This time last year I was wrapping up my series Fundamentally Prime. This body of work ran from July 11, 2017 to July 11, 2018. One full year of documenting each and every box and bag that landed on my doorstep.

Amazon Prime Day to Amazon Prime Day.

212 deliveries and packages to be exact.

I use Amazon Prime for many things but the items I purchase mostly revolve around my daughter and her medical needs. Although I use Amazon to make our lives easier when it comes to her supplies; I was also using it for frivolous purchases to pass the time. These binge shopping sprees happened mostly late at night right before laying my head down. I would see something that I just HAD to have. Am I right!?!?

I learned SO much with this project. Here are 3 takeaways…

1. Amazon Prime Day feels like (and is) a marketing ploy by a HUGE company. I didn’t find ‘deals’ on the golden prime days. It’s simply a way to get customers on the platform and having them drooling for more. The PR push for Prime Day was the initial inspiration for my series Fundamentally Prime. The hype was huge and I realized that I was falling into it.

2. Amazon has cheaper prices especially with free shipping…. sometimes. You have to be a research shopper and not a convenience shopper. Not leaving your house has its price.

3. My consumption throughout the project and the year since has dropped dramatically. I kept a running spreadsheet with every item, cost, and date during the year-long duration. Seeing a running total, and documenting every package that entered my home helped me think about each item that I was bringing into my space. I think that if we have to think about what we are buying, truly think about it; we wouldn’t consume as much as we do.

In the end my patterns have changed with online shopping and I’m thankful for that. I’m living a more minimalist experience as an American woman, mother and artist. I pay attention to what is grabbing my attention.

You can see the entire body of work, Fundamentally Prime, here.