3 Must read articles - Discovering: Laura Callaghan - The Gallery: Amateur photographer Maria Gutierrez
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BONHOMIA
MUST READ
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INDEX 08
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22 MUST READ: Temple Bar: Not only pubs..................................................................................................................................................................................................................8
THE GALLERY: 1,23... Shot - María Gutierrez...................................................................................................................................................................................................14
MUST READ: Hi, I’m Netflixaholic................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................17
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DISCOVERING: Laura Callaghan................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................22
MUST READ: Minimalism...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................28
STAFF
Bohomia Magazine Editor in Chief: Ernest Swan
(swaner@bhmag.es) Creative Director: Dorah Jonshon
(doraahj@bhmag.es) Designers: María Gutiérrez, Elenah Blanco,
Paula Jeans, Robert Redford, Jonash Jonshon. (mgarrillaga@bhmag.es) (elenab@bhmag.es) (paujs@bhmag.es) (roberred@bhmag.es) (jonashj@bhmag.es) Picture editor: Maria Gutiérrez
(mgarrillaga@bhmag.es) Copy editor: Gabriel Ramos
(gabrielra@bhmag.es) Proofreaders: Bryan Just & Laurah Mcnielle.
(bryanj@bhmag.es) (laumcn@bhmag.es) Production Manager: Sandra Stephan
(sandrastph@bhmag.es) Editor in Chief: Ernest Swan
(swaner@bhmag.es) Creative Director: Dorah Jonshon
(doraahj@bhmag.es) Designers: María Gutiérrez, Elenah Blanco,
Paula Jeans, Robert Redford, Jonash Jonshon. (mgarrillaga@bhmag.es) (elenab@bhmag.es) (paujs@bhmag.es) (roberred@bhmag.es) (jonashj@bhmag.es) Picture editor: Maria Gutiérrez
(mgarrillaga@bhmag.es)
MUST READ
TEMPLE BAR: NOT ONLY PUBS TEXT: ANDREW BOUQUETTE PHOTOS:
Temple bar is the most famous zone of Dublin city. The zone is named after the most popular pub in the city. Life music, pints of Guinnes and food are abundant but there is a cultural side we invite you to discover.
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MARIA GUTIERREZ
Título artículo
Temple Bar Pub
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TĂtulo artĂculo
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Illustrations in Temple Bar streets
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MUST READ
emple Bar has always been a popular spot – the Vikings set up camp here as far back as 795 A.D. Their settlement remains can be seen in Dublin Castle today. Fast forward a few centuries to a time when British diplomat Sir William Temple built his grand residence and gardens on the site, the name stuck and Temple Bar was born.
The Temple Bar area is a square on the south bank of the River Liffey with off-shooting streets and narrow laneways. This hugely popular cultural, entertainment and imbibement hub attracts large swathes of the city’s newcomers and natives. Its narrow cobbled thoroughfares reveal boutique hotels, speciality shops, boho cafés and plenty of those all-important pubs. Meeting House and Temple Bar Squares provide further congregational opportunies for lost or weary souls. And the area’s share of restaurants, galleries, shops and even an arthouse cinema reinforce Dublin’s youthful vibe.Thirsty travellers intending to whet their whistle will almost certainly find a bar or three to satisfy... We suggest the IFI bar, Gallagher’s Boxty House and the Porterhouse. For nightowls who refuse to relinquish the party, Club M is a popular singles spot for the slightly less discerning Edgier and more worthwhile, we think, is the Button Factory. Among the many restaurants, The Mongolian Barbecue is a fun allyou-can-eat, but there’s a pretty impressive variety of fodder from the pizzas and burgers of The Badass Café to the even more American-style food at The Elephant and Castle and the Italian delights of Trastevere. Shoppers should prise open their purses at the excellent food market that takes root every Saturday beside the Photographic Archive and the weekend book stalls crammed with tantalising tomes. Some nice second-hand CD shops and a few vintage clothes shops add to the eclectic retail experience. Temple Bar is as much about the fun and laid-back daytime vibe as it is the well-established nightlife scene. THE TEMPLE BAR PUB In 1599, Sir William Temple, a renowned teacher and philosopher, entered