the sounds of the blue herons splashing in the water as they dive for fish, watching ducks and seals bobbing by, and following the moon as it sinks over the horizon from the cockpit each night. Soon however, I moved to the city and got caught up in home-ownership, car payments and the rest of mainstream consumer culture.
About 5 years ago, I made the decision to return to Bainbridge Island. I had grown weary of the traffic, the competition for survival, the high cost of housing, and while I worked full time at the Oakland Unified School District, my son was being harassed each afternoon following school. I honestly didn’t know if he’d make it home from school each day, while I was stuck in an office earning enough money to pay our huge mortgage and shop mostly for recreational purposes on the weekends.
My son and I now live in a tiny, beautifully gardened, trailer park, which I dubbed, “The Artist Colony”. I spend a lot of time sitting on my cozy front porch, visiting with our neighbors, and tending to my potted peppers, peas, eggplant, tomatoes and abundant flowers. Because we live one block from town, and just a few blocks from the Seattle Ferry, my son is free to come and go with his friends, as I did as a child. It’s a sweet life for this social worker, artist, gardener, mom, writer, and dreamer. Although I still work full time, I work mostly from home, and set my own hours, so I’m free when he needs me or just wants to talk.
I’ve chosen recently to eat a mostly raw and vegan diet, further simplifying our lives. My son walks to school, he has abandoned the mall in favor of fishing and exploring the local beaches and woods, and I get my weekly veggies from a local CSA (www.farmhouseorganics.com). I get most of my books from our excellent library. I’m developing my own business (augustlake.wordpress.com). I belong to a close-knit Buddhist group, and most of my social activities are centered around spirituality or sharing meals with friends and loved ones.
Even if I live in a city again, I don’t think I’ll ever own a large house again, and I’d be hard pressed to buy much “new”…I love finding clothing and household bargains at the Ballard Goodwill store (and the myriad of other consignment, discount, and used stores around the Puget Sound). I consider this minimalist living to be a great adventure, and the more independent I am from consumer culture, the freer I feel. Next, we’re turning off the cable and consolidating the cell phones…
 Alisa's front porch
{If you’d like to read more about minimalist living, please consider buying my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
By miss minimalist |
 Tammy Strobel I have a special treat to share with you today — an interview with the fabulous Tammy Strobel, who blogs over at Rowdy Kittens! As many of you know, Tammy left her day job earlier this year to start her own tiny business. She recently gathered up her experience, advice, and some inspirational case studies into a new ebook, Smalltopia, for those who’d like to do the same.
*****
Francine: Tell us about Smalltopia, and who can benefit from reading it.
Tammy: Smalltopia will benefit anyone who is interested in leaving a traditional 9-5 job. It’s full of tips, tools, and strategies that will help folks create personal freedom through a very small business. The guide is broken up into three sections: Smalltopia Philosophy, Smalltopia Essentials, and Smalltopia Case Studies.
The part I’m most excited about is the case study section. It features stories from more than a dozen folks that run the gamut of experience. From those who are just getting ready to break up with their day job, to crazy successful small business owners. The list of rockstar contributors include: Leo Babauta, Chris Guillebeau, Jessica Reeder, Chris O’Byrne, Russ Roca, Laura Crawford, Karol Gajda, Chloe Adeline, Victoria Vargas, Karen Yaeger, Jules Clancy, Heather Levin, Matt Cheuvront, Tyler Tervooren, and Everett Bogue!
Francine: How did living a minimalist lifestyle help you start your own small business?
Tammy: Living a simple, minimalist lifestyle gave me the financial freedom to leave my day job and start my own business in February 2010. In essence, I was able to cut a lot of unnecessary expenses and take a big risk. If I still had a car payment and a huge two bedroom apartment, there is no way I would have been able to build a profitable business around my blog.
Francine: What has been the greatest challenge, and greatest reward, in your experience as an entrepreneur?
Tammy: Overcoming fear!
