
17 Jan how to adopt a bohemian lifestyle
a bohemian is a person who lives creatively. there are no trends to be followed, no specific boho dresses or hispter haircuts. rather true bohemianism is about bringing originality into every aspect of your life.
I discovered the first bohemians thought a talk given by vanessa nicholson who grew up surrounded by this creative community in the early 1900’s. the way the term is used nowadays falls short and I felt that a redefinition was necessary. I also wanted to think about creativity, to think about ways that I could live more like the bohemians.
be creative
this doesn’t mean you need to suddenly take up oil painting or buy an analog camera, only look for ways to live creatively. we spend way too much of our free time passively consuming products and media. this is a challenge to create more. maybe this means learning a craft you’ve always had an interest in, maybe it’s actually just making more memories, going on adventures, having experiences worth remembering. creative living doesn’t have to be perfect, it doesn’t have to make you money and it doesn’t have to be validated by anyone, but it will make your life delightfully more interesting.
question everything
“everything was going to be new, everything was going to be different, everything was on trial” -virginia woolf”
when you question why you’re doing something you begin to live intentionally. instead of following social norms you do things because they add depth to your life.
dress expressively
when you think about it it’s quite silly that nowadays boho clothing is associated with a specific trend when the bohemians of the nearly 1900’s weren’t following trends at all. they were wearing whatever they pleased. black baggy pants, floor-length robes, chinese silk and patchwork dresses. they were breaking social norms and using their clothing to express themselves creatively. there aren’t any rules to dressing like a bohemian, only to clothe yourself expressively.
be picky and minimalistic. rather than having a closet full of clothes you’re never sure you want to wear look for treasures. find clothes that make you feel comfortable and uniquely yourself. have clothing exchanges and shop at thrift stores; it’s cheaper, more interesting and more sustainable.
create a comfortably beautiful home
make your home a place you love to come back to. fill it with all your favorite things. think about the colors you relate to, the textures that make you feel comfortable; pick out art and plants and lighting fixtures, it doesn’t really matter what. the point is that whatever they are they are, they are details that make you happy. don’t focus on what other people will think when they walk in the door, think about that will make you happy. a bohemian home is a space that is beautiful in a liveable way, somewhere you feel comfortable and inspired.
don’t worry about other people’s opinions
it can dangerously easy to slip into the game of comparing yourself to others and start weighing your worth in imaginary competitions that you will never win. the bohemians threw victorian society’s opinion out the window and we can thank them for a great deal of the freedom of expression that we experience today. society is a concept we made up based on other people’s opinions and we have just as much ability to let the concept go. so when you catch yourself starting to tally up a comparison list, be mindful enough to let it go.
eliminate distractions
be mindful of how you spend your time. the bohemians understood this and they valued time to be creative over superficial gains such as money and social status. think about the parts of your life that most inspire you and make time for them in your life.
focus on friendships
friendships were very important to the bohemians and I still believe that true friendships are the cornerstone of a happy life. appreciate your friends and the unique qualities that each individual adds to your life. appreciating these differences gives you a more open perspective and allows you to accept your own uniqueness more. choose friends who share your passions. this doesn’t mean that all your friends have to like everything you like, actually, it’s quite the opposite. maybe you are completely different but you both are learning portuguese and enjoy reading poetry together, maybe you motivate each other to go to the gym or maybe you just laugh a lot. every friendship is valid and is an opportunity to appreciate and love another human being. this is the true lesson and when you live like this you will feel more comfortable in your skin and more expressive of your passions.
conclusion
the bohemians have taught me many ways to live creatively. and although I have never met them I share their love of creative living and I feel that I understand they joy they got out of their colorful lives. they inspired me to take more risks, to live daringly and follow all my curiosities and above all to find people who share my passions and experience these joys together.
The guy from the plane
Posted at 21:49h, 18 JanuaryBohemian ideals came to Russia with communist’s revolution in the beginning of 20th centuries. In the first few years it gave a lot of avant-garde art pieces in each aspect of culture. But very soon new government started to chase freedom-loving artists. A lot of them had killed or was arrested.
You might know Stanislavsky. He had a lot of connections with bohemians. Because of that he had to run to USA, where he open famous acting school
Savannah Van Block
Posted at 13:19h, 30 Januaryhaha where did you learn about the bohemians
Chris Jun
Posted at 10:01h, 19 JanuaryI liked to read your blog. It is looking like a self improvement article. I agree that lot of habits or beliefs are questionable in current digital society. What will be the bohemians lifestyle rebeling against now as it was for victorian traditions in 19th century, as current trends not being as rigid as 100years ago.
Savannah Van Block
Posted at 13:19h, 30 Januaryloved reading your perspective, the subject fascinates me too! and I think it’s so inspiring to look at home the bohemians lived and find ways to bring creativity into our modern lifestyle.
Nadia Watts
Posted at 18:03h, 19 JanuaryThank you very much for this post ! I really enjoyed reading it . I love the way you express your thoughts . It’s easy to read and it’s always very informative . Can you ,please, recommend a book or books for me to read regarding this topic? Thank you very much, Savannah !!! 😊🙏
Savannah Van Block
Posted at 13:15h, 30 Januaryhey nadia,
so happy to hear you enjoyed the post. easy to read and applicable information is exactly what I was going for. life is short and there are so many wonderful things to spend you’re time on that aren’t in front of a computer screen- but I’ve also found the digital world to be an amazing way for me to express something creative and share my perspective.
I’ve never read it but I would definitively recommend virginia nicholson’s book ‘among the bohemians’. I gathered most of the post info from a lecture she gave on her experience, and the video is linked at the bottom of the post as well.
I love the topic of the bohemians and after reading your comment I’m thinking of writing my next post on the bohemian movement in paris, or maybe the lesser known bohemians of barcelona, please let me know what you’d be interested in seeing.
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Posted at 00:59h, 27 JanuaryAwesome post! Keep up the great work! 🙂
Savannah Van Block
Posted at 13:00h, 30 Januarythanks so much! I really appreciate the support
Sitara
Posted at 03:29h, 26 FebruaryLove the bohemian dress you’re wearing in the photo. 🙂
cbd
Posted at 03:12h, 16 MarchAn interesting discussion is worth comment. I do believe
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topics. To the next! Kind regards!!
Savannah Van Block
Posted at 18:13h, 24 MarchThanks for the feedback, I’m not sure why really, I find bohemianism a fascinating topic, and sharing the post has been a wonderful way to see that other people are interested as well.
Michael Birchmore
Posted at 10:14h, 28 AprilSuper article. Thank you.
Savannah Van Block
Posted at 16:18h, 17 MayOh course! It’s wonderful to hear feedback
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Posted at 18:30h, 11 AugustThere’s definately a lot to find out about this subject.
I love all of the points you have made.
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Savannah Van Block
Posted at 07:06h, 24 AugustAw well mine is wordpress as well so I can’t help much! I would recommend squarespace for easy navigation though.