“For the most talented, successful designers in the industry, art is the secret ingredient that takes their work to the next level. Art is that little extra. Art is the personality infused into a piece of design or communication. Art is what sets it apart.” – Tobias van Schneider
Digital solitude
Curating our digital relationships diet
The focus within minimalism is often concentrated on the idea of owning less. Less clutter, fewer distractions. The idea being that with fewer possessions we can dedicate more of our attention and energy to what’s left.
And yet, when it comes to relationships, the opposite seems to be true. And this is especially true in the world of “digital relationships”. No one is chasing fewer followers or a smaller readership.
As social animals, we constantly try to make new connections, find new friends, meet new people. And the world of social media has exacerbated this behavior. The endless chase for new connections is slowly depriving those human interactions of their true value.
It takes time to know someone. And not only that, it requires effort. But in the digital world, time is a scarce resource. Conversations need to move forward, tweet after tweet, post after post, picture after picture.
As the social digital fabric of our lives grows wider it is also becoming shallower. And that’s inevitable. As much as we might think otherwise, our mental resources are limited.
And these shallow digital interactions are creating something I like to call digital solitude. The condition of being constantly connected with people and being tricked into thinking we’re not lonely.
As minimalists, we like to think that quality is more important than quantity. I believe that is true not only for our physical possessions but also for the relationships we cultivate in our lives.
A true good friend is worth a million Twitter followers and in the same way, a heartfelt email is worth more than countless Instagram comments.
What should we do about it?
I like to believe this is an easy problem to solve. It comes down to being mindful, curating our “digital relationships diet” the same way we curate many other aspects of our lives. We should focus our attention on the people we can really interact with. We should also make a real effort and try to really connect with people we find interesting or valuable.
The tools to connect and make real and deep new friendships are out there waiting to be used. What are you waiting for?
Words by Manu for Inside Minimalism Vol.2
01 – Journal
Read entries from the archive of the Minimalism Life® community journal
02 – Minimal art
From our curated gallery
03 – Minimal design
Explore our list of curated design resources
100 whites by Kenya Hara (book)
Opal web camera (tool)
The power of good design by Vitsœ (article)
In residence: Claudio Silvestrin (video)
04 – Minimal lifestyle
Explore our list of curated lifestyle resources for simple living
Reversed (blog)
Slowness (blog)
White space by Carl Barenbrug (article)
05 – Shop
Discover our hand-picked minimalist products in the Minimalism Life® shop
06 – Brands anchored by simplicity and sustainability
Minimalism can be about frugality and owning less, but it can also be about supporting ethical brands with sustainability at their core. Here’s several that you might be interested learning more about:
Form&Thread: Mindfully sourced garments
Pini: Italian clothing for the modern man
OMNES: Sustainable and affordable fashion
Pedestal: Minimal stands for your screens
Collars&Co: Minimalist polo shirts
Luca Faloni: Luxury Italian men's clothing
CLAE: Minimalist footwear from LA
Crown Northampton: High quality minimal footwear
North-89: Shoemakers designing for Scandinavian weather conditions
ODA: The modular everyday bag and essentials
ASKET: Ending fast fashion by making covetable everyday essentials
Wahts: Minimal monochromatic menswear
Selfmade: Handmade eyewear
Cariuma: Sustainable sneakers
The Resort Co: Eco-conscious and artisan vacation wear
Discover more minimal brands on minimalism.com