When I start getting scared, I write and think about where the feeling is coming from. Usually my fear has no basis in reality and I do my best to push past the emotion. I’m incredibly lucky because my partner is supportive of my business goals and I have a few amazing mentors who have urged me to pursue my dreams. Whenever I get stuck, I can count on my mentors and comments from rowdy readers to remind me that what I’m doing is important.
Francine: Can you give us some tips on setting up a minimalist home office?
Tammy: My office is very very simple. All I need is my laptop, a table, chair, moleskin journal, and a pen. I either work at the kitchen table, in coffee shops, or at the library. So I don’t have a traditional office set-up.
For those of you who want to have a dedicated office space in your little home, try implementing some of these tips:
1. Say goodbye to paper piles.
2. Recycle excess paper.
3. Organize items you use frequently.
4. Invest in a minimal desk.
5. And finally keep your office simple and organized.
Francine: What’s it really like to be your own boss? Tell us about a typical workday in the life of Tammy Strobel.
Tammy: I don’t have a “typical” day. Sometimes I stay at home. Other days, I’ll cafe hop or work at Powell’s for a few hours. I love supporting local businesses. For example, Portland is know for it’s yummy Stumptown coffee and I go local cafe’s that serve the good stuff.
Every morning, I write down a list of my daily intentions. My intentions include 3 to 4 things that I need to get done. I also make time for yoga, biking or walking. The beauty of working from home is that I can work when I feel creative. Yesterday, I was having a creativity block and decided to unplug and go for a walk. As soon as I stepped out of my house and into the park the ideas started flowing and I started writing in my journal.
Francine: Do you think purging our clutter can help us think more clearly and creatively?
Tammy: Yes, yes, and yes! Without so much clutter in my life, I spend less time cleaning and more time working on creative endeavors, like writing and photography. If you have a lot of clutter in your life, I highly recommend starting the decluttering process today.
Francine: What are three things you’d like to accomplish (either personally or professionally) in the next year?
Tammy: 1. Recently, I signed on with a literary agent and started working on a book proposal for the print world. My goal is to finish the proposal within the next month. And then we’re hoping a publisher will pick it up.
2. I’m planning on taking a digital sabbatical every weekend. So that means no email, no twittering, facebooking, or Internet surfing. I’ll be spending my weekends writing, doing yoga, and hanging out with friends.
3. We’ve been talking about building a tiny house for a number of years and I think it might actually happen next year. My friends Dee Williams and Katy Anderson are going to help us build our little dwelling.
Francine: Thank you so much, Tammy; it was wonderful chatting with you!
*****
{If you’d like to read more about minimalist living, please consider buying my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
By miss minimalist |
I was recently asked by a reporter whether I thought the current popularity of minimalist living was a passing fad, or a bona fide movement.
First of all, I’m thrilled that minimalist living is on the radar of mainstream media. I’ve been a minimalist for a long time, and I remember when my Google searches on the term turned up little more than references to modern architecture, John Cage’s music, and 1960s art. Today, the same search returns a treasure trove of websites, blogs, and discussions – and yes, some actual newspaper articles – on how to live a simpler life.
Years ago, when I told people I was a minimalist, they looked at me like I had two heads. Today, they invite me over to declutter their closets and basements.
My answer: I believe that minimalist living is an important new movement that will transform our lives, our society, and our planet.
As I see it, a movement involves the convergence of three factors: a precipitator, an enabler, and a means of communication. Here’s how they’re contributing to the rise of minimalist living:
Precipitator: the Recession. When the economy was booming, few stopped to question the status quo. Money was flowing, credit was easy, and we all went shopping. But when things turned south, all bets were off: many of us looked around at the stuff we’d bought, and realized what a deep hole we’d dug. We realized that trading our time, energy, and financial stability for a pile of possessions just wasn’t worth it. Plus, many of us had run out of space to put it all! And so began a massive re-evaluation of our consumption habits.
