I like things clean and pure. For me, life with less visual clutter is life with less stress. As a college student, I realized that I could peel off packaging labels for a more calming visual scene. Soon, I stripped down containers and bottles to their bare material. As I peeled off the labels from my shower gel and shaving cream, I felt immediate relief. Now, when I touch each bottle during my morning routine, everything is aesthetically pure – and so much more pleasing.

When I buy new bottled stuff, I look for the nicest combination of smell and shape, while making certain that any stickers will come off easily. Unfortunately, this isn't possible with every brand – it's as though their product is designed to keep the clutter.

While still a student, I mentioned my habit during a classroom conversation only to learn that my professor, a true aesthete and former student at the HfG Ulm, shared nearly the same habit, only more extreme. When a product's package is printed directly onto the container, he actually dips the item – even a toothpaste tube – into white paint. Hearing this, I was deeply impressed and felt affirmed. But no, I don’t have a bucket of white paint sitting in my bathroom yet.