A minimalist gets more minimal
A few weeks ago, I decided to put myself on a social media diet.
In an article on my personal site, I indicated that the reason for stepping back was a week-wasting infatuation with Google Buzz, a new web service I blamed for sapping my time and productivity. As much as I like Buzz, I decided to set it aside and restrict my involvement elsewhere. My intention was to slim things down for a week or so, and get serious about launching a site I began discussing in January, The Minimalist Century.
One week became several, my head cleared, and so did the truth: the problem wasn’t social media, it was my priorities. Time to begin applying a little minimalism to the equation.
No, I’m never going to fix my clothes dryer
Hanging out my laundry this today, it suddenly hit me: I may never get around to fixing that clothes dryer.
For me, this is a big deal. I’m totally a guy when it comes to taking care of clothes, and my teenage son is even worse. He thinks nothing of announcing he’s out of clean laundry jut before going to bed on a schoolnight, which used to mean many of my days would end with a frantic laundry run. Finding his clothes still wet in a cold, broken dryer one morning last autumn was an unpleasant surprise.
It’s not as if clothes dryers are complicated machines. I knew the problem was a burned-out thermostat or heating element, both user-replaceable items if you have the right tools. But I’m the guy who writes about reducing your environmental footprint, so I decided to untangle my clothesline and give outdoor drying a shot.
New eBook: The Art of Being Minimalist
Everett Brogue is kind enough to list me in a chapter called “Meet the Minimalists,” part of his new eBook, The Art of Being Minimalist. He writes:
I’m not the only minimalist in the world. There’s a growing community of amazing individuals who subscribe to the idea of living with less.
Yes: community. I’ve often thought that one of the reasons we find ourselves where we are today — overwhelmed and overconsuming — is due to the breakdown of community. Our communities provide important social cues, helping us live in balance with others and with the environment.
The Art of Being Minimalist is essentially an invitation to community. It’s a beautifully written, beautifully illustrated guide to re-imagining your life as a minimalist, joining the vanguard of what I call the Minimalist Century. Through minimalism, you can learn to discard the unnecessary, and find time to reconnect with the world around you.
The Year Ahead at More Minimal
The decorations are down; the champagne corks have been popped; and it’s time to get down to the business of crafting another year. Here’s wishing you a healthy and happy 2010.
As I’ve mentioned previously, More Minimal will soon evolve into something new. Its replacement will be a continuation of what you’ve seen here, and a considerable expansion in scope. Minimalism — as I’ve written about it, at least — has always been about personal satisfaction. But we live in challenging times, and I’ve become convinced that the principles which undergird minimalism represent a toolkit for dealing with the coming decades. Minimalism must move beyond being a cozy method for organizing our living space and reducing life clutter. Minimalism must become a worldview.
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from More Minimal
Christmas has finally arrived, and I hope it finds you safe, warm, and with loved ones.
It’s a little quiet here around here, but there’s a reason for this extended Silent Night — I’m preparing a new site. It will both extend and replace More Minimal. If you like what you see here, you’ll be interested in what comes next. I’ll talk about it more as we get closer to launch, which should be sometime in January. In the meantime: poke up that Yule log, pour an extra glass of wine, and make ye merry. The New Year is at hand — and with it, fresh opportunities.
The Copenhagen climate talks cannot save the planet
Copenhagen is magnificent political theatre. We have the wealthy nations, desperate to look as if they’re ready to move beyond the Kyoto protocols without ever fulfilling them; the developing nations, who hope to monetize their comparative poverty; and a sea of earnest individuals and interest groups, many of whom have a flair for photogenic street demonstrations. It must be impossible to rent a polar bear or whale costume anywhere in Denmark these days.
Whatever agreements come out of the Copenhagen COP15 climate talks, you can be assured of two things: their primary effect will be the creation of a lucrative carbon trading economy, and they won’t directly address what is really driving the world’s environmental problems.
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Ten Simple, Handmade Holiday Gift Ideas
Let’s face it: There are plenty of temptations to overspend and overbuy when it comes to holiday gifting. This year, with an uncertain economy, there’s never been more reason to step back and take a serious look at how we approach holiday shopping.
Instead of loading up that charge card at the mall, why not try handmade gifts this season? It’s a guaranteed way to save money and resources, and there’s no better way to express your love and creativity through the holidays. Here are ten sure-fire handmade gift ideas to get you started. Most can be done for under $20. Try a few — and put some warmth and personality back into your holiday gift-giving!
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More Minimal Goes Red for World AIDS Day
Today, December 1st, is World AIDS Day. We’ve turned our masthead and Facebook logos red to help bring the date to wider attention.
If you’re reading after the fact, our graphics will be back to normal. But the problem won’t have gone away: Worldwide, some 33 million people are living with AIDS. Almost 22 million of those victims are in Africa, which lacks the resources to combat such a sweeping epidemic. It only costs 40 cents a day for the two pills needed to help keep someone with HIV alive. Sadly, more than 70 percent of the those in sub-Saharan Africa subsist on less than $2 a day.
Could you help? If so, we have a few suggestions on how you can be a part of World AIDS Day.
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About the author
Chris Baskind writes about the environment and simpler living. He's also an advocate of carfree transportation, relying entirely on bicycles since June, 2009.Three years ago, Chris launched Lighter Footstep, a pioneering website focused on greener, healthier, more affordable living. It was recently acquired by the Mother Nature Network (MNN). Connect with Chris on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.