Alright y'all, let me be honest with you: I have a lot of stuff.
I like stuff. I like clothes and accessories (obviously). I like knick-knacks. I like picture frames and candles, books and fake flowers, throw pillows and old figurines. I LOVE my record collection, and how my vintage barrel chair's color pops next to my shabby wood bird desk. I find a lot of joy in my things.
This I know to be true: I got it from my mama. She is a smart and savvy antique collector with an abundance of knowledge that she's shared with me over the years. She started taking me junkin' with her when I was in my early teens, and we haven't stopped since. (Seriously. We were just out antiquing yesterday.)
My mom collects a variety of things. She goes through different phases of what she is on the hunt for. And much like my mom, I love a lot of different things too. I can go from vintage vases to modern wall decor in an instant. My soul is old and the things I like are a little all over the place.
I've seen a lot of conversation on the Internet lately about Marie Kondo's "Tidying Up." It sounds like an interesting show and I love seeing how many of you are inspired to clean out your closets/drawers/rooms and get rid of the stuff you no longer need. My annual spring cleaning is on the horizon, so I need all the inspiration I can get!
But with all this tidying up talk, it got me thinking: Why do we tend to associate "tidy" with "simplistic" and "minimalistic"?
I read a quote a long time ago that goes, "Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." I framed this for my mom because she is very self-conscious about the stuff she has in her home. But the bottom line is, it brings her joy, so what she is scared of other people thinking shouldn't matter.
Millennials tend to be more minimalistic. Less stuff means less to worry about, right? But we're not all built the same. Some of us like simple surroundings. Others like our surroundings to represent all of the things we love.
Hear this: There's beauty in simplicity. Keeping things minimal can bring simplicity. But keeping things beautiful can bring joy. If you find joy in beautiful things, let THAT be your version of simplicity.
My space feels simple when my desk clock is ticking and my salt lamp is turned on; when I'm spinning a record and admiring my old camera collection. I find comfort in my cozy space. It is mine and it brings me joy.
I'm not saying let your things consume you. There's much importance in the act of tidying up. But you can tidy up without the pressure of being a minimalist. You can purge and clean and organize all while keeping your space to your standard of beauty. Because after all, it is YOUR space.
A lot of people say that THINGS will not bring you happiness the same way experiences and people do. Although this is true, I know that the things I have are still capable of bringing me happiness because they are a reflection of who I am, what I like and the joy I have experienced in finding them.
To each his own,
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