Now, I know a lot of minimalists (myself included) whose lifestyle choice had nothing to do with the recession. However, I do think the economic downturn gave minimalism more widespread appeal; when money is tight and jobs are scarce, living with less is a fantastic alternative to digging deeper into debt. Furthermore, staying in the job market often requires much more mobility these days, and it’s no picnic dragging around a lot of stuff.
Enabler: Technology. At the same time, digital technology has enabled us to turn more and more of our physical stuff into intangible bits and bytes. We no longer need to be saddled with CDs (or DVDs) and their cases, boxes of paperwork, or heavy loads of books. We can scan (or digitally save) our documents, and store scores of books, songs, and movies on our Kindles, iPods, and iPads. Of course, that also means less need for furnishings like bookshelves, file cabinets, and CD racks.
Means of Communication: the Internet. Corporations and big media have long dominated mass communication – and they used it to spread the message that more is better, and material accumulation is the measure of success. Now, with the proliferation of tweets, blogs, and discussion forums, we’re exposed to a lot more messages from “tiny” media – and a lot of these messages are saying “hey, ‘more is better’ didn’t work for me, but ‘less is more’ does!” Minimalism has gained a voice (make that thousands of voices), and we’ve only just begun discovering its joys and singing its praises.
So does the idea of minimalist living have staying power? I think it does. We’ll likely become more mobile as a society, and location-independent as a workforce (google “digital nomads”), and technology will only progress in reducing our dependence on physical stuff.
Will some people return to their old levels of consumption when the recession ends? Sure. But I think enough of us have discovered that we prefer living with less, and will continue to live a pared-down lifestyle by choice. Whatever our reasons for adopting a minimalist lifestyle in the first place, we’ve likely discovered some of its myriad benefits – like less stress, more freedom, and more time to spend with friends and family rather than fussing over stuff. Not to mention, it’s nice to know we’re contributing to a healthier planet; because the less we buy, the cleaner our air, the fuller our forests, and the emptier our landfills.
It’s pretty amazing, actually: if minimalist living is a movement, we have a unique opportunity to change the current paradigm – from one of overconsumption, to one of conservation and sustainability. We can be pioneers of social and economic change simply by consuming less.
I’d love to know your thoughts. Do you think minimalism is a temporary trend, or here to stay? Is it a short-term or long-term lifestyle choice for you? Let me know in the Comments!
By miss minimalist |
 Meg's No-Knead Baguettes (Photo by Steve Johnson) Over the last few months, I’ve received many requests for posts on minimalist cooking. It’s a topic near and dear to my heart, since my new tiny apartment came with a tiny kitchen (you can see it here), and the tiniest fridge I’ve had since college.
Furthermore, I love simple, healthy meals made with fresh ingredients. I’ll take rustic Italian peasant food any day over haute French cuisine.
However, I have to admit, I’ve dropped the ball. While I think it’d be fun to blog about cooking, I’ve yet to find the motivation to pick up my camera and document what I’m doing while making dinner. For starters, it’s one of the few hours during the day when I’m away from my computer!
Therefore, I was thrilled when my friend Meg Wolfe (who blogs at minimalistcook.com and minimalistwoman.com) sent me her new ecookbook: Minimalist Cooking: 27 Practical Recipes. She’s done all the hard work, and in a much more sophisticated way than I could ever manage.
Meg was a professional cook and caterer, and I imagine could prepare the most complex dishes with ease. However, she’s adopted a wonderful minimalist philosophy when it comes to cooking: it’s not about fancy equipment and exotic ingredients, but rather the nourishment and sharing of simple, well-prepared meals.
The vast array of ingredients and gadgets available today can make cooking seem almost overwhelming. However, Meg takes us back to the basics; she breaks down her cookbook into four categories — Bread, Vegetables/Sides, Main Courses, and Desserts – and details a handful of recipes in each. She simplifies things even further by encouraging us to learn one recipe in each section well, and expand our culinary repertoire from there.
