Minimalist Living = Minimalist Removals
What is minimalism?
Minimalism is a style prominent in the arts, visual design and music that focuses on a stripped-back, pared down design.
Origin of minimalism in art
It would be several decades before the movement really started to gain prominence, but the seeds of minimalism were planted with the monochrome paintings of the Incoherent arts’ exhibition in 1882.
In 1911, Jean Metzinger, predicted that “someday, a great painter, looking with scorn on the often brutal game of supposed colorists and taking the seven colors back to the primordial white unity that encompasses them all, will not exhibit completely white canvases, with nothing, absolutely nothing on them”.
Minimalist movement in the US
New York is where minimalism first started to emerge in the art scene, appearing in the early 1960s, where it was referred to as ‘minimal art’, ‘literalist art’ and ‘ABC art’. There were many artists who were instrumental to the movement, particularly in its early stages, including Frank Stella, Al Held, Ellsworth Kelly, who were all painters, and David Smith, Anthony Caro and Sol LeWitt, who took a minimalist approach to sculpting.
Spread of the minimalist movement
The movement spread from the US to Japan, where it became a popular style of interior design. People would discard all their possessions minus the essential items and a few other pieces, making use of the space created in their home by using it as just that; space. This sparsity of material possessions meant that people had more money to do other things, like go out with friends, travel and exercise.
Steps for the beginner minimalist
If you’re thinking of starting a minimalist lifestyle, or you want to try it out to see how it goes for you, then there are a number of steps you can follow:
- Write down why you want to live in a minimalist way. Whatever you don’t like about your lifestyle, write it down. This will help you remember why you are trying minimalism in the first place.
- Discard anything that you have unnecessary copies of. If you have too many cups, get rid of them. If you have the same video game or dvd twice, remove it. Put the discarded items in a box and out of sight for 30 days. If you don’t need anything during that time, you don’t need it at all, so you can donate it to a worthy cause.
- Travel lightly. If you are going away, pack for a trip half the length of the trip you’re going on, and see how it feels to carry less baggage. You can always wash clothes during your trip, or wear them twice if necessary.
- If possible, save £1,000 to use as an emergency fund. Knowing that you have this fund will help decrease stress.
- Create a meal plan for a month and see how it feels to rotate the same meals across that time. This will help save you money on meal planning/buying, as well as saving time on cooking different dishes.
If you live a minimalist lifestyle, then that means you have less to worry about when it comes to moving!
At Britannia Sandersteads, we are proud to offer removals to customers throughout Croydon, Epsom, Reigate, Weybridge and throughout London and Surrey. For more information, please get in touch with us today.