the service of the Lord Deputy Of Ireland. In 1609 Temple was made Provost of Trinity College, Dublin and Master Chancery in Ireland and moved to this country. Sir William Temple built his house and gardens on newly reclaimed land here on the corner of Temple Lane and the street called Temple Bar. In 1656, his son, Sir John Temple, acquired additional land, which with reclamation made possible by the building of a new sea wall, allowed the development of the area we now know as Temple Bar. In the 17th century ‘Barr’ (later shortened to Bar) usually meant a raised estuary sandbank often used for walking on. Thus the river Liffey embankment alongside the Temple family’s plot became known as Temple Bar. Later this evolved into the present thoroughfare connecting this whole area from Westmoreland Street to Fishamble Street. A tradition of a genuinely warm welcome and first rate friendly service, is the hallmark of the friendliest watering hole in Dublin. Whether you are alone or with a group of friends, the craic is mighty and you will always feel at home at the Temple Bar. Overseas and out of town visitors will find our staff to be a valuable mine of information on Dublin’s history and sights and can recommend others places to visit to make your stay a memorable time. The Temple Bar has it all. The Whiskey Collection, the Beer Garden (smoking area), the Oysters, the Atmosphere, the life Music Sessions, the and the Best pint of Guinness. There is always music in this bar, no matter the day. Don’t miss up the opportunitie of having a pint of Guinnes while you full your ears with famous covers played by street musicians. You can´t go from Temple Bar Pub without trying our famous oisters. Enjoy, relax and learn from the cultural side of this pub.
Temple Bar: Not only pubs
THE IFI: IRISH FILM INSTITUTE The National Film Institute (NFI, now the IFI) was founded in 1943 and officially incorporated on June 2, 1945. Established under the patronage of the influential and controversial Archbishop of Dublin, John Charles McQuaid, the NFI was dedicated to combating what Pope Pius XI described in his 1936 Papal Encyclical, Vigilanti Cura, as ‘the school of corruption’ in the motion picture industry and working for its transformation ‘into an effectual instrument for the education and the elevation of mankind’. While the other leading film organisation of the time, the Irish Film Society, was interested in interpreting and understanding the art of cinema, the NFI saw itself as the teacher and moral guardian of the cinema-going public. Under Archbishop McQuaid’s direction, the NFI not only maintained a distributing library of films available to schools, colleges and associations around the country, but also became involved in the production of safety, health and educational films in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s. Many of these were commissioned by government departments to offer information on matters of public health and safety, personal finance, and on historical and cultural subjects. The Institute also produced numerous educational ‘filmstrips’ for use in the classroom by teachers. Also notable is a series of films recording the highlights of All-Ireland Hurling and Football Finals between 1947 and 1979. By the early 1980s, Church influence within the NFI had declined, and in 1982, the decision was made to delete references to the Vigilanti Cura from the articles of association in order to reflect the now secular nature of the Institute, and to rename the organisation as the Irish Film Institute (IFI). While it was clear that the Irish Film Institute was no longer concerned with the morals of its audience, education through film was still a significant part of its remit: an education department was developed with the aim of bringing a broader and deeper experience of cinema to audiences of all ages and abilities, from primary school children to senior citizens. The IFI has had many homes over the years and has seen a radical transformation in its ethos since its foundation; however, a commitment to and love of cinema have always been central to its mission. In 2009, the IFI underwent an extensive redevelopment, supported by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism ACCESS II Scheme, which expanded its facilities to include a third cinema and new archive research facilities, allowing it to have ever more ambitious aims for itself and its audiences, while remaining dedicated to achieving its core objectives: Preserve, Exhibit and Educate.
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It’s the city’s playground, and it
has a lot going on: Music, art and culture. A delight for the senses.