The 27 recipes provide a little something for everyone: vegetarians, meat eaters, fish eaters, and those with a sweet tooth. Furthermore, her encouraging tone, helpful tips, and mouth-watering photographs instill you with enthusiasm and confidence, no matter what your skill level in the kitchen. Personally, I can’t wait to try out her no-knead baguettes, veggie lasagne, and baked cod with lemon (mmm!).
What I love most about Meg’s book, however, is her Zen-like approach to cooking. She advocates taking your time, and paying close attention to the process: savoring the textures and aromas, and being completely present in the moment. Her approach transforms cooking from a chore (*having* to get dinner on the table) to a celebration of the food that sustains us.
So, all of you who’ve been waiting for food posts: I encourage you to surf on over to The Minimalist Cook to learn more about Meg, her new ecookbook, and her delicious minimalist recipes. And yes, if I can figure out how to photograph dishes so they look half as yummy as Meg’s, I promise to try my hand at some minimalist cooking posts in the future…
{If you’d like to read more about minimalist living, please consider buying my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
By miss minimalist |
Now that my blog has celebrated a birthday, I can write cool flashback posts on what I was blogging about last year. How fun! I think it’ll be a good way to introduce new readers to some of the topics I’ve covered, and maybe spark some new and interesting discussion.
Here’s what I wrote in my first week of blogging, this time last year:
I hope you enjoy the trip down memory lane, and perhaps rediscover an old favorite or two!
{If you’d like to read more about minimalist living, please consider buying my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
By miss minimalist |
Today marks one year since I published my first post here. (Wow, how time flies!)
This time last year I had just moved to a new country, and started blogging on a whim – mainly to entertain myself and indulge my passion for minimalist living. I considered it a creative outlet, a way to practice my writing, and never expected to have more than a handful of readers.
The response, however, was incredible. According to my latest statistics, I have over 3,000 RSS subscribers, and received 76,000 unique visitors last month. I can’t tell you how excited I am that so many of you are interested in minimalist living!
This post is partly a birthday celebration – but more so, a heartfelt thank you note to all of you.
I was recently asked what I enjoy most about blogging – and hands down, it’s your comments. I’ve learned so much from you over the past year! And although I can no longer keep up with responding to each one, I religiously read them all – and always look forward to your insightful (and often entertaining!) feedback. Your thoughts, ideas, and opinions have made this blog what it is today.
You’ve also been a wonderful source of inspiration to me. In fact, your comments and emails prompted me to write my latest book, The Joy of Less. Over the past year, I’ve received thousands of requests for “how-to” guidance on decluttering, and living a minimalist life (I still smile when I open an email that starts “Dear Miss Minimalist”). I felt that writing the book was the next best thing to visiting each of you, and helping you clean out your closets and drawers! I wanted you to feel like I was right beside you, helping and encouraging you, each step of the way. A very special thanks to all of you who’ve purchased it; I’m eternally grateful for your enthusiasm and support.
I know that practicing a minimalist lifestyle can sometimes feel like you’re swimming upstream. We’re constantly bombarded with the message that “more is better;” and our efforts to make do with less aren’t always understood by our peers, colleagues, or neighbors.
That’s why I’m so thrilled that we’ve built a community of kindred souls here; a place where we can come together, and help each other pursue our minimalist journeys. A place free of judgment and criticism, where we can explore new ways to live simpler, more meaningful lives.
Here’s the little post that started it all:
Less Stuff = More Joy
Since then, I’ve written about everything from philosophy, to practical techniques, to how many shoes, towels, and plates I own.
As we embark on another year together, I’d love to know what you’d like to read in the future. Do you prefer philosophical discussions or brass-tacks decluttering advice? Do you enjoy reading about others’ experiences (a la Real Life Minimalists), or would you like to know more about mine? Are there any specific categories you’d like me to cover in more depth? Would you like a forum, where you could post your own topics and chat with each other? Please let me know in the Comments – I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and continuing this wonderful journey with you!
By miss minimalist |
When it comes to downsizing our possessions, some things are easy — like knickknacks we don’t like, dinnerware we don’t need, or clothes that don’t fit. Others, however, present more of a challenge; and I don’t think I’m the only one who puts books near the top of that list.
