DECLUTTERING ON MY MIND

A clean sunny workspace, or a hodgepodge of sticky notes and coffee mugs? Or a combination of the two? I’ll never tell, but decluttering is not only a physical action, but a mental one as well.
When I am in design mode, the clutter can break out into my designs or shut me down completely. I find that in life, too, clutter can be distracting and discouraging. Rather than something I am “holding onto” for cherished memories, my stuff can also hold me back.

Decluttering One Drawer at a Time

A friend recently shared that she had gone through all the drawers and boxes where she kept jewelry and gotten rid of dozens of pieces. Some from her mother and other relatives, gifts, impulse buys that had to go “bye-bye” and things she had once loved and worn, but no longer even remembered! Why? She could have simply kept the drawers shut, but told me it was time to let go of the clutter.
That got me thinking about my own clutter. As many of you know, I commit to a Thousand Piece Purge every year to clean out the stuff that too quickly accumulates. But my friend got me thinking that it’s not only the physical clutter that takes up space in our homes, but also the mental clutter attached to it.

Decluttering the Mind

Memories of the places I’ve been, the people who have crossed my path in life, can be a comfort. But the clutter can also be a barrier to new experiences or hold me back from receiving what the universe has in store for me. When is the clutter more mental than physical?
This pondering is, in part, a facet of the creative life I live – travel, design, fabrication of new work – and one of the strengths I think has helped me build my business. Jewelry design is a challenge. Coming up with a new silver design and trusting it will sell, or looking at my past work with a critical eye toward the next collection or gemstone buying trip. But if I’m holding onto too much mental clutter -- or shelf clutter -- the new work has no foothold and the designs are flat. It is when I’m willing to clear out the cobwebs in my brain and let go of negative memories or experiences that I can be the most creative.

Decluttering for Dummies

How about you? Are you a clutter queen, with overflowing closets and sticky notes with weeks old reminders hanging about? (No judgment by the way, you should see my closet! Sigh.) How about selecting just 10 items today that you could get rid of? What’s weighing you down? Take a look in your closet and let your eyes wander…what do you see that you haven’t worn in months? What did you buy that you thought you liked, but really don’t? If it doesn’t make you feel good, as Elsa sings in Frozen…."let it go!”
As for me, I admit, my desk is often cluttered and my closet could use some work. But letting go of the mental clutter can be even better than letting go of the stuff we collect. Go ahead, give it a try!

Share Your Success

Drop us a line on Facebook and let us see some before and after shots of your own decluttering. We could use a little inspiration!