The Minimalist Woman is Turning Two
The Eye of the Minimalist Beholder
Adjusting the focus of a blog is a common, and also natural, occurrence. Some folks would say this blog doesn’t have much of a focus at all–it doesn’t lay out strategies for self-improvement, doesn’t get much into the how-to, doesn’t claim to be particularly helpful, and wanders around topics from clutter to relationships to knitting to politics, with occasional forays into clothes and trips down Memory Lane. In that sense, it certainly isn’t Minimalist.
Are you like me? Do you find yourself interested in a zillion different things, and wonder about their interconnectedness? It’s all out there and in ourselves; all these things we’re aware of–and not aware of–make up the world we live in. Making sense of it is as much a need as eating and sleeping, and it causes us to search out books and blogs and even write books and blogs, or channel it into painting, meditation, gardening, whatever.
Over time, this blog has moved from sharing my process of minimalizing possessions, clutter and activities to establishing a fairly consistent focus on essays from a Minimalist’s point of view. This means my point of view is of someone who now very rarely shops, has stepped back from consumerism, has gotten rid of a lifetime’s worth of clutter and takes pains to not accumulate more, lives in a comfortable but uncluttered small house, cooks simply with a minimum of equipment, and who has reined in multiple lines of employment to work from home as a writer. Life is definitely better with this less-is-more approach, more focused, more serene, and more naturally productive.
All those changes had an impact on my perspective. The realization of how much time, money, and effort I’d wasted in the course of my life thanks to consumerism made me think in turn of the role the acquisition of stuff has played in different relationships I’ve had, from marriage to parents to friends and colleagues. And it made me think, as well, of society as a whole, of our culture, our economy, our ecology, and our political issues.
All those changes also had an impact on my working life. Writing this blog enabled me to move from journaling to writing essays and ebooks, and more recently to return to writing fiction after a 30-year hiatus. There’s room in my head now, as well as in my life, to take an idea and turn it into a story, and to hopefully grow the craft in my own unique way. The one advantage of fiction over nonfiction is dimensionality, the presence of elements that are not part of dialectic, but which are part of the more inexplicable sides of human experience. It’s another way to make sense of it all, if in no other way than to connect with unreasonable truth.
So this blog will keep on keeping on in its own esoteric way, a place for those interested in what happens in this writer’s head–both directly and indirectly–after the decluttering, after the downsizing, after stepping back from the whole mad circus of consumerist culture. Sometimes I’ll post an update about what I’m working on or what I’ve published.
I’ve got a usually-daily Twitter “newspaper” called, of course, The Minimalist Woman Daily, containing linkposts from people I follow, mostly other Minimalists, writers and editors, a couple of artists, a couple of liberals, and some earth-huggers. It’s totally free. I find it handy to grab the best range of what people are tweeting about without having to scroll through the silly stuff. You can subscribe to it and/or click on the link to create your own paper.
Google+ has a couple advantages over blogging. One is the ease of discovering new blogs or writers in your areas of interest. The other is less spam in the comments. The latter is becoming an issue for me, so I’m considering the suggestion of some other Minimalist writers to close the comments on the blog itself, but open them up in Google+. I do not know if this will be a permanent arrangement, but more and more of the bloggers I follow are doing this and liking it a lot. Let me know what you think, or if you have done it yourself.
Anyway, that’s the state of the MW blog, which will be celebrating its second birthday next week 
Onwards and Upwards! And thanks so much for coming along for the ride.
(Note: the original post said third birthday, which happened for two reasons: there was an earlier Blogspot version of this blog, and there has been much discussion this week about whether the roof was repaired two or three years ago, as it is leaking again, and I was writing this as we were dealing with the contractors. You know how it goes. Sorry about that.)
32 Responses to “The Minimalist Woman is Turning Two”
Comments
Read below or add a comment...
Leave A Comment...
-
RSS Feed
Subscribe in a reader Books
Minimalist Photographer
Congratulations on creating a unique blog, Meg! It’s inspiring…
- Mary
Mary | A-List Blogging Bootcamps recently posted..Welcome!