Therefore, I was excited to hear from Barry, who recently decluttered his bookshelf. He kindly agreed to share his “before” and “after” photos with us:
 Barry's bookshelf Here’s what he wrote about his experience:
As a book lover and a graduate of medical school some years back, I’ve carted half a ton of books around wherever I’ve lived. About a year ago I began reading Leo Babauta’s works on simplicity and minimalism and have made significant progress in shedding nonessentials including some of my books. (I have a post about Breaking Up With Your Books that was inspired by a friend’s similar predicament with book clutter.)
Five years ago after becoming a single parent, I downsized into a small beach house here in California and the one bookcase I kept was still crammed full and became a catchall for odds and ends. It really started to get to me so the first step was to color code the books. Some of my friends asked me how I’d ever find anything with the books arranged this way, but I responded…’Since I read them all I think I know my books!’ Finding the book you want is never an issue if you’ve read it.
The second step was shed more volumes and in the process make my bookshelf a bit more appealing and minimalist in nature. I bought an Amazon Kindle and, except as gifts for others, I haven’t been able to buy a print book since. Now, like my music, I buy my books in digital format. I guess that means my library won’t be expanding either.
How inspiring! I love how Barry realized that arranging his books wasn’t the solution, and instead narrowed down his collection dramatically. By keeping only the volumes most important to him, he’s created a wonderful, streamlined library that perfectly fits his needs.
Furthermore, he’s maintaining his minimal library by purchasing new books in digital format. I’m using the same strategy, and dream of the day when every book ever published is available electronically!
Big thanks to Barry for sharing this with us! Please check out his blog, 4 Plates, 4 Cups, 4 Bowls ~ Tips for a Simpler, More Meaningful Life, to read more about his minimalist journey.
Do you have a minimalist makeover to share? If so, please email me your “before” and “after” pics, and a few words about your inspiration, motivation, or techniques:
ct09 AT missminimalist.com (remove the spaces and replace the AT with @, of course!)
{If you’d like to read more about minimalist living, please consider buying my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
By miss minimalist |
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. (Note: the schedule is now full until December — but if you don’t mind waiting, feel free to send me your submission!)
This week, I’m honored to present Fawn — one of my minimalist idols! I’ve been reading Fawn’s posts on the Simple Living Network for almost a decade. Her annual “100 Things” thread (a detailed inventory of her personal items) has been an incredible source of inspiration to me. I’m so excited to introduce her to all of you!
Fawn writes:
 Fawn Minimalism by the Numbers
I think that a preference for minimalist living is a personality trait like extroversion or a dark sense of humor. But it can be affected by life experiences.
In my teens and twenties I accumulated music, books and household equipment, which is normal for that time of life. My things reflected my preferences and declared my independence from my parent’s preferences. Then, I had some unusual experiences which have strengthened my minimalist leanings: during my first marriage we moved 9 times in 3 years. The first three moves I dutifully packed EVERYTHING, but the last year, I was jettisoning any item that we did not use regularly. During my last marriage we lived on a farm that had been in the family for 150 years. And there was 150 years of clutter (nobody got rid of stuff; just put it in one of the sheds.) My work as a hospice nurse puts me in close contact with people at the end of their lives. For 20 years, I have watched people detach from their stuff as they grow more ill and noticed what a burden those possessions can be to their grieving loved ones.
About ten years ago, I got an opportunity to leave behind all but the essentials. I packed up my four kids, a week’s worth of clothes for each of us, a small box of dishes, a couch and a table. It felt incredibly freeing. Stuff began to creep back in our home and I made up a game to keep it just to the essentials. Every year on my birthday, I count my things. I keep a separate count for the things that I share with the children. My goal is to have only 100 items. Here is a link to my count this year: http://www.simpleliving.net/discussionforums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=67786.
{If you’d like to read more about minimalist living, please consider buying my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
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