I’ve barely made it past the entrance of Cabot Library when a friend studies my outfit and asks, “Is someone making you wear those pants for hazing?”
“No,” I laugh, bowing my head towards my silver, denim, distressed pants.
I get the biggest adrenaline rush when people’s eyes dance around my outfit, they smile, and they don’t know where to look. I strive to be someone who provokes thought, someone whose sense of self draws eyes in so many directions that people feel excited, tantalized, and intrigued.
More is more. The slogan of maximalists. Maximalism, which focuses on quantity and quality and surrounds the self with as many things as possible, is a style or way of life that embraces excess and extravagance. Maximalists want to have everything they desire, and they want it to be loud, colorful, and sometimes chaotic. The philosophy is simple: express yourself through extravagance. It should be avant-garde and sometimes outrageously fun and wild. At its core, I believe that maximalism encourages you to be yourself.
In recent years, minimalism has garnered significant attention for its mental health benefits and streamlined aesthetics. The idea of reducing our belongings to just the essentials is very appealing to many people. Minimalism is popular because it leads people to believe that by simplifying our lives, we are reducing our anxieties and giving ourselves more time to focus on the things that really matter. Yet, the belief in the benefits of owning less is one-dimensional. In fact, a 2011 study demonstrated that individuals participating in creative activities experienced substantial improvements in their mental health, revealing that practicing maximalism could be psychologically rewarding.
Despite the potential benefits of minimalism allowing people to rid themselves of unnecessary stimuli, maximalism allows us to embrace and celebrate everything that makes us who we are. Rather than promoting clutter or chaos, the purpose of maximalism is centered around intention and cohesion. The most successful uses of maximalism are ordered, considered, curated, and magical—giving users a strong identity and allowing them to combine many opposing complicated elements in a sophisticated manner. One of the most liberating aspects of maximalism is the freedom it offers for creative expression, empowering us to break from constraining, traditional norms.
It is critical to recognize the potential role that overconsumption plays in maximalism, especially in the age of climate crises. However, maximalism is all about celebrating freedom and joy, not about things. Though an incorrect use of maximalism can lead to the accumulation of a large number of frivolous objects, it does not necessarily need to be this way. Being a maximalist has nothing to do with being materialistic. Maximalism maintains an emotional quality, as it provokes us to draw upon the things that we love. It’s about curating memories, pushing boundaries, and challenging rules. It’s about intrigue and the magic that all this mess can make. Maximalism is a reminder that there is beauty in chaos. It allows us to take ownership of our personalities and bravely embrace the things that represent us. We can find echoes of comfort in clutter and mayhem.Rania Jones ’27 (rjones@college.harvard.edu) wrote this in her silver, denim, distressed pants.