Minimalism will never catch on We Are Makers

It dawned on me that no matter how hard we try to declutter there is something within us that will always push us towards accumulating or spreading our "footprint".

This thought was triggered by the word "maker" when looking at a new 3D printer in Kickstarter. A way to describe someone who prints "stuff".
We won't be model builder's but "makers" even as we build more and more affordable "stuff".

Lebensraum - expanding, needing "living space".

We downsize houses as we get older but perhaps still keep the idea of 3 smaller rooms in a gated community with a small garden/patio area.

Even as man builds upwards and trending towards arcologies our rulers will reserve the right to themselves to have their "compounds" separate from the masses. We get slugged with recycling costs, "total cost" of the products lifecycle.

Man will always be a maker - it is on our Nature.

It is who we are.

We are love makers, we are trouble makers. We are fakers, we are joy,we are free, we are make believers. In truth we are none of these, cause that's what we appear to do.a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

I agree with you.

The very idea of minimalism pisses me off. I want my stuff to be big and awesome. I am not interested in small footprints or tiny thinking. Not that I am against it if someone else wants to live that way, but just not for me.

King Crimson! Not Phillip Glass!

originally posted by: Metallicus
a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

I agree with you.

The very idea of minimalism pisses me off. I want my stuff to be big and awesome. I am not interested in small footprints or tiny thinking. Not that I am against it if someone else wants to live that way, but just not for me.

Someone’s overcompensating...[ wiggles pinkey ]

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

I dunno I don't like living with a bunch of junk, I prefer to keep things simple.

Are being a maker and being a minimalist mutually exclusive? Are they even particularly related?

Ill need some convincing, I think. It seems a maker can easily be minimalist, and the other way around. Even further, minimalism can inspire what is made and what is made can lead to minimalism.

I probably missed the point

In another thread , ATS member BEBOG said;

Is an itch the desire or the scratch?

As "makers" who's itch do we scratch?

The Zen of Itchy and Scratchy?

In the beginning was itchy and soon after came scratchy, then scratchy decided to leave. Life for itchy on his own was just terrible. Itchy decided that life was hell and decided to do away with himself. Scratchy decided to come back, but alas there was no itchy to be found. Life was boring with nobody to scratch, scratchy joined a Zen monastery and learnt one hand clapping.
a reply to: Whatsthisthen

originally posted by: ancientthunder
In the beginning was itchy and soon after came scratchy, then scratchy decided to leave. Life for itchy on his own was just terrible. Itchy decided that life was hell and decided to do away with himself. Scratchy decided to come back, but alas there was no itchy to be found. Life was boring with nobody to scratch, scratchy joined a Zen monastery and learnt one hand clapping.
a reply to: Whatsthisthen

That is so sad : (

Poor Scratchy . . .

A lesson for children.

Be nice to your friends or no one will play with you and you will end up all alone in a Zen monestary.

That should change the world in just a generation.

Pat-a-cake pat-a-cake is really hard to play one handed.

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

"Minimalism will never catch on" Really? OK, let's talk architecture.

Look at buildings from the past. Very ornate compared to today. Neo classical, Gothic, even more modern styles like Victorian show considerable creativity compared to the concrete boxes we see now. The modern architects must derive their inspiration from the ugly crap put up by the communists in soviet Russia. Their grandest design is the skyscraper made to look like a giant concrete penis.

a reply to: ancientthunder

Appearances are everything?

a reply to: Assemble

Well if its junk then you quite rightly don't want it. Others may see things differently.

a reply to: Serdgiam

I was thinking along the lines ( I did mention 3d printing ) that we make, buy, create "stuff" and that the cost of stuff grows cheaper.
You make a good point.

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

I maybe don't understand your OP correctly, but i'll try to explain my position.

I know people who have a lot of stuff in their houses, numerous ornaments and stuff.

I try to keep my house with minimal things. Really what do I use each day, my bed, my sofa, my cooker, my fridge. One or two other things but I think hopefully the point is there.

Someone last week gave me a themed plant as a gift (the plant pot was Christmas themed). It was thoughtful enough, but what would I do with it? It's just more clutter.

As for 'making', ehhh, I run a website, it's not great, but I learned html and css myself, as I didn't like the restrictions of using a blogging software. I'm a Christian so I like to tell people about the Gospel and help people, so I think I am 'making' people happy in this life and the next. I don't really need much physical stuff to be happy.

Anyway, I suppose that was a bit about myself. What do you think, and/or, does that make sense?

could be everthing, but possibly nothing is much more than we had thought.a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

I personally reject the notion that materialism is a bad thing. I guess I find the way others approach it to be distasteful from time to time, but whatever who cares and who am I to judge really, to each his own I guess. I 'm not saying I want to be rich, though I suppose that wouldn't be a bad deal either. Prosperous, though. I do aim to be prosperous.

I like my stuff. I can get a lot done with my stuff. I save a lot of money with my stuff. I make money with my stuff. You can save a lot of money with the right stuff. You can make a lot of money with the right stuff.

You can build a house, or a six story office building, or a workbench, survive a disaster, or perform surgery, with the right stuff. Maybe this "stuff" stuff's not so bad after all.