I've been thinking and reading a lot recently about minimalism. The idea of minimalism has always appealed to me, but I previously found it difficult to silence the consumer's voice in my head. Now I realize the principles of minimalism go far beyond reducing consumption, but this was always the one thing that silenced the minimalist in me.
As you may imagine, my hiatus from the working world was just what I needed to break my old habits. I slowly found myself becoming more and more aware of every single dollar I spent and every single thing I acquired. The longer I went without a regular paycheck, the more I was drawn to the idea of living with less. Granted I never went without a roof over my head or three square meals a day, but I did have to completely revamp my lifestyle.
Over the past two years, I slowly started to embrace the idea of minimizing. I donated or sold most of the things I wasn't using, I stopped replacing what I donated or sold with more things, and I eventually found myself with only the things I truly needed. Looking around, I know there is more work to be done, but not being surrounded by things I don't need is a great feeling. I have always hated clutter and there is really no better way to clear the clutter than to get rid of what isn't needed.
In a way, I think photography was the thing that made my transition possible. The less I was able to consume, the more I found myself wanting to create. Instead of going to the mall, I went out to make pictures. Instead of buying more gear, I found ways to make pictures with what I had. This way of thinking slowly influenced my actions in other parts of my life. Instead of buying, I found creative ways to use what was already available. In the end, this may all be for not. But thus far, my return to the working world hasn't brought back my need for retail therapy. Only time will tell, but I hope all I learned in the last two years will stick with me for a lifetime.
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