Believe it or not, I used to be quite a hoarder myself. My collection included anything with pretty paper. Magazines, catalogs, scraps of patterned paper or mailings, and of course, scrapbook paper. I still have a desk drawer full of card making things including paper, but I have since given up my magazines and catalogs and (most) scraps of paper! In my journey of simplifying, I have realized I don’t want to completely cut out material items such as magazines that have brought me so much joy in the past. I have also learned a little bit about myself and why I even like paper goods so much! Instead of being sold items in catalogs, I love to see how the styling is done- how a scarf is tied, what patterns are paired together, etc. and how the photos are taken. As for magazines, I enjoy so much reading short stories of different viewpoints and adventures, and seeing the accompanying photos. I will never completely cut these acts from my life, nor would I want to! But now, when I finish reading or looking at a magazine or catalog, I cut out my favorite images and create a collage in my journal. It adds a fun inspirational page and then I get to minimize by throwing the rest of the paper away!
Another trick I have learned with minimizing the paper clutter is to browse magazines on issuu, a digital publishing platform (for free!). Sweet Paul has always been a favorite magazine of mine, and it actually started as a digital publication through issuu. Supporting someone else’s “passion project” is so fun, and it’s amazing to see what talent is out there. There is so much design inspiration to be found flipping through the digital mags! Here are a few of my favorites:
1. Wilding 2. Vanalogue 3. Chickpea 4. Minty 5. Simply Hygee 6. My Magazine
Do you have a favorite magazine? How do you feel about online magazines? I’m curious, since there is something to be said of actually sitting down with a magazine in hand. It’s a bit of an adjustment!