Live Bold List 20: On the challenges and art of "de-cluttering"

Hello georgeouses!

I hope you are going well in your world, like a fruiting apple tree jovially and easily doing what is natural and abundant for you :)

In the interests of uncovering my lighty-light from under a bushel (what the heck is a bushel? Guess it’s like a haystacky, smothering, covering kind of pile of stuff (probably odorous with decomposition (which of course is natural and good, but not good when covering a lighty light (that was a long aside (so many brackets))))) I must tell you I have Big Fun Stuff coming soon. I am working on a present/gift/surprise for you which will be ready soon soon soon. Also exciting: I am making it so you will be able to buy my original artwork from right here on my site. If you would like to be among the lucky FIRST to know when these 2 things (and others, later) are ready to rock, go ahead and join the “Friends of Tangerine Meg” mailing list so I can tell you first, via email. How about that?

I went away last weekend with my shining husband partially to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. I am slowly settling into understanding and enjoying the loveliness of our marriage. We went interstate to see the Tim Burton exhibition and some lovely relatives, and other sundry bookshop browsing, food eating, public art discovering, street performer supporting and public transport using activities. Oh yeah, and this is me with the BATMOBILE:

Live Bold List 20: On the challenges and art of “de-cluttering”

About the “de-cluttering”: I am using the word de-cluttering as it’s kind of an understood word/idea, specially on the internets right now. For me, it’s not really an good word for My Mess. My ‘clutter’ is dusty, old, messy rubbish. Here is how and what I’ve newly discovered about dusty, old messy rubbish and the dealing with thereof:

  1. We saw the WON-derful Tim Burton exhibition (with a whole lot of other people). There were: real costumes from Batman and Alice in Wonderland, monster sculptures, Tim’s childhood, teen and adult/professional drawings and paintings, a once-only-previously-screened Tim Burton version of Hansel and Gretel and interviews made specially, amongst other things. ‘Twas rich and inspiring, and we both loved it.
    I learned about de-cluttering: Keep some of your youthful artworks – they may one day be needed for a retrospective exhibition!
  2. We found a second hand bookshop. It had just that second hand bookshop smell. I bought a Barbara Sher book, because she is a genius and wonderful, changed my entire brain-thinking about my working life, and it’s impossible have too many of her books. I bought Live the life you Love. On the way home in the plane it was like reading a book from my fairy godmother and getting warm fuzzy approval and hints.
    The de-clutter lesson: There are different categories of ‘stuff’ and they can be dealt with painlessly. You don’t have to do it all at once!
  3. Letting Go with ease. For me, this is a function of time. Flyers go out of date. Writings have become simply a record of an experience, the learning from which has also become part of oneself. This makes the written version much easier to purge. Still gonna shred them, though! New pile: shreddables.
  4. The domino effect. Sometimes things get much much much worse before they get better. The trouble is that shifting something in one room may lead you to shift items in another room and then another, and before you know it it’s difficult to walk around without injury, as things are unpacked from storage (unsuitable as it may be) in order to release, move, give away or put back (cleaned, sorted and a little bit tidier) possibly in yet another room. Lessons: Make peace with the messy limbo state (for now). Keep going.
  5. The pain of discarding perfectly good furniture (for example!) that just doesn’t fit the space or the stage can be mitigated by giving furniture to St. Vincent de Paul or The Salvos. Give stuff to someone who will appreciate it. Lesson: Giving to another feels different to discarding.
  6. Calling my “clutter” rubbish is very liberating. It is very clear where it belongs when I name it that way!
  7. Should there be a special category for handbags? They might not even be worn out, but does one ever really go back to them? Because if they are representative of a particular period of life, maybe I’m not going back to them… I am starting to suspect that I might be cool with donating them. My genetics scream at me: You might need this, what if you need it?
  8. Clearly this is going to be an ongoing process.

I have conflicted between wanting (I’m not proud of it) new Stuff vs. a need to grow up and move into our new married life phase together and freshly vs. wanting to honour my children’s needs and not make them do with outgrown childhood furniture vs. functionality of spaces and vs. a genuine difficulty with throwing away often perfectly good items. All this in an effort to live boldly, cleanly and smoothly. I hope this initial ‘de-tox’ is over soon, so I can concentrate on preparation for the Christmas Market/s.

I must show you the famous (?) red shelf:

Here it is in place in my ‘office’. This is a Feel Good success story for me… shelf that’s been hanging around for years + $22 of paint = useful and beautiful. My Avocation Station (ikea drawers) fits in right next to it. (If you need a definition for Avocation Station read Barbara Sher Refuse to Choose!)
The sliding doors on the other cabinet fell off in my hands as I pushed it around, thus making it even easier to add a little bit of extra artwork to them.

I don’t think our house will ever resemble something from a Smashing Homes type magazine, but for me and the rest of my family, I believe it can be functional, creative and interesting, and have little tunnels where the cats walk through. And not have so much crap that we can’t (walk through).

Have you had any luck with clearing up old junk, dearhearts?

Remember if you want to know about my stuff FIRST, join the “Friends” mailing list. And, for the rest of the week, the calendar people are giving 25% off for orders of 6 or more calendars.

Wishing you love, light, and unfettered spaciousness,
Meg x o

2 thoughts on “Live Bold List 20: On the challenges and art of "de-cluttering"”

  1. Yey, you! Progress indeed. The will has to come from within yourself, doesn’t it, so the bikes and cars will probably go some time when you least expect it :) Vinnies are coming on Tuesday and I can’t wait!

  2. Have been sorting the room which has been most recently TV junk room and soon to be our Bedroom feels so good and also a little sad to get rid of books Ive loved but will never read again old broken pieces of junk jewelery and other bits and bobs .
    The Spa that hasnt been used in a year will go on the weekend giving us space to use outdoor area .
    I wonder what it will take to get my boys to sort out their beloved old broken bikes and cars….
    Oh one day
    Gilly B

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