Welcome to my first post about minimalism! My name is Josie and I am a minimalist. There are a lot of reasons why people become minimalists, but I think my moment of understanding came a little under a year ago on vacation in the Wisconsin Dells. My friend’s parents have a cabin in the woods about 40 minutes away from the Dells, so my friends and I try and get together out there every summer. On this particular trip I was looking for one of those bracelets made of twine that look kind of hipster-like. I found one that was about $12. I justified this purchase by telling myself that I was on vacation,that’s what people do on vacation. I purchased the bracelet and wore it for the rest of the trip (2 days) and then about another week before it snapped in half. To recap, this $12 lasted 9 days. That means I paid $1.34 a day (roughly) to wear this knock-off item on my wrist. That’s when I really started looking into budgeting, planning my days, and this idea of living with intention.
I had heard this term “minimalism” before, but only in regards to architecture, fashion, and aesthetic. I didn’t quite understand what it meant to live a minimalist lifestyle. Then I stumble upon a man named Matt D’Avella. He ended up in my YouTube suggested videos, and then I was hooked. He has a podcast called “The Ground Up Show,” a Youtube channel, and a full length documentary on Netflix. That documentary is where I started. I think that I’ve watched it 5 or 6 times (I may be obsessed, yes). That documentary handed me a map to a different path of living life. Rather than focusing on this societal definition of success and desire; I could live a life where everything I own brings me joy or has a direct purpose in my life. This journey of the last 6 months has sparked this series of essays, and I wanted to share them with you. The most important thing about minimalism and living with intention is that it looks different for everyone. That’s why I like to think of it as a road map. Mat D’Avella handed me a booklet of maps. I am handing this map to you. Feel free to peruse the maps inside, but feel free to toss it aside and take your own way. I hope to see you on this journey.
Best Wishes,
Josie
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