068: Things

In this episode Brooke and Kelly talk all things minimalism – what it is, why they’re a bit sick of it and what some of their most cherished items are.  Brooke and Kel are both minimally-minded. Both have less stuff than they used to, both like empty space, both like to keep clutter to a minimum and both have spent a long time considering their belongings. But both of them are completely fed up with the most recent iteration of minimalism, and in this episode they discuss why.   Minimalism tends to have two sides – the aesthetic, design-driven minimalism, and the lifestyle minimalism – and recently those two ideas have merged in to one. Upon hearing the word ‘minimalism’ many people now immediately think of Scandinavian style rooms with very little personality, or living out of a suitcase, or owning 15 items of clothing. And those things can absolutely be a part of a minimalist life, but they don’t have to.    Brooke highlights her biggest frustration with minimalism – it’s not about stuff at all, yet that’s what many people focus on when deciding the “rules” of minimalism – and why moralizing based on our level of ownership is a surefire way to alienate people.   Kelly also talks about the snobbery of the “experiences over stuff” movement and why, as someone who loves being in her home and sees it as an experience-giving place in itself, she often feels weird about loving stuff so much.   It’s a really interesting look at the changing face of minimalism, from two people who are advocates for simpler living but aren’t interested in the “must haves” and “how tos” of the currently popular idea of minimalism (much to the surprise of some!)   Head over to http://www.letitbe.fm to learn more about Kelly and Brooke and subscribe to the show! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.