The aesthetics of spaces and the feelings that spaces evoke have always intrigued me. The brilliance of perfect architecture, the symmetry of clean lines in mid-century modern furniture, or the feeling of calm that washes over you when you step into a well-designed room.
Creating and curating spaces in my home was effortless when I lived alone; it was my guilty pleasure between classes and early into my career. At that point in my life, I had never heard of minimalism. Fast forward to graduate school graduation, a demanding career complete with emergency after-hours calls, a husband, three kids, and three dogs later—I had lost my balance. I needed time to slow my life down, to simplify, to appreciate the important things, and regain my time. I needed to live and work in spaces that were free of clutter—spaces that elicited a calming and rejuvenating response within me.
After three children and becoming a stay-at-home mom, I reevaluated my priorities. I am currently in the thick of reconstructing my life around these priorities. Minimalism is an individual journey—one with seemingly infinite depths and meaning. I discovered the benefit of minimalism in one area of my life and found that it’s seeping into other areas, as I suspect it often does for others. A continuously evolving, never-ending series of pathways towards simplicity.
In the process of reconstructing my life and decluttering my home, I discovered cold process soap making—the art of creating natural soap from scratch. Soap making has become a pillar in my minimalism journey. Using elements from the Earth, I create useful and meaningful art that enhances the aesthetic of bathroom and kitchen spaces.
Natural soap making is challenging yet stress relieving; it’s a fusion of organic chemistry and art. It requires three-dimensional thinking, yet there is an aleatoric quality. Every batch of soap created is different, and each soap slice is unique. A utilitarian art form that creates an aesthetically pleasing, essential, environmentally friendly, consumable object from natural ingredients. Simple, handcrafted luxury that is beneficial for your skin, and fulfilling for my soul to create.
There is always beauty to be found in simplicity.