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Temple bar: Not only pubs
MUST READ
TEMPLE BAR FOOD MARKET Temple Bar Food Market is held every Saturday from 10am-4.30pm in the heart of Dublin city centre at Meeting House Square.. This foodies paradise is nestled among the streets of the cultural quarter and is just waiting to be discovered. A wide range of hot and cold food is available. The reasons to buy your food at the Temple Bar Food Market are endless, low food miles, seasonal produce and a wide range of products in all weights and portion sizes. So come with a partner, come with a friend or come in solitary splendour to experience this unique shopping experience and help keep the culinary traditions alive! The passionate Food Market traders are on hand every Saturday to tell customers all about their product, how it was made and the very best way to cook and eat it. Perfect way to brighten up your Saturday. Go in just for a stroll, to buy some groceries, have lunch, or maybe just for a sweet and coffee al fresco. It’s quite a small market, but there is something here for everybody, including a vegetarian food truck and a gelato cart! Don’t forget that’ll you find a couple more stands across the street, outside the Meeting House Square. TEMPLE BAR GALLERY + STUDIOS Temple Bar Gallery + Studios (TBG+S) is an artists community in the heart of Dublin city centre. Founded in 1983, the building houses thirty artists’ studios in which professional visual artists make their work. was founded after Jenny Haughton rented a disused shirt factory from CIE and invited artists to take over the space. The early 20thcentury industrial building, which extended through a block from Temple Bar to the Liffey quays, provided the framework of spaces for artists to work in, although the conditions were problematic and at times hazardous. The activities of the artists - studios, exhibition space, cafe, sculptor’s annex - influenced the atmosphere of Temple Bar in the 1980’s, establishing the area’s reputation as a cultural hub and contributing to its regeneration as Dublin’s Cultural Quarter. The establishment of Temple Bar Properties in August 1991 spurred the rejuvenation of the area. Temple Bar Gallery + Studios was recognised as a flagship project and it was one of the first cultural organisations rehoused by the Temple Bar Cultural Quarter regeneration. The shirt factory building was extensively refurbished and customdesigned by leading Irish architects McCullough Mulvin. Thirty artists’ studios in a range of sizes (21m2 to 70m2) over four floors were provided and the gallery at ground floor level was enlarged to twice the previous size. Essential consideration was given to maximising the daylight in the studios with floor to ceiling windows in most studios. Temple Bar Gallery + Studios took occupation of the building on 1st November 1994 with a “Cultural Use Agreement” and a fair rent clause in place with Temple Bar Properties. Temple Bar Gallery + Studios supports a community of 30 artists working in subsidised studio spaces with over 40 artists circulating through our studios annually. Our Studio Artist Members benefit from excellent facilities and supports and participate in our regular open studios days, events, talks, screenings, and more tours managed by our team. Besides Temple Bar Gallery and Studios these include the Irish Photography Centre (incorporating the Dublin Institute of Photography, the National Photographic Archives and the Gallery of Photography), the Ark Children’s Cultural Centre, the Irish Film Institute change Arts Centre and the Gaiety School of Acting.. You can see expositions of different photographers who have experimented with different techniques to create real works of art.BAR BOOK MAT 12
GRAPHIC STUDIO DUBLIN Graphic Studio Dublin, Fine Art Printmakers, was established in 1960 to teach traditional printmaking skills (then unavailable in Irish art colleges), and to provide studios and technical assistance to artists to make fine art prints. Its five founders were Patrick Hickey, Leslie MacWeeney, Liam Miller, Elizabeth Rivers and Anne Yeats. Since 2007 the studios are housed in a stunning converted granary building: Distillery House, North Circular Road, Dublin 1. Its gallery, Graphic Studio Gallery, opened in 1988 in Cope Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 and has become an essential cultural feature of the city and is Dublin’s oldest exclusive fine art print gallery. The Gallery was established to promote fine-art printmaking in Ireland and abroad, to educate the public about fine art printmaking, and to exhibit and sell fine art prints on behalf of our studio members and gallery artists. It showcases up to 11 national and international fine art print exhibitions annually, as well as hosting talks and print demonstrations. Graphic Studio Dublin facilitates the following print techniques: etching, lithography, linocut, drypoint, carborundum, woodblock, aquatint, photo etching, blind embossing, collography and mezzotint. Technical assistance and education of artist members in the above printmaking techniques is core to our ethos. The Visiting Artists programme, operated by Graphic Studio Dublin has made one of the most important contributions to the development of Irish printmaking over the last ten years. Under this scheme, artists such as Donald Teskey, William Crozier, Hughie O’Donohue, Tony O’Malley among others who have little or no experience of printmaking, but are renowned in their own right as artists are invited to work with a trained technician to produce an edition of prints to showcase at the gallery. Each year Graphic Studio Dublin offers a number of Internship awards to graduates of Dublin fine art educational institutions and third level colleges specialising in print. Internship awards offer up to a year’s access to the studio, materials and technical guidance and assistance. This award is vital to the continuing existence of the studio. Graphic Studio Dublin relies on its membership for artistic development and ideas for projects.
