thoughts on minimalism
I've noticed that there are a handful of popular topics that get brought up more than others on the Bear Blog Discovery Feed: AI, meta-blogging (blogging about blogging), social media, the indie web etc.
Another topic that pops up every now and then is minimalism. I've run into a few posts where people are voicing reservations against or outright rejecting minimalism (as a design language, lifestyle, or philosophy). Most of the posts focus around the idea that minimalism is questionable because it lacks personality, suppresses creativity, or crushes individuality.
I can see where these thoughts are coming from, and I do agree with them to a degree. I too am not a fan of exchangeable beige-and-gray fast food chain interiors, or logo redesigns that take an interesting historical mark or symbol and reduce it to a bland geometric shape.
However, at the same time, I often find myself strongly drawn towards minimalist ideas or design. Instead of covering my journals and notebooks with stickers, I generally only put one or two. I like the idea of a clean, well-maintained room where everything is in its place.1 I like Muji stuff.2 Ever since I was in middle school, I've been fascinated by the ascetic, "minimalist" lives of Buddhist monks.
So how can these two things be reconciled?
The aesthetics side
First, I want to try and look at things from a purey aesthetic perspective. The point that I want to make here is that, at least for me, minimalism doesn't necessary equal the stripping away of personality or creativity.
The kind of minimalism that people don't like tends to be one that makes things look bland, like they could exist anywhere or belong to anyone. But that's not what minimalism has to be.
For me, there is definitely a form of minimalism that stays true to its tenets while still showing personality.3 In fact, focusing on the essentials by stripping away "unnecessary" things can lead to an even stronger emphasis of personality by emphasizing the things that stand out. When there are less things competing for your attention, the ones that are (deliberately) left to draw it have a stronger impact. Classic "less is more."
Imagine a traditional Japanese tea room (very simple, mostly brown and muted yellow or beige) with a striking piece of calligraphy in the tokonoma (alcove), or opened sliding doors revealing a beautifully sculpted garden. The fact that someone specifically chose that scroll or decided to create that garden says a lot about them, probably more so than a room filled with hundreds of different decorations and trinkets.
I personally tend to enjoy styles or designs that work with this approach, be it in architecture, art, graphic design, interior design, or fashion. It's ultimately a matter of taste and preference, but I think even people who aren't exactly fans of minimalism can see the appeal. It doesn't mean that everything has to be stripped down to its bare minimum, just that there needs to be enough of a difference between elements that are emphasized and those that are de-emphasized to highlight what "matters."
The society & politics side
What's interesting in the anti-minimalism trend4 is that I've seen quite a few people expressing distaste towards minimalism in design but also taking stances in other areas that align with minimalism in other areas: Getting out of the consumer mindset, reducing waste, being "mindful" and focusing on what matters, finding happiness in the small things, etc.
This shows that minimalism is not being rejected because of its underlying philosophy. It's being rejected because of how it is being used, and by whom. Our corporate overlords.
At least the materialistic side of contemporary minimalism is closely linked to modernist design, which was strongly influenced by the rise of mass production. This was supposed to be a positive thing: "Well-designed" things could now be owned by anyone, not just wealthy people who had the resources to commission individual craftspeople or artisans. Back then, designers and the companies producing their designs were thought of as almost benevolent actors who created valuable tools for the people.
But today, that view has changed. "Sleek minimalism" has become strongly associated with large tech corporations and the people that lead them ... the current ruling class that's hoarding all the money, harvesting data, and influencing governments. Of course they want people to be happy with the bare minimum, like they want you to be grateful for being so gracious to even offer you a job, no matter how shitty it is. Minimalist aesthetics have also been used as a veneer to gloss over things that mega-corporations want to keep out of sight or under control. Yes, new phones or computers might look more streamlined and thinner than ever, but are also almost impossible to fix yourself. The super-simple UI with only a handful of buttons might look neat, but also removes options for interaction. And that is frustrating. My feelings of agreement with the anti-minimalism crowd come from this angle.
Not a "look", but a guiding principle
There's an aesthetic side and a philosophical side to minimalism. Contemporary (popular) criticism of minimalism is mostly focused on the aesthetic side, specifically targeting its use by corporate entities that merely treat it as a useful tool to fulfill their own self-interest: Removing colour or character from restaurant spaces to increase the property's resale value, employing sleek-looking visuals as a shell to cover up things they don't want to be seen, or cutting corners in production to reduce costs. This leads to a fake kind of minimalism that is used as a superficial signifier ("this is refined design") while ignoring the needs of the actual users. Not all companies use minimalism in this way, but the many egregious examples where it is used like that have soured its taste for many.
However, if you think of minimalism as a philosophy first and an aesthetic second, then it becomes less questionable. It can even be used as a strategy to oppose the corporate actors who have appropriated its aesthetics. For example, leaving social media for the indie web (forgoing all the services and add-ons that "curate the best experience just for you") is, in essence, a minimalist choice to make, even though the actual blog or website you create might be very maximalist on the visual side. Being happy with less possessions also makes you less "vulnerable" to the marketing tactics employed by companies in a consumerist society.
As long as minimalism is treated as a guiding principle that urges you to think about what truly matters and adjusting your thoughts and actions to focus on it, it can also lead to a strong expression of personality and character (through choice of materials, colours, individual items, and contrasting elements). It's more than just making everything be white, black, gray, and beige.
Personal conclusion
Personally, I have a great deal of appreciation for the roots of "modern" minimalism (Bauhaus, traditional Japanese design and architecture, etc), and I can't bring myself to fully reject it. I feel that it has many valuable aspects, and I want to apply its underlying principles to my daily life.
Combining minimalism with individual expression is very much possible. The key is avoiding the "blandification trap" and blindly stumbling into following "corporate" modes of (fake) minimalism. To achieve this, I want to stay open to a wide variety of influences (from art, arts and crafts, cultural traditions etc.) and blend them in a way that feels distinct, even when most of the frills are removed.
Footnotes
Ironically, my room is often very messy. Ideals and reality diverge. Finally cleaning up and then having a very tidy room for a week or so is absolute bliss though.↩
Muji is probably the company that has managed to sink its branding claws into my mind the most. I know that most of their self-presentation is probably just superficial bullshit, and that they use things like their store design and the music they play there to create the illusion of a "nice and harmless company." But I can't quite help but fall for it a bit every time.↩
For example, traditional handcrafted things are often seen as counter-examples to minimalism. But if you think about it, traditional household tools, tableware, clothes etc. were often relatively simple - because the people making them had to work with the resources available to them at the time. However, despite being simple, these things still have character.↩
I don't know if it can really be called a trend, but I've seen enough of it online that I'm willing to call it one here.↩