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How Minimalism Inspires Creativity

Sofia Hadjiosif

Minimalism inspired creativity. Yellow camera on beige sweater next to a blue notebook and yellow pencil on a white background. Simple and organized layout.

We are consuming more and creating less in general as a society. I don’t mean we should all start designing and creating new products. No that’s not what I mean. But we must stop trying to buy the newest things or binge-watch Netflix and instead start following our passions.


Whether it’s’ photography, cooking, a sport, or sewing, take some time out of your day to explore these interests and talents you have and improve yourself. Minimalism could really aid and inspire the creativity you have inside of you and help you create more and better things.


It will really benefit and who knows what amazing things it could lead to. Watching 10 episodes of Breaking Bad in a row and buying the latest Apple collection will not improve your life. I’m sorry to say it but it’s the truth.


More is not better

Don't listen to society. Adverts and people will always want you to buy more and newer things because it's 'cool' and will make you 'happier'. This is perhaps the biggest lie we grow up with. We are told that buying more is better, and the people who don't follow this convention will most often be conceived as poor even though they aren't.


Consumerism is what is creating most of our problems in the world. Natural resource depletion, deforestation, climate change, and loss of biodiversity just to name a few.

While it will take a lot of time, slowly, we must teach the world the destructive power of consumerism and why it doesn't benefit ourselves (or the planet). Now you might wonder what minimalism has to do with creativity. Well, let's get into it.


10 Ways Minimalism Inspires Creativity

So here is are some ways in which minimalism and living a simpler life can aid your creativity and make you more innovative. Whether that is music, illustrations, or videos, a minimalist lifestyle can help. The opposite, a consumerism lifestyle, will only slow down your progress.


01. More space to think and create

Our lives are so cluttered with information, worrying thoughts and so much more. A minimalist lifestyle encourages you to reduce this. If you start thinking less about the next paycheck, your next Amazon order, the news, and your messages, your mind will be so much freer for more important things like your passions.


When I say space I'm referring to physical as well as mental. Having more physical space to work in, that is not cluttered with stuff, will make you more efficient and will be more pleasurable than working in a complete mess.


02. Allow yourself to be bored

It's at that moment when you get bored that you start being creative.  There's no way to create when you are constantly consuming. When I saying consuming I'm not only referring to food. I'm talking about TV, notifications, text messages, emails and so many other things that go on in a typical modern life.


It's also the reason why a brilliant idea comes when you are walking alone or showering because these are the moments where you are alone and your brain gets a chance to breathe and think.


Being bored is underrated. Because of our phones, we don't have to be bored ever again since it has entrainment for more than a lifetime. Don't fall into this trap. Slowing down and doing nothing for a change, might lead to a great idea or breakthrough in your life. Don't underestimate boredom. This is yet another way minimalism can help your creativity.


03. More time, more energy

Creating and designing take time. If you are busy doing tasks all day, how do you expect to be creative? It's a process and one that takes time. You can't rush it.


It also takes energy. If you are all burnt out all the time, you will never feel like working on your creativity. Minimalism is about only doing and having things that you really love. Everything else can be considered as a drain of your energy. It might just be small stuff, but at the end of the day, most people binge TV series or films after work instead of doing something productive.


04. Fancy equipment doesn't make you creative

You really don't need a room filled with equipment or tools. There are some individuals out there that think getting an expensive new paintbrush or a better keyboard will suddenly make them more creative. While having better equipment can aid you, it is not what makes you creative.


So first use what you have, and if things start going well, you could consider upgrading. There is not really a need to 'waste' a lot of money if you don't really need to.


05. Fewer distractions

This goes with physical distraction but also digital ones. There’s a little thing called digital minimalism which refers to notifications, emails, Instagram, etc. Did you know that millennials now check their phones around 150 times a day? 

Additionally, if you have less stuff on your desk or your house, you will inevitably have fewer distractions too.


So, get rid of any items that add no value to your life and turn off all notifications on your phone. It’s not necessary to be continually updated.

There are so many distractions around us in our day-to-day lives that make it hard for us to concentrate on the important stuff.


06. Minimalist is not always tidy

I don't know if you've heard, but there are studies that show working in a messy room makes you more creative. Well, it kinda makes sense. But that doesn't mean you should have all kinds of useless items in your room and tell yourself it's because 'it makes me creative'.


I have made my room relatively minimalist. However, that does not mean it doesn't get messy. It gets messy every week. The difference is that it takes me very little time to tidy it back up.


If you want to enhance your creativity, minimalism is the way to go but let your room get messy. It might help.


07. You focus on one task

Humans are not the best at multitasking. While I'm guilty of doing this often, I'm trying to stop doing it as much. It's not good to split your focus too much not only because it takes you more time to complete a task, but because the work you produce will not be the best.


Focus on one thing at a time instead of trying to stretch yourself by balancing a million things at once. It is less stressful and better for yourself.


08. Find new interests.

Another way in which minimalism helps with your creativity is it allows you to find new passions. If you spend less of your time doing menial jobs you don't like, you will have time to do different and perhaps new creative activities.


This one might sound counter-minimalist as I said before that minimalism allows you to prioritize your time and only spend time doing the few things you love. But exploring new things has many benefits. That doesn’t mean you will need to spend your time every day doing these new things. It could be simple activities like going for a walk when you get the chance.


Having new experiences is one of the best ways to become more creative. While the brain loves patterns and routines, it's good to break out of these and try new things once in a while.


For example, with me, a new thing which I found interest in is upcycling old clothes. I don't upcycle a piece of clothing every day, but once in a while, I enjoy being creative with a needle and thread and create new garments.


09. More financially free

You might wonder what this has to do with creativity. Well if you are struggling to pay for your house and car, for instance, you'll spend more of your time worrying about these expenses and even picking up more shifts in order to pay for them.


If you downgrade and start buying less stuff, you will have more time to be creative and you will worry less. You could even use that talent of yours to create a side-hustle and therefore get an extra income. It doesn't have to be a big business. But earning money on something you have made is pretty rewarding.


10. Buy less, create more

As you probably know, we are living in what is called a consumerist society. In this society, most people tend to buy more stuff to make them happy and feel accomplished. Buying fancy new things is often a common way to show off how much money one has. Unfortunately, this puts most people into debt.


Instead of focusing on buying more (useless) stuff, you should spend your time and money on what you love. Start creating more and start being more creative.


Conclusion

We are consuming too much. It's time for you to dig into that creativity and create something amazing and something to be proud of.

I am a big fan of minimalism and I truly believe that it can help us become more creative. By reducing distractions and having more time (plus more energy) we can focus more on what we love rather than solely focus on making a living.

As children, we are creative and curious by nature. It's society that drains it out of us. When you start living more minimally, you start putting yourself first. Start exploring your interests and passions again as you did when you were a child.

From time to time, try to get away from this hectic modern world and focus on yourself.

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© 2024 by Sofia Hadjiosif

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