No Value in an Empty Room

No Value in an Empty Room One misconception about minimalism is that it requires barren rooms, stark white walls, a vast emptiness. But it doesnt. While a clean aesthetic certainly lends itself to the minimalist lifestyle, one doesnt benefit from having nothing at all. Only a sanitarium  functions optimally when totally vacant. Everywhere else, however, requires a certain amount of stuff. How much stuff is up to usâ€"an individual choice. Yes, there is a certain elegance of minimalism. But thats because erasing that which is superfluous allows us to see the beauty in the essential. Cleaning the slate can be niceâ€"temporarily freeingâ€"but only because we  can fill the slate with whatever adds value to our  lives. Real value, though, comes only from inside usâ€"not the room, not the stuff. Of course this is much easier to notice if  theres less junk  cluttering our lives. Subscribe to The Minimalists via email.