I have a roof over my head, a closet full of clothes, cupboards of dishes and pots, furniture to sit and sleep on. I have books to read, music to listen to, a computer to help me communicate. There are bins of fabrics and boxes of art supplies in my studio, and plenty of tools to use on them.
I think I have enough.
So what if I stopped buying things for a year? I mean no more clothes or furniture, no tools or gear. No new toys or books or supplies. Food and consumable daily essentials excepted, of course.
Can I make do with what I have? I think so. I have enough.
But why would I stop buying things? Largely because I dislike consumer culture (easy for me to say, since I think I have enough stuff). It is more satisfying to me to make my own stuff, as you probably realise from reading past entries here. But not buying anything for a year is broader than my DIY skillset. So doing this is definitely a personal challenge, but to what end? Here are some points that I’d hope to achieve:
- become mindful of my consumption
- exercise creativity by repurposing what I already have
- improve skills in repair, maintenance, & construction
- build networks through bartering and trade
- reduce my “ecological footprint” by decreasing waste and increasing the life of my things
- refocus my desires to more meaningful things, rather than an LED hula hoop
But what implications am I overlooking? What grey areas am I going to have to clarify? Before I jump into this, which I am likely to do for the new year, what hurdles can you think of that might make me stumble or fail?