Hi Mary–thanks so much. It’s great to know we are both still here, writing away
Hi Meg–
Well, I can’t call myself a true minimalist (not even close: my last blog post was about a collection of things), but I love your blog because I have minimalist tendencies and you always give me great things to think about. Like yours, our blog (I write with a partner) can be a bit all over the place–but I think it (like yours), is all really about the desire to life life better. Glad to know that you’re going to keep on keeping on–because it always makes me happy to see a post from you in my inbox.
Rita@thissortaoldlife.com recently posted..The 70′s called…
Hi Rita–you always have a way of perking me up with your comments. Thanks so much and keep on keeping on with your own wonderful blogging!
Happy blog birthday:)
This is what I love most from all that you have shared today: “There’s room in my head now, as well as in my life, to take an idea and turn it into a story, and to hopefully grow the craft in my own unique way.”
You have made room for you to “be you”…and that is the most magnificent present you can give your self–very inspirational!
Hi Joy–you know, I hadn’t intended any of this as inspirational, but now that you’ve pointed it out, I’m like “Aw, shucks!” I guess that’s what keeping on keeping on is all about, because I love reading about how others are enabling themselves, too
Congratulations, Meg, and thank you for wonderful inspiration. Your blog has always been a favorite of mine. Your down to earth approach and your willingness to question (not profess to have all the answers) is so very appealing. Best wishes!
Hi PJ–you hit the nail on the head with the willingness to question and not professing to have all the answers–yep, that’s me all right
I think that’s one of the main reasons I don’t think I could ever do a true how-to or self-improvement blog. There’s just too many flavors of right possibilities out there. Thanks for the best wishes and for being a reader.
Thank you for this! I’ve been trying to figure out what exactly I write about, but you’ve described it perfectly: what life is like through a minimalist’s lens.
Congrats on 3 years! No matter what the topic may be, I’ll be coming back for more. Your writing is so inspiring and eloquent…definitely someone to look up to
Hi Megyn–Thanks so much, but I’m not eloquent when I get the year wrong. It’s not even 5 am and I’m sitting here making the correction–it’s two years, not three. One of those realizations that hits in the middle of the night and you can’t go back to sleep until you fix it. Oh well. That being said, it feels like three years!
Happy (re?)birthday to The Minimalist Woman! I don’t always comment, Meg, but I do enjoy reading you, whatever the topic.
On the subject of moving your comments to social networking, I vote “no.” As hard as it may be to believe, some of us have no desire to be on Google+, Facebook, or similar sites. Others use social networking to interact with family and close personal friends, and may want to keep their private life separate from their blogging persona. These are people you will surely lose as commenters, and might lose as readers. too (since part of the joy of reading blogs, at least for me, is reading the comments — even when I don’t comment myself).
Bloggers who have moved their comments to social networks cite spam and inappropriate/rude/hurtful comments as the reason. I don’t have those kind of problms on my blog. Akismet does a fantastic job preventing the spam, and while I haven’t had a problem with commenters’ attitudes, I can always moderate them. Perhaps if I get popular enough to be receiving hundreds of comments on each post, it could be different, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.
Mike | Homeless On Wheels recently posted..Caution: Email BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) Not Always Blind
Hi Mike–I’m inclined to agree with you. This blog is still at the stage where the intimacy of followup comments is part of the charm, and I’m far from the point of losing enjoyment of moderating them and replying to them
But some spam has been getting past Askimet in the past few months, and I need to watch things carefully.
I might just post to Google+ and leave comments open here, best of both worlds.
I’ve tried this plugin for spam (not that my blog/s are active at the moment…) and it has worked better than Akismet.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/growmap-anti-spambot-plugin/
Happy blog birthday, Meg! Like the commenter above, I’m a long time lurker, but I enjoy reading your site, no matter how “unfocused” it may be.
Hi Jeanie–Thanks so much, and I will check out growmap. The consensus is to leave the comments here, and it will be good to have some spambot options.
Happy Blog Birthday!
Shelley recently posted..One Tiny Thing
Thanks, Shelley! And readers–check out Shelley’s blog, Shelley’s House (click on her recently posted link above). She’s an American expat in England with a warm and cozy style.