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The internship encourages the enrolment of young artists, and provides mentorship linking a student’s college course with professional art practice in a working environment that will protect and encourage their development as an individual printmaker. The selection process begins with graduate degree shows in May and June.. •
Each year Graphic Studio Dublin offers a number of Internship awards to graduates
Título artículo
Graphic Studio in Temple Bar. Dublin
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THE GALLERY
1,2,3... SHOT! TEXT:
MARIA GUTIERREZ MARI MARI
PHOTOS:
The view of beauty trough the eyes of
this young photographer born in
Gijon. Experimen-
ting with light and shadow she made these snapshots make with love in colaboration with the amateur model
Paula Garcia
Maria was born in a small city in Asturias, (Spain).At the early age of six she moved to San Sebastian and began a new live. She loved drawing and dancing. When she was only three she started in rythmic gimnastics, sport that gave her the tenacy and discipline that complement this cheerful and natural young woman in she’s 20’s. She studied Management Assistance degree that gave her the oportunitie to live in one of her favourites cities: Barcelona. When finished , she decided to study Graphic Design, discipline that always has drawn her attention. There, she discovered that what at first seemed like a hobby was her real vocation. In the nesxt pages she present us one of her works in photography where she declares she is becoming addicted.
Maria Gutierrez’s autoportrait.
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THE GALLERY
1,2,3... shot!
Amateur Model Paula GarcĂa in shooting session by Maria Gutierrez
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1,2,3... shot!
THE GALLERY
Using sunlight as the principal source of ilumination gives the images a cosy and warm touch that maintains the elegance of the snapshots.
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THE GALLERY
1,2,3... shot!
Playing with natural lights and shadows the potographer tries to frame the model in geometrical figures where her beauty and features are eulogised.
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MUST READ
HI, I’M NETFLIXAHOLIC Text:
over
INVESTOPEDIA & MARIA GUTIEREZ
94.000.000 people are members of the big streaming developer. No one can scape
from the craze of this company and its entertainment creations. Want to be on the wave?
Just read our suggestions.
Netflix is currently the dominant company in the relatively young and hugely expensive on-demand media industry. By providing ondemand content, creating compelling original shows, using user data to better serve customers and letting customers consume content in the way that they prefer, Netflix is forcing cable companies to change the way they do business. In the long-run, Netflix’s success may be viewed as the first step in the unbundling of cable.Netflix is essentially a storehouse of content, including movies, documentaries, TV shows and educational programs. Customers pay a flat monthly fee and can consume any content at any time from whichever platform they prefer. In a sense, it is the first major disruption of television, which has become the dominant medium since its inception and proliferation in the middle of the 20th century. Netflix had humble beginnings, starting as a website where people could rent DVDs online and get them through the mail. In this version of the service, it competed with television for people’s entertainment time, but it competed more directly with established physical rental locations. Netflix then came out with on-demand shows, which made it superior to physical stores and television in many ways, as consumers were able to watch what they wanted, when they wanted. This innovation helped end the movie rental business and made it more important for cable companies and TV networks to begin offering on-demand content. Soon, Netflix began competing with TV networks directly for original content. While TV networks only approved shows based on pilots hitting certain metrics, Netflix became a more attractive destination for showrunners and script writers because it offered upfront contracts to create an entire season or two. Netflix also started uploading entire seasons at once, essentially creating the binge-watching atmosphere, in contrast to the once-aweek programming model. Many TV networks are experimenting with this model, even if it means sacrificing ad revenue.
