Era of Minimalism

Keep the elements simple. Incorporate a lot of whitespace. Frame everything within clean, straight lines. Think of your favourite local cafes and independent fashion brands – they would likely would fit this description, and probably all look the same.

We’re living in the era of minimalism, both in terms of form and function. Pinterest and Instagram have fuelled its reach, and we even had a documentary extolling the virtues of doing more with less.

Being fully honest – I’m entirely guilty of succumbing to the influence of this aesthetic. I consider myself to be an independent thinker and make concerted efforts to absorb different and ‘unpopular’ perspectives. But when it comes to the way my living space looks, the clothes I wear and the establishments I frequent, the minimal mentality is ever present. I mean, the design of our website and this newsletter speak to that.

But have we gone too far? Do we consider colourful, vibrant designs to be undesirable? Modernist designs give the impression that all imperfections have been removed, that they are made to work for you. But complete efficiency is better suited for machines. The human experience calls for a little flavour.

I’m intrigued to see what comes next, and how the following generation decorate their lives.

Leisure

As we head into the holiday period, the importance of rest and ‘leisure’ cannot be underestimated.

I was recommended the following book by Josef Pieper, titled ‘Leisure – the basis of culture’. It frames leisure not as the act of doing nothing, but as a state of being that allows for the time to contemplate on what really matters and foster a receptivity to the wonders of existence.

This will be the last edition of the newsletter for 2020, as I aim to find some time for leisure in the coming weeks. I encourage you all to do the same, and to remain safe and healthy.