Quotes About Minimalism

I know people who have, until recently, lived with dirt floors. There are people who live way back off the grid, without electricity. Not a whole lot, but quite a few. That's a choice for a lot of them. There might be a religious element in their isolation, at least with some of them.

I remember when I was in school I had this teacher give me this E.L. Doctorow quote: They asked him how much historical research he does for his books and he said, 'As little as possible.' So I try and adhere to that.

When I started to use fewer ingredients in my cooking, I was reminded of the uncomplicated flavours of my childhood.

I do not gather things, I prefer to rent them rather than to possess them.

As a single guy, the baseline of what I needed was so low. I just needed an air mattress, food, and rent money.

There is one advantage to having nothing, it never needs repair.

As for minimalism, I don't care, don't care, don't care to repeat myself, repeat myself.

I don't really hype myself up with fancy things.

What I most identify with is effortless fashion, looking as if someone's not put a lot of effort into their look.

I wanted to see if I could be happy without a lot of stuff. And what I found out was, yeah, I really could.

I like sparseness. There's something about that minimalist feel that can make something have an immediate impact and make it unique. I'll probably always work with that formula; I just don't know how.

To grow up under really simple circumstances, and to understand that certain things were ornamental... that made an impression on me as a child and is something I use.

I have the impression that every word is a word too many. I'm constantly holding myself back.

It is not the greatness of a man's means that makes him independent, so much as the smallness of his wants.

Small is good. For one thing, small projects can be simple.

Certain material possessions make my life more enjoyable, many others do not…. All too often, a vast collection of possessions end up possessing their owner

I don't even own a car.

The less you want, the happier you'll be.

I make spaces that are calm rather than confrontational. I seek a certain kind of logic that allows you to move in space and perceive it as beautiful and rational. Clarity is a worthwhile quality.

I like things clean, and I have a biannual clean-out of my apartment. I throw out raggedy things and things I never wear, and there's a Goodwill around the corner for anything worthwhile.

There was a big drive when I was at art school to make you aware of the economy of meaning - after all, this was still during the tail end of minimalism. Being responsible for everything you put in your picture, and being able to defend it. Keeping everything clear around you so you know what is operating. To open the wound and keep it clean.

Hemingway's minimalism is based on the psychological mechanics of repression. An echo of his approach can be detected in a favorite trope of 1980s minimalists: a pattern of reference to dire secrets and hidden wounds these authors didn't realize they were supposed to have imagined.

I love it when a few simple ingredients come together on a plate, and I think, 'Wow, that's a dish.'

When deciding what to buy, remember that some things are easy to buy—but then we have to use them. If they're not used, they don't enhance our lives; they just contribute to guilt and clutter.