320

 Counting objects

I do not advocate counting objects one lives with. What is more important is developing a caring, more mindful attitude towards objects and consumption of them, and a corresponding practice. How many objects one lives with depends on so many factors. It depends on, for example, one's personal circumstances, hobbies, job, the climate one lives in. I live with very few objects because for my work and my hobby I only need my laptop. I do not have children and pets. I can wear the same outfit every day for all occasions. I like cooking only simple food, so I don't need special equipment. Whenever I need some tools, I can borrow them. 

The number of objects I live with changes. For example, recently a fellow human gave me a vase from her collection as a gift. Sometimes I keep the jars that come with food. I also gave away some objects that came into my life as gifts. 

Yet, recently I was working on an article that is based on my autoethnography, and for it I decided to count the objects I live with. I take extra care to say that this is simply my practice and surely not a benchmark. Though fellow humans can step on a similar path if they so choose. When it comes to changing culture, it is indeed my hope that my fellow humans will become curious about their own relationships with objects and consumption and critical of overconsumption. I hope that I can provide an example of having a meaningful and fulfilling life without stuff. 

I live with 16 items of clothing. They include 2 pairs of sweatpants, 1 pair of shorts, 2 loose linen shirts, 2 pyjama shorts that I wear at home. The rest are basic tops such as cami tops, tank tops and t-shirts. I could certainly live with less. My ideal wardrobe would consist of only 2 pairs of sweatpants (2 pairs of shorts in summer) and 2 basic tops. But this is not sustainable, as I would have to do my laundry very often and replace basic tops often too, as this is one item that wears out quickly even if it's well made. I would love to live without the linen shirts I just mentioned. I realised that I often wear them because I don't wear a bra and I want to avoid unpleasant stares from men. There is a phenomenon/practice called "subway shirt", so I am far from being the only person who wears loose clothing to feel safe. Because I still wear these shirts, I say that I have a 3-item wardrobe, as every day I wear a uniform of sweatpants, a basic top and a shirt. Now it is spring and I try to avoid wearing my one and only jacket and the only scarf I have as much as possible. In winter I will be using more items again, such as arm warmers and hats that I share with my loved one. 

In addition to those items, I have three pairs of shoes (1 pair of running shoes and 2 pairs of sandals). I wear sandals in winter when it's not snowing here in Copenhagen. I have 1 backpack and several cotton tote bags. I don't own a handbag. 

I have practised minimalism for around 15 years and have studied my own practice for 8 years or so. I certainly do not want to live with more clothes.

In the article I am writing, I will structure my consumption not around the planes of being as I did in my first autoethnographic work, but around basic needs. This is because these needs are where my consumption is focused. Apart from clothing, I could count my personal possessions (my laptop, phone, water bottle, cotton pouch with my bank card and id), but what is perhaps more interesting are personal care items. I have only 5 of them, and some of them I share with my partner. 

319

 Small actions

I believe that small and even micro sustainability actions and practices matter so much. This is not because I think that my personal actions will stop ecological degradation. Surely they will not. But such actions and practices allow me to consistently develop a different way of relating with objects, to take part in changing culture. By different I mean more respectful, more gentle, caring, loving, mindful, honouring embodied non-humans (such as trees and plants) and embodied human labour, fellow humans' skills, energy, time. 

In the picture above are food leftovers. I could thrown them away but I decided to keep them. In the picture below is a gift I received from a fellow human. I always let others know that I practise extreme minimalism and zero-waste and that I do not want any gifts. If they really want to give something, then I propose alternative ways of giving, such as giving to a charity or a cause I support, or giving to someone in need. I live with very few items and perhaps to many it would look like I am in need of something, but I certainly am not. The fellow human I just mentioned gave me local flowers and branches, and a vase from her own collection. I felt deep gratitude for the thought that went into this gift.  

My loved one gave me flowers recently (below). Perhaps it is difficult for him to avoid expressing his feelings via gifts, as it's such a normal thing to do. Over time, he gave me some objects but I gave them all away because they will serve some fellow human better than me. This might be controversial. But this decision does not come from a lack of appreciation and gratitude. It comes from a desire for a better distribution of objects in society and a desire to live with what is lagom for me.