I’m not sure I believe in minimalism. I mean, I know it’s a “thing,” so I believe in its reality. I just don’t know how important it is as a universal lifestyle. Nor do I think it’s something I want to believe in for myself. Minimalism, by definition, is a philosophy centered on living intentionally with only what is essential. Sounds bleak to me. Not to take part in the abundance of today’s world? Not to celebrate small treats and treasures of the day?
Yep. Sounds bleak.
For artists and art lovers, minimalism is about simple-seeming artworks that the artist wants appreciated for the shapes and materials used rather than for some sort of narrative. Minimalism nowadays, though, generally refers to the way one lives. I imagine what is essential to a minimalist lifestyle depends on the person. I bet a lot of minimalists have more luxury items than I do — televisions, streaming services, fancy bathrooms, whatever. Of course, most people don’t consider those things luxury items, but a lot of what we take for granted truly is luxury — running water in the house, an “inhouse” rather than an outhouse, space to move around your home without being elbowed by others, heating systems, cooling systems, clothes washers and dishwashers. For thousands of years, these would have been considered unimaginable luxuries. Anything beyond these “basics” would have been utter opulence.
Hmm. I think I’m getting away from my premise. Or perhaps not. A true minimalist would be living in the woods, without any of these trappings of civilization, so I tend to think what the minimalists of today are really looking for is to own their possessions, not to be owned by them. Having a lot of things can weigh one down. Having to take care of a lot of things can take up time better spent on other things such as new experiences.
It’s funny to think how after Jeff died, I got rid of about half of all we owned together as well as all he owned by himself except for a small box of things I promised to keep plus a few items I couldn’t get rid of. Then, after my father died, I got rid of about half of what was left, just enough to fit in a single storage unit. My goal was to eventually get rid of everything and just live with what fit in my car. I liked the idea of not owning anything, mostly, I think, because I didn’t how I was going to live on my minimal income and I didn’t want to keep paying to store my personal effects.
Long before I could get rid of everything in my storage unit, I had the great good fortune to buy a house, which ended that minimally minimalist aspiration. So then I started in a time of “upsizing.” Besides my vintage car, I now own a house and a yard and a garage and furniture and appliances and tools and oh, so very many things. (A lot of the furnishings and such came from other people downsizing, so I suppose it evens out in the end.)
A few weeks ago, I responded to another blog prompt about Minimalist Living and mentioned that to a great extent, I do live a minimalist lifestyle, but as I said, I don’t call it that. I call it not buying things I didn’t need. I call it living debt-free, not buying anything I can’t afford right now. I call it using things up and not wasting anything.
Every once in a while, I think about owning all this stuff. Not worrying about it; just thinking what it means. My house, after all, couldn’t fit in a storage unit if it would ever come to that. But part of my “minimalism” feeling is realizing I won’t have to dispose of anything I own. With luck, I’ll be here until my end, and then it will be someone else who has the headache of figuring out what to do with it all.
Meantime, I live quietly, frugally (though frugal connotes a sense of deprivation, I don’t deprive myself of anything I want; I simply don’t want a whole lot).
So does this mean I believe in minimalism after all? No. I don’t believe in any movement. I was living small before there was such as thing as minimalism. I don’t need a name (or permission!) to live the way I am living.
To be honest, if you saw my house and my yard, minimalism would never enter your mind. You’d see (as people always tell me they see) comfort, coziness, cleanness. And lushness!! A fully modernized house with old-fashioned touches and set in a gorgeous yard is definitely not minimalist.
It is utter luxury.
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Pat Bertram is the author of Grief: The Inside Story – A Guide to Surviving the Loss of a Loved One
Bertram's Blog 
June 3, 2026 at 9:23 am
Maybe it’s time of life, but this summer my goal is to sort many things–recipes, photographs, clothes, etc.,–and only keep the truly important ones…the ones we really use and appreciate… I absolutely want less, but I don’t think I could ever be called a minimalist…
June 3, 2026 at 11:10 am
That’s a good project for this summer. Do it while you still can and while you might still enjoy the process. I know too many people who didn’t and who regret it. One good thing about computers is that I took photos of the pictures I didn’t want to keep but didn’t want to get rid of, so with a computer, you can have your cake and eat it too, so to speak.
June 13, 2026 at 9:58 am
I like the having my cake and eating it philosophy, Pat!
June 3, 2026 at 9:35 am
I am starting to enjoy living with less . I downsized soooo very much. Most of what Cle had I gave to his children or 1 child to be destributed as they saw fit. However, the move was so overwhelming that I think I just gave up. So now I am sorting again and will have a small shed to house my left -lovers until I go or someone needs something. I was raised by depression era parents who used it up, patched it up and used it until they couldn’t use it any more and then if it was cloth, it was made for patches on childrens jeans or into a quilt. I guess I thought that was the way most people lived. I didn’t know any better.
June 3, 2026 at 11:13 am
That’s the way we lived, too. It always shocks me how often people wear something once and then get rid of it or throw away their “leftovers.”
I had some worn-out clothes that were only good for a rag bag, so I spent yesterday cutting them up for rags.
June 3, 2026 at 2:29 pm
Unfortunately, some newer fabrics are not so good but they work as dust cloths.
June 3, 2026 at 3:02 pm
True. I mostly cut up ratty t-shirts.
June 3, 2026 at 10:54 am
I used to think minimalism in homes implied sleek, spare, even stark spaces, but I asked Google to define it, and AI said, “A minimalist lifestyle is intentionally living with only the things you truly need and value. It is about clearing away physical and mental clutter to focus your time, energy, and finances on what is most important to you.”
I have always preferred a clutter-free environment but never considered myself a minimalist. I own too much stuff that I don’t truly need, but I like the idea that the only things that surround me are “what is most important to [me].”
June 3, 2026 at 11:06 am
Sometimes there are a lot of things we truly need or value! In my case, I have a lot of things, like clothes I don’t wear, because one day I will need them as the ones I am currently wearing out. I know people think it’s silly, but there’s been too many things over the years that I liked and needed but that were discontinued for various reasons, so now I keep my own personal store. It’s easier and a lot less aggravating. Still, I do make a point of getting rid of some things every year, so there’s that.
June 4, 2026 at 7:55 pm
I am somewhat of the same sort of minimalist as you. But I can’t get excited about a minimalist garden by any definition of the word!
June 5, 2026 at 6:18 am
Definitely not! Gardens are supposed to be lush and luxurious.
June 5, 2026 at 6:39 am
That’s what I think! I’m afraid some areas of mine could better be described as Overgrown and Messy… but it’s a process.