Netflix’s success has been deemed an existential threat for the TV industry. Many consumers have already cut the cord from existing cable, as Netflix is 20% of the cost of most cable packages. Further, there are no cumbersome ads. Unbundling of cable is the TV networks’ worst fear; they would no longer receive regular revenue from being part of a cable package. Instead, they would have to compete on their own merits. Netflix’s success brings this closer to being a reality. Streaming services have broken down traditional barriers, democratised the best content and empowered the consumer. Quite frankly, we’ve never had it so good. But is this instant gratification offered through high-speed internet, Smart TVs and mobile devices really such a Golden Ticket? Or are we becoming a bunch of spoilt ‘don’t care how, I want it now’ Veruca Salts, whose collective compulsions and sense of entitlement are lessening our appreciation and dumbing down our cultural and emotional responses to great content? And, be honest, was that just one too many Willy Wonka references? We spoke to television scholars and media psychologists on whether marathon viewing is really enhancing our experience, beyond the buffet. If we can have everything, does everything mean anything? You may know lot of people who are members of Netflix. There is no day you don´t hear someone asking: Have you the new series released by Netflix? Did you see yesterday’s episode of...? And you think to yourself what such a coach potatoes. You feel a little bit out the loop so you decide to pay that monthly fee just to have something to talk about the day after. As new menber you will be a little bit loss, but don´t worry here we bring you the series that are currently a hit. Please do not exceed the consume of two episodes per day. Think that is imposible? Just push the play bottom and relax.. 19
Hi, I’m netflixaholic
MUST READ
HOUSE OF CARDS YEAR:
2015. GENRE: Political Drama
PLOT: After being
denied the Secretary of State position he was promised, Frank begins a corrupt climb of the political ladder that takes his career to unprecedented heights as his wife searches for her place in her husband’s spotlight.
NARCOS YEAR:
2015. GENRE: Crime thriller
“Narcos” chronicles the gripping real-life stories of the infamous drug kingpins of the late 1980s and the corroborative efforts of law enforcement to meet them head on in brutal, bloody conflict. It centers on notorious Colombian cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar and Javier Pena, a Mexican DEA agent sent to Colombia on a U.S. mission to capture and ultimately kill him. The initial episodes show how Escobar first became involved in the cocaine trade in Colombia. He was an established black marketeer in Medellín, moving trucks worth of illegal goods into Colombia during a time when this was strictly forbidden, when introduced to “Cockroach, a Chilean exile and underground chemist, whom with went into a drug—cocaine profitable bussiness. PLOT:
STRANGER THINGS YEAR:
2016. GENRE: SF
In 1983, in a US Energy laboratory a scientist is attacked by an unseen creature. A 12-year-old boy vanishes after encountering the creature while riding his bicycle home from a cinema session with his friends. PLOT:
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MUST READ
Hi, I’m netflixaholic
SENSE8 YEAR:
2015. GENRE: SF
A group of strangers all experience a rebirth which inexplicably links them intellectually emotionally and sensually we are taken along their journey to discover exactly what they are going through witnessing their interactions from face to face conversations from opposite sides of the world without the use of any devices, using each other’s skills and abilities, learning about each other, all the while being pursued by a secretive group that wish to lobotomise them in order to prevent a evolutionary path they do not wish to become humanity’s future. PLOT:
ORANGE IS DE NEW BLACK YEAR:
2013. GENRE: Comedy
Piper Chapman, a woman in her thirties who is sentenced to fifteen months in prison after being convicted of a decade-old crime related to her drug-dealing girlfriend. PLOT:
BETTER CALL SAUL YEAR:
2015. GENRE: Dram
Following the events of Breaking Bad, Saul Goodman is living under the assumed name Gene in Omaha, Nebraska and managing a Cinnabon. One night, after work, he watches a tape of television ads made when he worked as an attorney. Back in 2002, Jimmy McGill (Saul’s birth name) is a struggling public defender in Albuquerque, New Mexico. PLOT:
THE GET DOWN YEAR:
2016. GENRE: Musical Drama
PLOT: It focuses on 1970s New York City - broken down and beaten up, violent, cash
strapped dying. Consigned to rubble, a rag-tag crew of South Bronx teenagers are nothings with no one to shelter them - except each other, armed only with verbal games, improvised dance steps, some magic markers and spray cans. Dance, music and rythme. 21
DISCOVERING
LAURA CALLAGHAN TEXT:
MARIA GUTIERREZ
This Irish illustrator Laura Callaghan uses watercolor and indian ink to create this vibrant images where the main characters are young womans. many renamed brands like
While Yoga. One of Laura’s famous illustrations.
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Her detailed images have appear in
Urban Outfitters.
