When I used to hear that word, I would think: People ditching all modern conveniences to live in the woods surviving on cans of beans. Or: Boring art where someone takes a picture of a single stemmed flower, off centered, and in black and white.
In all reality I never gave minimalism or the lifestyle that goes with it much thought at all. But then I began seeking a calm life. Being so busy all the time stressed me out and caused my survival mode self to kick in--which works for awhile, but after too long I just collapse into a pile of crabby, sleep deprived and sick-of-people Kirsten. Which just isn't fun for anyone.
So I calmed it down. I realigned my priorities. I also realigned my perception of what I HAD to do versus what I was blessed to be ABLE do. But that really only took me so far. I felt much more, well, calm...but something was still not quite right.
Then I made the mental shift from seeking a calm life to a simple life. The words were appealing to me, but the practical side of it was lost on me.
In the midst of all of this we are planning a wedding. All of the "big stuff" was figured out in the first two weeks. Then came the stressful part for me: The little details. The fluff. The pretty stuff. The lights, the tulle, the flowers, the cute signs, the coordinating colors, the theme (classy and sophisticated or burlap and mason jars?), the wedding stationery, the ahhhhhhhh!!
I like the thought of lots of details but I would have to enlist way too many other peoples' ideas to figure them all out. And then it wouldn't look much like "our" wedding anymore. I don't want this whole process to be 7 months of stress and crafts and paint and glitter and endless thrift store shopping and fights with parents over budgets or decor. Because that's not us.
We just want a fun, happy, wedding with all our favorite people there.
But maybe a little bit of pretty, too.
So after one freak out moment of looking at one-too-many Instagram wedding accounts...I Pinterest searched "Minimalist wedding". (I'm also actively working on lessening my social-media-ness, I promise!)
The page loaded. No crazy extravagance or outrageously cute details or...burlap.
And my spirit was happy.
*Disclaimer* Of course I ooh and ahh at everyone else's pretty weddings with lots of details and cute rustic burlap and pallet art and mason jars with ribbons. And I SO ADMIRE YOU ALL.
But at that very moment, minimalism won my heart.
It just made sense to me at my very core.
Because really, this all went way beyond wedding planning, I found the website Becoming Minimalist and -I'm only slightly exaggerating here- my eyes were opened.
(Of course I'll never go too extreme with it, I like having more than 3 outfits in my closet. But I do love the basic idea.)
And no mom, I haven't joined a cult.
For my current life, personality, and even in regards to my relationship with Christ...it all made so much sense.
Minimalism isn't directly tied to living a Christian lifestyle, but it certainly lines up well with it!
One of the big ones is not getting caught up in the pursuit of material things. All the time spent shopping for, cleaning, organizing, fixing, storing, and replacing those things is now freed up to spend more time building relationships and meaningful experiences.
That's just the tip of the iceberg, and obviously I know its not for everyone.
But as much as I think mason jar and burlap wedding are adorable...they aren't for everyone either :)
