Hello and welcome to the MINIMALIST interview series, an initiative to turn the spotlight on the genuine, practising minimalists in our midst.
Aspiring minimalist @honeydue here.
Though I'm drawn to the minimalist ethos, I'm aware I've got a long way to go before I can call myself a true minimalist.
This is why I love this community. It allows me to interact with and learn from people who've embraced the minimalist lifestyle. I want to know how they got here. What drove them to minimalism, and what the challenges and rewards have been? What's the point of this platform if we can't learn from and help one another in our journeys?
Driven by a desperate curiosity of what else might be out there, aside from the bland, consumerist, traditional life path, I put down some questions I'm secretly dying to ask my favourite minimalists. And @millycf1976 has been lovely enough to allow it.
So whether you're at a crossroads in life or just curious about what else is out there, maybe you find some value in our interview series. Enjoy!
For our The Minimalist Author Spotlight No. 8, we turn to @drrune , a skilled storyteller. Let's tune in to hear more about his journey towards being an authentic and practising minimalist.
Coming at us all the way from Venezuela, @drrune makes his voice heard on the blockchain through intricate storytelling and quiet musings. At times talking to us about the winding emotional web of human beings, while at others enlightening us on history and politics, we all know him as a bright-shining spirit and kind soul. He is also a true practicing minimalist who has agreed to share his experience, so we might all walk away a little bit wiser.
: While minimalism may appear cut and dry from the outside, we know it takes many different forms. To start things off, could you explain what minimalism means to you, specifically?
@drrune: To me, minimalism is an attitude of simplicity, the reduction of any process to its core essence. As a spiritual servant and student of mysticism, I think that self-knowledge is the deepest, greatest goal of any person. The journey of exploring myself has allowed me to get in touch with the divine in all things. Searching for my truth implies shedding my skins, eschewing my identities and dismantling my patterns of thought and behavior, thus attaining greater freedom to see the world around me with increasingly more wonder and joy, casting aside opinions that might filter out the information that I'm getting from the environment. A minimalist attitude effectively diminishes the friction and resistance to the world as it is, which in turn makes living an easier, more effortless, fluid and pleasurable experience.
: We love a good origin story. How did you first get started with minimalism? What were some deciding factors? Was it a gradual shift or an abrupt change? Tell us a bit about that.
@drrune: I was born in a low-income family and lived in one of the many slums that surround Caracas, Venezuela's capital. Our situation was difficult and complex, but even then, there were some indications of minimalism in the way we trusted one another, the basic certainty of love uniting us despite the hardships that we faced. However, it wasn't until I got to my 30s and began to engage with my life's purpose and my spirituality, that I could begin to understand the importance of letting go, of simplifying my life while also making it more fulfilling, uplifting and expansive. Now, after 9 years of that process, I'm the happiest and most peaceful that I've ever been, and I'm certain the minimalist approach has a lot to do with that.
Shedding materialistic constraints allows more room for a deeper spiritual practice, as @drrune often shows on his blog.: Drastic changes bring about new wisdom. What was one thing you learned, after embracing minimalism, that perhaps surprised you?
@drrune: My most drastic change when I embraced this approach to life was renouncing the need for acknowledgement and approval by others. Learning about silence and stillness was really tough, but eventually, it led me to a more profound comprehension of what it means to be present, first for myself and then for others. Perhaps the one thing that surprised me about that was realizing that my craving for attention and company originated from an unconscious resistance to loving myself. I sought from others what I refused to give myself despite being entirely capable of it.
: How has your alternative lifestyle affected your role in your community? Was it a reason for conflict, help you make new friends, etc.?
@drrune: I'm now a full-time servant for everyone around me now. The more fulfilled I feel, the more I enjoy my life, the more peace and joy I can provide for others merely by being present. I often talk with people who need someone to listen to them without judgement of their choices, or who are seeking for a different perspective to whatever they're experiencing. Since I live more simply than most, especially with regards to inner balance, I can offer support without needlessly encumbering myself with the troubles that others share with me.
: Who inspired you? Whether it was someone you knew (online or in the “real world”) or some personality you followed online, the author you’d read, etc., who was your no. 1 (human) reason to choose minimalism?
@drrune: My two biggest inspirations for pursuing my current lifestyle have been my mother, whose death by a terribly aggressive cancer when I was a kid defined pretty much everything about my life; and my father, the happiest man I've ever known, with a carefree attitude about most things, an easy joke and an even easier smile for everybody. Their stories and attitudes were quite different, almost opposite in some cases, but even this tension helped me find my own balance, my own way towards simplicity and tranquility.
: Minimalism can act a bit like a rolling snowball. One minute, you’re throwing out extra placemats, the next, you’re transitioning to a completely off-grid (perhaps nomadic) lifestyle. Does that statement apply to your personal experience, and how much of it was planned? In other words, did you start downsizing to go off-grid/travelling, or did you spiral deeper into that world, the more you embraced it?
@drrune: I never had a lot of stuff, so I never needed much downsizing in terms of possessions, but I did have to downsize a lot in terms of ideas, preconceptions, reactions, opinions and relationships. I also learned to let go of many things that most people consider necessary, most importantly the constant pursuit of money. This renouncement began early on in my life, but after finding this lifestyle, it has definitely picked up the pace in the past few years. It was as much a requirement of my circumstances as it was an active choice.
Aside from being a solid friend and a gifted storyteller, @drrune is also a talented artist.
: Some people find it a scary leap to this alt lifestyle. There’s a concern that if we ditch modern, materialistic dogma, we’ll find ourselves isolated. What was your experience with that?
@drrune: There's definitely reason to be scared, and the isolation is a part of it. I had to make some very hard decisions, abandon many things, cut ties with many people in order to get to where I am, and there were moments in which I sorely regretted it, at times for the decisions themselves and at times for the manner in which I set them in motion. But I would never go back now, taking this literal leap of faith has given me a life worth living.
: Finally, a bit of a classic. What’s some practical advice you’d give someone just contemplating a minimalist/alternative lifestyle right now?
@drrune: My advice would be to start asking questions, first and foremost. What do you really want? What drives you? Do you feel full? Is your life joyful? Do you love what you do? Can you genuinely give thanks for what you do and experience every day? Then, do a review of your material possessions, what you need, what you like to have, what you're just holding on to because someone gave it to you. Do this with your personal connections too, not everyone you know deserves to be in your life, and not everyone who stays in your life deserves to have your full trust. Apply it to your routine and activities, see what brings learning and excitement to your days as opposed to doing stuff because you're expected to or because you want to escape troublesome thoughts and emotions. Make changes as needed. I've found that introducing small disruptions to habits makes them easier to break.
We had a great time chatting with @drrune and I, for one, certainly feel like I learned a lot from these answers. I go away from this asking myself (perhaps a little uncomfortable) questions. I hope you take as much with you. Thank you so much @drrune for sharing your experience! :)
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