DISCOVERING
Sarah Callaghan
Illustrations of Sarah. From right to left: Fashion front row, Shy and Hangover
Sarah uses a combination of different materials to create her illustrations. Watercolours, indian ink and sharp markers are her best colleges for her works. Her illustrations are so detailed taht the viewer can’t even catch everything in one glance. You will discover a new element each time you turn to see one of her illustrations.
Colour & Ink
She creates an entire world for each character inviting the spectator to imagine how is the life of the person who is in the paper.
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Sarah Callaghan
DISCOVERING
Above two illustrations that appeared in famous magazines. In the left: Glotony carb, in the right; technological issues.
We first came across Laura Callaghan at an Art & Craft market in Peckham where her super cool illustration style caught our eye. Born in Co. Louth in Ireland and now living in South East London Laura has illustrated for brands inc Urban Outfitters, Motel Rocks and Office Shoes not forgetting to mention a range of mags and papers like The Sunday Telegraph and Stella Magazine. Graduating with an MA in Illustration from Kingston in 2010 the illustrator work is hand drawn using a mixture of watercolour, indian ink and the smallest pens she can get her hands on.Laura was illustration editor for Oh Comely between 2010-2013, and she has recently drawn a collection of particularly memorable images for Riposte. Her illustrations are based in characters, so she always begin with an idea of who that person might be, their back story or mood. It keeps things interesting for her and thinks it adds importance to the final atmosphere of a piece. We first came across Laura Callaghan at an Art & Craft market in Peckham where her super cool illustration style caught our eye. Born in Co. Louth in Ireland and now living in South East London Laura has illustrated for brands inc Urban Outfitters, Motel Rocks and Office Shoes not forgetting to mention a range of mags and papers like The Sunday Telegraph and Stella Magazine. •
Above: Photobooth sessions
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DISCOVERING
Sarah Callaghan
Illustration of Laura. Girl out of the blue
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Título artículo
MUST READ
MINIMALISM Photos: MARIA GUTIERREZ
Have you ever think about living with less? This documentary shows how your live can improve with less.Happines is not about having more, is about needing less.
Feeling esceptical? Just read.
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Título artículo
We spend so much time on the hunt. But nothing ever quite does it for us. And we get so wrapped up in the hunt that it kind of makes us miserable. We as a culture have lost our minds.There’s no question that what it means to have achieved the American Dream has increased tremendously in material terms.This is not something that just happened yesterday. This is something that has been sold to us over the past hundred years by those that want to make a whole lot of money. You have this thing that you were obsessed about, but then the new version comes out, and now you no longer care about the one you have. In fact, the one you have is a source of dissatisfaction. People are beginning to recognize that they have been tricked. There is no “out” until you become aware. You’re not going to get happier by consuming more. Ready? I was born ready. Script from Minimalism: A documentary about the important things
Photography by Maria Gutierrez
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Título artículo
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THE GALLERY MUST READ
Minimalism
28 Photography by Maria Gutierrez
MUST READ
M
inimalism is a lifestyle that helps people question what things add value to their lives. By clearing the clutter from life’s path, we can all make room for the most important aspects of life: health, relationships, passion, growth, and contribution. There are many flavors of minimalism: a 20-year-old single guy’s minimalist lifestyle looks different from a 45-year-old mother’s minimalist lifestyle. Even though everyone embraces minimalism differently, each path leads to the same place: a life with more time, more money, and more freedom to live a more meaningful life.Getting started is as simple as asking yourself one question: How might your life be better if you owned fewer material possessions? Every human has the innate desire to create: we all want to add value to the world. Hence, we are all creators of some sort: Some of us are writers, painters, musicians. Some people scrapbook, take photos, make cool things with their hands. Every human must also consume, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with consumption: It’s necessary. We must eat food, drink water. Plus, we all tend to purchase hygiene products, furniture for our homes, and other material possessions that bring us joy—books, music, etc. Shortly after the Industrial Revolution, though, corporations found themselves drowning in too much supply and not enough demand. So, via advertisements and various talking heads, people were told they needed to consume more. Even today, we are told to “keep the economy going” we must buy more stuff. What’s worse is we buy into this lie. Marketers do a great job convincing us we need more: they establish a void so we will try to fill it. This is no secret; in fact, we take it for granted now: amongst the bombardment, we realize what advertisers are doing, yet we still give them carte blanche with our attention. For most of us, however, the void has nothing to do with a need to consume more; in fact, the opposite is true: when we consume too much, we experience stress, anxiety, and depression, effectively deepening the void. Our possessions possess us. They weigh us down mentally, physically, emotionally, and the void becomes cavernous. We must realize the real void is on the other side of the equation: the void most of us feel is a creative void. The solution, then, is to create more and consume less—if we spend more time creating, we will spend less time consuming: This is how we move the needle of contentment back to the positive. But consumption isn’t the problem—compulsory consumption is. Purchasing more stuff to make us happy—adhering to a broken template—is the real issue. The solution is to consume deliberately—to ignore the inane advertisements so we can determine what we need based on our lives, not on what we’ve been told.We’re all different: what we need is different for each of us. Collecting material possessions is not unlike hoardingThe word collector just sounds nicer. No matter how hard we try to hide behind euphemisms and other semantic trickery, though, the truth will always find us.