Happy Birthday to The Minimalist Woman blog! Meg, your writing is unique. That’s why I love reading it. I also love that you have the guts to be you. In these ways, you are an inspiration to me. Congratulations on your work-life transformation too. That is huge.
I really dislike it when bloggers move their comments to Google+. Why is that? Do I just dislike change? Do I dislike being forced to go over to Goolge+? I’m not quite sure. I really enjoy commenting after reading a post that inspires me, but I know I do that less often (or even rarely) when the blogger has their comments on Google+. At the same time, I appreciate your challenge with spam.
Sandra / Always Well Within recently posted..Could Your Love Save a Life?
Hi Sandra–I kinda thought that’s what you would say, hahaha! As I replied to Mike, I’m inclined to agree and just leave things pretty much as they are, especially since I still enjoy the format of followup comments.
Thanks for the congrats–I know you know all too well what’s involved in the changes over the past couple of years.
Hi Meg,
Congratulations on your blog turning 2 this year. I just celebrated my blog’s one year anniversary in January of 2012.
I find myself too getting involved in too many things at one time. I do my best to minimize doing this too often. Feeling overwhelmed is not much fun.
Justin Mazza recently posted..Maintain a Healthy Glow and Provide Your Body with Vital Care
Hi Justin–couldn’t agree more about being careful not to get involved in too many things at once. My way, however, is to integrate my interests as much as possible, which writing enables me to do.
Congrats on winning the new clean WordPress theme and best of luck with your changes for this year. One of my favorite bloggers is also using Livefyre and it seems to help cut down on spam, too.
I love this blog because it gives so much knowledge. I think information is very important be it any field. Sharing your experiences, even if they are from varied fields, helps other people in someway or the other. So, get, set, go and wish you all luck for your blog.
Victoria Battle recently posted..Nombre de Dunbar : ce que notre cerveau de primate implique pour Facebook et la politique
Hi Victoria–it’s great to know of readers from around the world, and I see that you write on a range of human-centered topics yourself, en Francais. Thanks for the wishes and the same to you
I love your wondering through different topics. We all have various aspects of our being and it is nice to see you writing about them.
Hi Lori–thanks so much. I’m coming up with more wandering topics all the time!
Count me in as another fan of your blog, congrats on your anniversary!
Like Mike and others have commented, I’m not a fan of those who close blog comments and instead move to Google+ or another social networking platform. I’d much rather bloggers beef up their anti-spam measures if needed. I’m not on Google+, nor do I plan to be. It also seems decidedly un-minimalist to post on one medium then make people go to another medium entirely to comment and read comments. I know you already responded that you plan to leave comments open for now, yay, but still wanted to register my vote as another reader against closing comments!
Candi @ min hus recently posted..I’m Right, You’re Wrong Minimalism
Hi Candi–yeah, there is just something non-minimalist about getting scattered all over the internet. Read your blog post/rant about cutting off comments and laughed my ass off! You’re right, and I know it
Also, am adding you to the blogroll, and have no idea why it hasn’t been on there sooner.
Congratulations on two years of blogging, Meg! I’ve enjoyed following your blogging journey. I honestly enjoy reading blogs that show personality and character such as yours, so I don’t particularly look for more or less focus. I value your perspective and will hope to see more.
I also really enjoy the exchanges that comments allow us to make. That is when I can manage to leave my thoughts on a buddy’s blog post. I know people get busy or get knocked off balance but this kind of sharing is such an important reminder of so many things to be grateful for.
Hi Belinda–the comments really are part of the whole, and I really do think something would be lost without them. (Slapping myself upside the head for even considering dropping them!) I know I am grateful for being able to leave a comment on your blog, as well, even if it is just now and again. Thanks from one writer to another!
>>There’s room in my head now, as well as in my life, to take an idea and turn it into a story, and to hopefully grow the craft in my own unique way. <<
Love, love, love this sentence. Thank you for sharing, and best wishes for the future.
dkzody recently posted..How Jesus got here
congratulations
I empathize with crystallizing a vision for blogs. we’ve all enjoyed your points of views and look forward to more int he future
Noch Noch
Noch Noch | be me. be natural. recently posted..making life BEAR able: rejuvenated creativity from depression