BellaOnline Forums Relationships Married No Kids Another kindred spirit

I was just reading an article in our Sunday magazine about a local film director, Pietra Brettkelly, who has been travelling the world making a documentary she's been passionate about. It has been the first kiwi doco shown at the Sundance Film Festival.

Here's what is written about her personally:



I have always been drawn to independent thinkers with streamlined lives like this, as role models. When I read it, I thought of so many of you who are similar.

Just thought you might like to read a quote from a kindred spirit.

It is a gift to live like that....I am a work in progress! I have way too much stuff and am trying to reduce the clutter. Thank you for sharing that quote it shows a woman who knows what she wants for her life.

What a fascinating quote. I'm very impressed with her independence.

Great quote. Thanks for sharing.

I can definitely not say that I am quite that streamlined. I have a boyfriend, a cat, and enough stuff for a two bedroom house and a double garage. I try not to be a hoarder though.

She really sounds like an inspirational person.

I have lots of stuff in our room and a husband but no pets, we rent and live with our landlord in a two bedroom flat (we have one room and share the kitchen and bathroom) We haven't even had a wedding even though we are married and it was a simple affair in a registry office.
But we travel the world. We travel internationally at least once a year - sometimes up to three times a year.
So there are sacrifices, I was thinking of this today but I totally love the travelling and it is ALWAYS better than I imagined and my imagination is pretty darn good.
I hope one day to have a beautiful house (in fact I DO have a house even two but not in the country we live in!)
and beautiful animals in it and a beautiful car and boat but not now. Where we are right now is wonderful and although in the future we hope to change careers, we are both quite successful in what we do and getting a reasonable salary. As teenagers we chose these careers and me being a teacher, him being self employed means we can take time off to travel more easily than if we only had three weeks off a year plus I get paid during those times. Pity we have to pay more to travel when I am on holiday because it's school hols but oh well!
I love reading about this woman, more people not following the life script - it's refreshing!!! And a fellow Kiwi too!

I doubt I'll ever be streamlined - I love antique porcelain...it's everywhere...
I work in Japan and their homes and ryokans are minimalist - very little furniture or ornamentation - I love returning to my room at night and finding a single flower in a tiny vase or a single stick of incense burning away...but, I love beautiful things so, doubt I'll ever get back to simplicity.(not sure that I was ever minimalist)
I love the independent spirit - free thinkers - people that make their own rules and make their own way in life.
When you look around...there are not that many people that fall into this category.

She sounds like a really fascinating and inspiring woman We could all learn a tip or two from her. I try to keep everything streamlined, but I'll admit that when it comes to art/craft supplies, it's a little out of control at my house!

That's true for me too Kinderfrei. My husband is the kind of artist who switches mediums constantly. That leads to a lot of stuff! The assemblage/recycled junk sculpture phase was particularly bad. Mosaics is pretty extreme too. We have a heap of broken china, pottery and tile the size of a small elephant that I would love to see disappear. We go through his "collection" every few years and try to pare down. We've had a few interesting dump loads where everyone who works at the dump just stares at all the weird things that come out of our trailer.

I don't like to hoard, and am much more minimalistic than him. Luckily he is pretty neat besides the art supplies problem, and we both prefer the uncluttered look. I feel so much better when my house is organized and the surfaces are clear.

I love the idea of a streamlined, simple life. My own is not quite that, now that we have pets. It does make things complicated. I used to fantasize about just living out of a backpack and exploring the world. I still hope I get a chance to do that exploring someday, at least for a little while.

Frieda, you sound like me... and your husband sounds like mine. He goes through so many artistic phases, I can't keep on top of the junk. At least yours hasn't gone through the "industrial furniture" phase - making end tables out of fire hydrants and everything. Imagine the size of the stuff he has lying around!

I'm always in the quest to make my life more streamlined, but my mother is a total hoarder and it was really hard not to be like her. I'm getting better, but DH doesn't help. He works at a housing development, and he brings home stuff that would otherwise go to the dump: stereos, tools, etc. He just "can't throw them away because they're still usable." Eventually we're going to have to open a second hand store on our front lawn.

"I work in Japan"

NICE! I had an interview for JET in Tokyo but chickened out. Tried to decide between Japan and the UK. Chose the UK but sometimes wonder what teaching English in Japan would have been like. Thinking of going this October excited and nervous. Would love to stay in a traditional Ryokan they are gorgeous but I like to have a toilet in my room! I hope to end up in Japan in the future (working there) at some stage.