Minimalism
CONSUMPTION ISN’T THE PROBLEM, COMPULSORY CONSUMPTION IS. PURCHASING MORE STUFF TO MAKE US HAPPY IS THE REAL ISSUE.
We don’t believe there’s anything inherently wrong with owning material possessions, but we do wonder why so many of us collect things: why do we give our belongings so much meaning? The things we collect become elements of us: our collections become part of our identities. But what happens when we take away our collections—are we not the same beautiful people? The most fallacious misconception we encounter about minimalism has to do with the act of counting your possessions.“I could never be a minimalist, because I don’t want to live with less than 100 things.” We hear that a lot. Hell, even well-regarded Internet authorities inadvertently propagate this misconception, saying odd things like, “I’m not a minimalist … I have no desire to move to a 300-square-foot apartment and religiously track the number of socks I own.” Seeing people spout these misconceptions is unfortunate because it gives an important movement a black eye and scares people away from something greater. Often, the people promoting such ideas do so without malice, but they do so because they are afraid of labels. But, of course, labels are necessary. Minimalism is a tool that can help you focus on living a worthwhile life. It does so by eliminating superfluous items in our lives in favor of what’s necessary, beautiful, meaningful. Minimalism has allowed the two of us to focus on strengthening relationships, growing as individuals, and contributing to other people. And minimalism has helped thousands of people discover meaning in their lives. It has never been about counting stuff. The ostensible subject of counting your possessions is not the true subject—counting is never the point. The point is that taking a physical inventory of your life is eye opening, and it helps you get rid of unnecessary items so you can appreciate what you do have. You have to feel confortable with what you have. Make sure that all the items you have in your life make you happy and have a proporsal in your everyday life. More important, the point is that you don’t have to count your stuff, though you can if you want to. Either way, minimalism can help you live a better life: it can help you live more and need less, irrespective of how many pairs of socks you own. 29
MUST READ
Minimalism
The 333 Project: A Minimalist Fashion Experiment
33 THINGS FOR THREE MONTHS, JOIN THE CHALLENGE
This project is an attempt to reduce our clothing consumption. It’s a 3-month challenge in which you wear only 33 items, and put the rest of your closet in boxes, not to be touched until the 3 months is up. Step by step: STEP 1: Learn that I have too many clothes! We are nostalgic. We like to keep clothes for the “just in case” rule. For that reason we start to accumulate tones of clothes that we dont even know when was the las time we used that. STEP 2: Make a list Make a list of what you have and what you use for each of the situations you afront in the week: work, school, meeting friends... Try to come up with the things you haven’t use for the last 3 months and get rid of it. STEP 3: SEE WHAT YOU HAVE Now that you have get rid of that old clothes you may have notice that you have less things than you firstly thought. Make a list of that essential thing that will complete your perfect wardrobe. STEP 4: LET’S GET STARTED Now you have complete your wardrobe try to live with that for the next three months. When this period is finish you will notice the difference.It’s not surprising, though: thousands of people—women and men—have taken the Project 333 challenge and’ve found immense value in slashing their wardrobe, reducing their closets down to the essentials. room. In the next months you are going to leave with all that necessary clothes for your everyday life. Open your wardrobe and enjoy! 30