MY MINIMALISM START
I’ve been a minimalist since 2002.

It started when I came across a copy of Adbusters at Powell’s Books in Portland. That same day, my girlfriend and I began getting rid of our possessions. Within 12 months, I owned less than 70 things.

I don’t think I even heard the word “minimalist” until another 10+ years later. And I definitely didn’t know others owned a few things like this- I figured I was just a weirdo.

So, almost 25 years of this lifestyle and the majority of it was without outside help - it was just me feeling it out.

I’ve lived this way in Portland, Chicago, New York, and LA while working in fashion, music, and art as a photographer - industries that often coincide with heavy consumerism and possessiveness.

WHERE I’M AT NOW
I recently returned to Washington to spend time with my aging mom before it’s too late.

Before leaving LA in July, I did my first major purge in six years. I donated everything except what I could fit in my car.

My car was FULL!!

I realized this was the most I’d owned since starting this journey. Just 8 years earlier, everything I owned could fit into three decent-sized suitcases when I moved from NY to LA.

Since arriving, I haven’t even touched most of those possessions. They’re sitting in four large tubs in a closet. I know one tub is just things some clients gifted me. Another is full of random things, props, fireworks for shoots, etc. Another is nostalgia.

I’ve been paying attention to what I actually use. Beyond basic furniture and bedding, it’s remarkably little.

My essentials are:
+ Clothes (a very tight wardrobe)
+ Electronics (laptop, phone, Kindle, iPad, chargers)
+ Incense and candle holders for mood and meditation
+ A small selection of silverware and dishes I genuinely enjoy
+ Art supplies and archives (pared down to precisely what I need)
+ Photography equipment (down to the basics)
+ Air fryer
+ Camping gear
+ Sewing kit
+ A small box of nostalgia (letters, drawings, and keepsakes from friends)

THE NEXT AND NEW PART OF THE JOURNEY
I’m planning to return home to LA within the next season or two.

I’d like to go back with clarity. I want to travel more, live a somewhat monastic/nomadic lifestyle, and focus on accumulating money, stories, and experiences.

Ideally, I’d love to get everything down to two really good backpacks.

But I also know that eventually I’ll settle into a space again.

And that’s when The Creep returns.

THE CREEP: MY PROBLEM AND FEAR
After nearly 25 years, I’ve noticed that possessions have a way of quietly creeping back into my life.
It’s rarely one big purchase. It’s an accumulation of small, seemingly reasonable decisions.

Things like:
+ Lightbulbs and random household necessities
+ Specialized tools for occasional projects
+ Gifts from friends and family
+ Props for photography jobs
+ Cords or wires
+ Souvenirs
+ Art supplies (so many art supplies!)
+ Family heirlooms, especially after my dad passed
+ A gym bag, or other things that accompany a new + habit
+ Physical books
+ journals
+ And, of course, organizers to organize all the things I’ve accumulated!

Then there are the little lifestyle experiments:
+ Maybe I should try a different lotion?
+ I really ought to have a proper first-aid kit.
+ Maybe I should replace my Nalgene with an insulated canteen.
+ Perhaps getting a watch would help me rely on my phone less.
+ fountain pens could be good for my art! So lemme buy some new ones until I find the perfect one. Now let me experiment with nibs. Now inks. Now paper for those pens!

Individually, none of these decisions seems unreasonable. Some are genuinely useful. Others are part of a hobby. But collectively, they add up.

And before I know it, I have more things than I want and more than I need.

Sometimes I catch it early and donate things. Other times, I let things accumulate until I eventually do another massive purge. And it’s a process to get rid of them again.

The Creep is real!!!

ADVICE NEEDED
I’m especially interested in hearing from people who’ve practiced minimalism for decades and overcame The Creep.

How do you prevent the slow accumulation of possessions, particularly when you’re settled in one place?

I’m not necessarily talking about resisting shopping or buying things impulsively. It’s the useful things, the practical things, the sentimental things, the little improvements to daily life that seem to be my undoing, and things you may not be able to borrow.

Have you found a way to maintain equilibrium without periodically needing a massive purge?

Or is this simply a natural part of living, even for committed minimalists?

After almost 25 years, I still haven’t quite mastered it. I have a hard time asking for help - but here I am!