My Minimalism Journey
In my line of work I’m often asked, “Have you always been organized?” The answer is “yes”, but organization and minimalism are two different things. I have not always been a minimalist. Being organized as child was mostly about keeping my room tidy and completing my schoolwork. Compared to the responsibilities we face as adults, this was an easy task (even if it didn’t seem like it at the time). Discovering minimalism has been the ultimate life hack to being a happy, successful adult.
1987 | Kristen with her first pet rabbit, Hershey Kiss
2006 | Kristen in her college home in Blacksburg, Virginia
My minimalism journey began while I was studying Architecture at Virginia Tech from 2001 to 2006. Beauty in simplicity, rigorous order, and even minimalism were concepts I was exposed to for the very first time. During my third year, I moved off campus into a home built in 1920. My bedroom didn’t have a closet and I didn’t own any furniture except for a bed, so I took it upon myself to create a storage solution. I designed and built a piece of furniture to serve as my desk, my closet, and storage for other miscellaneous items I owned at that stage of my life. It also acted as a room divider between the restful (bed) and active (desk) spaces in the room.
This is the first time I remember connecting with minimalism because I started the project by asking myself what the simplest, strongest solution was to my storage dilemma. Instead of multiple pieces of furniture filling up the room, I was determined to have one piece that could do it all.
My next big step toward minimalism came a few years later. I had been working in Richmond as an architect since 2006 and was laid off due to the housing market crash in the fall of 2008. There were very few architecture jobs available and I remained un- or under-employed for about two years. During this period, I brought in on average about $12 to $15K per year (pre-tax) and worked up to five part time jobs at any given time. Finances were tight, so I began to look deeper at the things in my home I’d organized. I considered what I might be able to do without in exchange for the money I could get by selling them. I began listing items for sale on eBay and Craigslist and was able to make enough money to stay afloat during a very uncertain time. I never had to borrow money or create credit card debt—the entire experience was incredibly empowering. It became almost a game for me to see just how far I could simplify. Asking myself what I could do without also curbed my purchasing habits. I was spending less, had more freedom, and was able to focus on what mattered. I was confident and happy, and it had nothing to do with acquiring the right “things” or income.
This led to the clarity I needed to begin Minima in 2010. I experienced firsthand the incredible impacts minimalism had on my own life and wanted to help others achieve the same sense of peace and empowerment.
My minimalism journey had one more big step—an ovarian cancer diagnosis the same month I received my LLC certificate in the mail for Minima. The diagnosis put my entrepreneurial dreams on hold while I underwent multiple surgeries and several months of chemotherapy. While I rested in bed, too weak to do anything else, I would daydream about Minima’s brand and mission—to help others Make what is necessary beautiful®. This dream kept me energized and provided a light at the end of the tunnel. Having a simple, minimalist space also made my life maintenance easy during this time. It was the perfect sanctuary for me to rest and recover. Losing my normal life for almost half a year and being dependent on loved ones further deepened my value of relationships and experiences over stuff. You can read about my full cancer journey here (I kept an online journal).
2013 | At TEDxRVA, Kristen shares how beating cancer helped her overcome her fears associated with starting a business.
As soon as I was well in the spring of 2011, I hit the ground running and created the website and other marketing materials. I was on a tight budget, so everything was DIY. Instead of looking at this as a limitation, I saw it as an opportunity—how could I create something beautiful from my limited resources? I decided black and white would be the perfect brand colors for Minima. I knew how to use Photoshop and Illustrator from my time at Virginia Tech, so I was able to DIY all of the photos and imagery for the website and social media. I purchased a Brother black and white laser printer and premium thickness paper from Staples and printed all of my own marketing materials. I still keep the business as simple as possible today. Whenever an opportunity comes along, I make a yes/no decision by asking if it will add lasting value or is necessary to Minima’s bigger plan.
2020 | Kristen’s current home in Richmond
To me, minimalism is about having clarity around the vision you have for your life and making decisions to support that direction. My vision is to do a few things extremely well rather than a lot of things “well enough”. Keeping my home low-maintenance and as simple as possible is a key component to making everything work.
When COVID hit, I felt pulled to tell my story again. At the beginning of Minima’s journey almost 10 years ago, my story was told over and over—the press love a good triumph over tragedy piece and I’m very grateful for that! This spring (after a solid period of mourning and then acceptance) I realized, “Economic struggle and illness? I’ve been through this before and came out the other side stronger.” To anyone reading, I hope you will feel empowered to simplify and conquer.