Hello and welcome to the MINIMALIST interview series, an initiative to turn the spotlight on the genuine, practising minimalists in our midst.
Aspiring minimalist @honeydue here.
Though I'm drawn to the minimalist ethos, I'm aware I've got a long way to go before I can call myself a true minimalist.
This is why I love this community. It allows me to interact with and learn from people who've embraced the minimalist lifestyle. I want to know how they got here. What drove them to minimalism, and what the challenges and rewards have been? What's the point of this platform if we can't learn from and help one another in our journeys?
Driven by a desperate curiosity of what else might be out there, aside from the bland, consumerist, traditional life path, I put down some questions I'm secretly dying to ask my favourite minimalists. And @millycf1976 has been lovely enough to allow it.
So whether you're at a crossroads in life or just curious about what else is out there, maybe you find some value in our interview series. Enjoy!
For The Minimalist Author Spotlight No. 2, we have @macchiata. Let's tune in to hear more about her journey towards being an authentic and practising minimalist.
A presence on the blockchain for more than seven years, you're bound to have encountered this week's guest somewhere in your travels. @macchiata's involvement with the Hive Book Club, Brewville, OCD, as well as numerous other communities has made her a popular name on the Hivesphere.
Beyond that, she is a true-to-the-core minimalist and free spirit, and we had a lot of fun talking to her.
Photo credit: @macchiata
: While minimalism may appear cut and dry from the outside, we know it takes many different forms. To start things off, could you explain what minimalism means to you, specifically?
@macchiata: I almost forget what minimalism means to me because by now, it is just deeply ingrained into my life and almost everything I do is influenced by it. While there are many things I disagree with minimalism as time goes on, to me minimalism is all about living a life more meaningfully and appreciating the simplicity that life has to offer. It might have been too broad but that’s the core of what I believed in about this lifestyle.
: We love a good origin story. How did you first get started with minimalism? What were some deciding factors? Was it a gradual shift or an abrupt change? Tell us a bit about that.
@macchiata : My story is like a quiet whisper in everyday life. At first, I didn’t know there was a label to the life/practices that I did. But I dived into the lifestyle more after watching numerous videos on youtube and Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus, the owner of the minimalist about the lifestyle and began labeling myself with it. Everything was always natural, I mean I grew up in a household full of stuff and when I moved on my own with almost nothing during college, I felt a sense of relief and at the time, I was experimenting with living a life of less waste. I wrote about it in detail about 7 years ago in What Minimalism Means to Me and Why You Should Try it.
: Drastic changes bring about new wisdom. What was one thing you learned, after embracing minimalism, that perhaps surprised you?
@macchiata : While nothing so surprising to me, I think that we, as humans, have so much stuff. I personally did too and felt like I always had way too much clutter and it was living with less stuff frees up everything in my life.
: How has your alternative lifestyle affected your role in your community? Was it a reason for conflict, help you make new friends, etc.?
@macchiata : I had a conflict with my mom because I wanted less things at our house. It took her a while to understand my lifestyle but now, she's fine with having fewer items and the essentials. We never have to buy things with the idea of “ Just in case” and she also changed the way she shops.
: Who inspired you? Whether it was someone you knew (online or in the “real world”) or some personality you followed online, the author you’d read, etc., who was your no. 1 (human) reason to choose minimalism?
@macchiata : Safe to say, the minimalists duo, Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus.
: Minimalism can act a bit like a rolling snowball. One minute, you’re throwing out extra placemats, the next, you’re transitioning to a completely off-grid (perhaps nomadic) lifestyle. Does that statement apply to your personal experience, and how much of it was planned? In other words, did you start downsizing to go off-grid/travelling, or did you spiral deeper into that world, the more you embraced it?
@macchiata : I find it so funny the more I tried downsizing and acting like the typical minimalist out there made me a consumer. I am pretty proud to be living off a 20lt backpack for a few weeks during traveling but the more I consumed content out there, the more I upgraded my backpack. Funny how it works but now, I am good either way and I don’t get obsessed with counting the numbers of items I own. So, it’s more like the deeper I go, it all becomes natural?
: Some people find it a scary leap to this alt lifestyle. There’s a concern that if we ditch modern, materialistic dogma, we’ll find ourselves isolated. What was your experience with that?
@macchiata : It was the least of my concern, so I can’t say much about it. I’ve always led an alternative sort of lifestyle and surrounded myself with like-minded people. While I do have friends & acquaintances that are different, I believe in the non-aggression principle, thankfully they understand and are respectful of my choices.
: Finally, a bit of a classic. What’s some practical advice you’d give someone just contemplating a minimalist/alternative lifestyle right now?
@macchiata : Just try it for a week and feel free to leave if that’s not for you. Don’t complicate things either because this lifestyle meant to simplify our life, not complicate it.
Thank you so much to @macchiata for the inspiring words and for taking the time to share her journey with us.
While you're here, please take a moment to observe our updated community rules.
Macchiata, the hardcore. She's gone down to 20lt backpack; meanwhile, I can't go lower than 50.
See, @honeydue, another point for the non-aggression principle we talked the other day.
I'm starting to think that, for most of us, minimalism is just programmed on birth, really.
hahaha I think it's because you're also traveling by cycle and mostly outdoors while I am mostly indoor and don't need much other than loads of coffee 😄
Fair point. I've been downsizing my camping gear though. There are ppl who manage to camp/travel with a 20L
I think minimalism is deeply engraved in many of us, while some adapt to the lifestyle over time or maybe from circumstances. However, I think your discovery and exploration of it is spot on, and I hope that you'll continue to delve deeper into this lifestyle.
It was great reading and getting further insight on you @macchiata.
Thanks again for this interesting spotlight, @honeydue :)))
That's so true! maybe after all, we have that minimalism in us but our environment just don't allow it to shine yet. Thank you for featuring me here.
Good thought.
It's our pleasure:)))
It's fascinating how our earliest experiences can shape our choices as adults. This was a great read, and I had a lovely time chatting @macchiata. Thank you for taking the time! :)
Thank you for taking the time and effort to interview me hehe. I still have so much to learn and improve.
I really liked the very simple and meaningful answers given by @macchiata You can tell that you really lead a life that doesn't complicate you, on the contrary, it simplifies you and helps you to know what you want and need in your life. The part I liked the most was reading how your mom, thanks to your example, has changed the way she shops 😍 Thanks for the article Honey and Milly 💟
It indeed should simplify our life rather than complicate it. Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment on my journey 😊