The minimalist trend has swept the nation. Architects, interior designers, lifestyle bloggers, and so many more have found minimalism and ran with it. For good reason too. Eliminating excess in your life can help make room for things that are more positive like self-reflection or meaningful relationships. This often looks like simplifying your finances, decluttering your home, and practicing mindfulness to clear your mind. However, it is not a perfect fit for everyone. If you have started practicing minimalism and feel like your self-expression is limited, maximalism could be what you are looking for.
Maximalism is the response to minimalism, not the opposite. Instead of encouraging clutter and disorder, it promotes including everything in your life that brings you joy. If you are a collector and your bottle caps make you happy, put them on display. If you love a cozy living room, fill it with soft surfaces and pillows.
Are you minimalist or maximalist? If you aren’t sure, try this flowchart from Invaluable that will help you figure out which style you relate to most. Both of these lifestyles can be very positive and once you realize which one you identify with, you can start to figure out ways to build a healthy, enriched lifestyle that supports it.
Please include attribution to invaluable.com with this graphic.