A Step Forward

Grim. That's a fair way to put how life has been portrayed over here at Minimalist Mommi. Negativity consumed my brain this week, as is evident in the previous posts. Truthfully, that's ok by me. I'm a lover of honesty, and truth be told, life is not always rainbows and unicorns. This blog and writing in general are my release of the mental demons begging to eschew my sense of a rational reality. In my quest to a minimalist mind, I often forget to stop. Breathe. Run through the emotions. Let them be. And move on.

And this is the brunt of what I really needed to say these last few days, beautifully constructed into melody and lyrics:


Ok, so maybe this three minutes of musical beautification slightly diverts from my no TV/Netflix/Video week, but it was needed. Plus, I can't just add the song from my Pandora station to share; thus leaving YouTube as the best option.


Those carefully sung words are minimal. Only a few words are needed to convey the pain and truth and needs. Turn off the words, and you're left with an inspiring three minutes of perfectly crafted instrumentals. This sort of thing, better known as music, is what helps me snap out of a funk. It's hard not to be happy or relaxed when a piece just speaks to you. The artist took the time to intricately piece words and instruments together to share thoughts and emotions. The rest of us reap that reward. And from their creation, more creations can become. Painting to music. Cooking to music. Dancing to music. A simple three minutes of my life became transformed into something uniquely mine and beautiful.

Without fault, every single time I hear the above Sia song, I can't help but dance. Movement oozes from my pores. Limbs begin moving independently as if octopus tentacles. A leg up. Arm bent and down. Fingers splayed. Foot pointed. Modern dance is my medium. Poorly danced, but lovingly so. At that moment, my body has no other option. Dancing is a priority despite children grabbing my hand or toys under my ever-moving feet. Hope must be breathed back into me by way of random poetic movement.

And this is what saves me. Creation catalyzed by a different creator. All allowed due to minimalism yet again. Less mess in the house means less to trip over as my body uncontrollably moves in every which way. Desire for less means I don't turn to shopping or food or anything else when in a rut. Finally, the best part is that trying to achieve a minimalist mind means that the more work I put in, the easier creation becomes. The easier I calm down. The easier I can appreciate and find beauty in tiny details. The easier I can remember the truly important aspects of life. When you're in a physical and mental state of clutter, how likely is it that a blip of music in your day will help dissolve your stresses and worries and sadness? Not very likely. When you remove it all, there's room for the smallness of creations to exude happiness, which then takes over your being.

For those that stuck around this week, I'm truly grateful. I hope I can provide a shred of evidence that working through mental clutter IS possible despite the tumultuous turns it may take. Remember to find those blips of beauty whether it be a song, a photograph, or nature. Find the real creations that hold meaning and forget the rest.

What are the creations that bring meaning in your life? What lifts you up when in a downward spiral?