Tuesday, 27 January 2015

Bare Necessities


There's a movement towards minimalism that's grown quite popular. 

You see it in interior decorating a lot nowadays. Take a look at posts like this or fairly popular blogs like this

I think people are tired of being so cluttered - inwardly and, therefore, outwardly - so they do things like paint their walls white, purchase white bedding, and buy neutral-coloured sweaters from H&M.

Not that I painted all of my walls white (I did do a cool grey in my second-year bedroom), but minimalism is something I actively seek in my day-to-day. I now have my wardrobe down to, like, five colours, four of which are also colours of cats ("All cats are neutrals," my sister once told me). I'm saving up for a simple white bedspread, like half of the females on the internet.

It's also important, I think, to strive for minimalism with the less-superficial things. Do you ever find that you've split your energy between too many interests and hobbies? I definitely do. 

In an effort to start moving towards this new and improved lifestyle, I started purging. Now, over the past few years, I've purged a lot.

This includes, but is not limited to, books, shoes, passable but out of style designer jeans - the list goes on. Sometimes I regret throwing things out (read: a notebook from an ex that was pretty much one long love letter*) but I mostly don't, and that makes it all worthwhile.

It's the same story with the detritus I've seen piled up in my iTunes. 

So, in early Autumn, I deleted MY ENTIRE LIBRARY. Granted, I kept certain albums I knew I'd never delete (Beyoncé and Bon Iver, both self-titled, were two I recall). 

And, actually, it felt so goddamn good. I was able to build my music library from the ground up, taking things from my computer library (since that was still intact). It's been surprisingly pleasant, being able to enjoy 95% of the songs that come up on shuffle. 

It reminds me of the first time I enjoyed an album through an entire listen.** Which is a great time, really, if you can recall.


*Never throw out love letters. I was told this about a year too late, after I over-dramatically gave my first ex back everything he had ever gifted me. I later found out that he threw them out that same day.
**Fall Out Boy's From Under the Cork Tree and The Killers' Hot Fuss, sitting next to my stereo on my bedroom floor. Age 14.

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