only what you need.


good morning! i hope you had a beautiful happy weekend.

today i am giving a lot of thought to the concept of minimalism, and applying this notion to purusha. i truly find it so interesting to watch as my baby business evolves and changes over time. one of my favorite things to do is just sit and think, let my mind wander to plans of the future (they can be very grandiose!), and mistakes i've made in the past.

i started purusha in 2009 without a clue, to be honest. i didn't know what products would sell, what would be popular, and what image i was portraying with my brand. i was in a very 'let it flow, don't over-analyse, abstract art' phase. i lived at home with my parents, did paintings and wrote poetry most days, and had little to no responsibilities. i taught myself to screen print, and didn't really know what to do with it. i was heavy into indian shit- hinduism, yogis, sanskrit, and the like- and thought, hey why not put this stuff on clothing?! purusha was kinda an experiment, one of my many business ideas i tried out. there was no pressure and i certainly didn't have a business mind set happening. i sometimes miss this carefree phase in my life, but i've changed in so many ways as i've grown with purusha that there's no way i could go back and be satisfied.

purusha is like a puzzle to me, a game where i have to go back and unlock doors with keys i find in future levels. i love math and problem solving, i hate giving up. i love branding, and finding a way to identify what you love in material things. i'm fascinated by reinvention, by constantly revising what you thought worked into something even better. and you need the journey for that, you have to trust that every step you take will bring you where you're meant to be. each supposed set back can actually be a new path along the trail you never noticed before on the journey.

for example, my turnaround time for orders. 3-4 weeks, usually. my customers are so freakin' rad and unbelievable that they wait. and they don't just wait, they wait with a kind message, and words of support and love. it's amazing, it blows me away. but i want better, and i think you all deserve better. every once in a while i get a customer that wants to cancel a transaction, or messages me with bluntness that they've been waiting too long. this of course upsets me a lot. but it shouldn't. this is business, and i for one love getting a product i order online quickly. like zappos, you want to order again because you know you'll get your coveted item fast! i'm not saying i'm anything like zappos, and for now i still am a small one woman business, but i want to evolve. and i am eternally grateful for my customers that voice their dissatisfaction with waiting. it hurts for a second, but i think it hurts because i know the truth is there.


friday night i couldn't wait to just lay in bed and think, to fall asleep to visions of purusha one day, and hopefully dream of secret ideas i didn't even know yet. in my sleep i had visions of simplicity. just the word simplicity inspires me to find a way to live and create with only what i really need. especially at this time of year, where giving and getting are so exploited, i feel like the idea of keeping life simple and minimal is totally a refreshing wake up call. i want minimalism to carry into my purusha shop, and i want to be able to let go of old ideas and designs that i'm afraid to deactivate.

i have 97 items for sale in my purusha etsy shop. for me, this feels like too much. and quite a few of my listings are 2 + years old. i deactivated a bunch of things over the past few weeks, partially because i am growing allergic to dyeing, and partially because i just don't feel excited about them anymore. customers still bought these items, so i was afraid to unlist them, and they held sort of a sentimental aspect in me. they were some of my first works and first purusha photos, and i didn't want to see them go.

i hear a quiet voice tell me, 'let go. be true. move forward.' yes, this is what needs to be done.

purusha has changed and will continue to change just as i do over time. my plans for purusha contain very minimalist themes. i want to keep things fresh, and i want to always be excited about my creations. beginning in 2013 i plan to have inventory, items will be in stock and ready to ship right away. i don't like making you wait. but with having inventory there's a trade off. i won't carry some looks anymore, there won't be as many different garments for sale at one time, and styles are going to change frequently. the clothes you see in my shop this week might not still be there in 3 weeks. and of course, the quality of purusha will just continue to get better and better, including more organic fibers like bamboo, organic cotton, and hemp. with minimal living i adore the idea of having less clothing, but more high quality clothing. i hate throwing things away and getting rid of clothes, so i would rather have a few gorgeous life long pieces than many fast fashion potential throw away poor quality items. wouldn't you?

i just ordered 'a day in the life of a minimalist'. i think it's going to be an awesome awareness expanding read. feel free to give me any feedback on this post. i'd love to hear your thoughts. please know any criticism is helpful! thank you with all my heart!

today, i plan on keeping it simple. xo.

1 comments:

  1. you are so inspiring! i love reading your posts :) i especially love this: 'let go. be true. move forward.' do it :)

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