Minimalism: Obsessions and Collections

Painting credit camilladerrico. Hello Kitty credit Sanrio.

I love Hello Kitty. A lot. Probably too much. I also have an obsession with Batman, the X-men, and the Avengers. Again, I like these probably a little too much. If my Batman blanket were to dissapear I'd mourn it like a friend.

I'm a minimalist. So whenever I say I collect Hello Kitty stuff I tend to get weird looks. "But you're a minimalist" they say, "you can't have collections!"

Well, that's just not true. The point of minimalism is to prioritize what's important, and get rid of the excess. So the plethora of Hello Kitty plushies, were donated to Goodwill. But the alarm clock, or the T-shirt? It's useful. It can stay.

I've found a rather unique way to personalize my minimalist room with my obsessions. Half my clothes are Marvel or Sanrio. My pencils are kept in a Batman bucket. My loose art is kept in a Hello Kitty organizer. I sleep every night with a Batman and Avengers blanket.

Now, the point of this message is to explain to you how you can keep your collections, in part, without letting them become clutter. There are two options here. Option one is to find your obsession in useful things. For example, if you like Star Wars, perhaps get a Star Wars laptop cover. But the plethora of Star Wars memorabilia in the garage can probably go. The second option is for less general collections, such as paintings or glass dolls or stuffed animals. These you minimize to only what you love the most, then display them. Use them to decorate your home.

Minimalism doesn't have to be blank white walls with blank white sheets and blank white clothes. It can be personalized to your color and vibrancy and passion. The unnecessary isn't what everyone else says is unnecessary - it's what you feel you don't need. The rest you can keep. :)