Minimalist Me

About the Book

Minimalist Me by Erika Lugo is a children’s book intended for kids between the ages of five and ten years old. However, although these are the suggested ages, this book can also be used for younger or older ages as long as the message of minimalism is expressed appropriately. Minimalist Me was created based on the concept of minimalism. Minimalism is the idea that one only owns or buys objects that are useful, practical, and enjoyable. I was inspired to become a striving minimalist after watching Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. Minimalist Me was written to introduce the concept of less is more for young children. Henry is a young child who, with the guidance of his mother, begins to practice the art of decluttering and keeping his play and space meaningful. Through the practice of having less, Henry begins to see how meaningful life can be without objects. As a school counselor, I often meet students and adults who believe that objects bring them happiness. Often, this concept keeps them striving for more things, but they are still unhappy. My goal through minimalism is to make students and adults question the idea of how objects can make them happy and why objects continue to fail in filling their emotional gaps. The concept of minimalism is often hard to understand given the ideas that society has created for most consumers. Minimalism can not only change beliefs of consumerism but also help lower our environmental footprint.

About the Author