poetry month, yes, I’ve got that. And I HAVE been playing around with some poetry. But I’ve also been trying to make April Spring Cleaning Month. Which is harder. At least for me.
Here’s the thing: I stink at cleaning. It’s not just that I can’t sweep right; it’s that I have no idea how to organize things and put them away. So I pile. Sometimes the piles are neatish. Sometimes they’re Pisa-esque. But they’re always there. Stone Henge on my dresser and the counter and the hutch. The piles add clutter to my house and to my brain.
This month, a number of my friends have embarked on admirable art projects. My friend Mary (who hasn’t updated her blog in ages), is writing a poem a day. My friend Cece has been a maniac, completing an illustration a day based on the adjectives, colors and animal names she picks from a jar. (The snapping turtle is still my favorite, followed closely by her sad, musical possum.) And me? For my April project, I’m trying to cut down on the piles by throwing away 10 things a day.
I got the idea from this Post article by Michelle Singletary. In it, she suggests throwing out (or recycling) 50 things this spring. But somehow, 50 didn’t seem like enough. (Which is Michelle’s point: It’s enough to get STARTED.) I’ll let you know how it goes. Cleaning is an art. I haven’t learned it yet. But if I clear away enough stuff, maybe I’ll have room to create. Which will mean that my April was a little artsy after all.
Thanks for the words of encouragement Liz (and everyone). Good luck with the attic!
Bonne chance! I’m going through an attic full of art supplies, and I always feel like I might teach a kids workshop and wish I hadn’t parted with something. I hope you have plenty of space for writing!
I will DEFINITELY let you know if something works. Paperwork. (Shudder.)
I’ve tried that do-a-little-each-day approach. Heck, I’ve tried *every* approach! The clutter is always at least one step ahead of me. The worst culprits:
Things I know I don’t want anymore, but are too good to throw away, and the places I try to donate them don’t want them either.
Paperwork that I keep for record-keeping purposes.
Useful papers I haven’t found a place for (writer’s conference notes, interesting articles, instructions on how to prune lilacs, etc.)
Things I keep for sentimental reasons (cards, gifts).
Good luck! And please let me know if you figure out a system for any of the above problem categories!
I started the spring cleaning with my closet and clothes shelves. I now have a big pile of worn out clothes and stuff I haven’t worn in a year sitting in one of my butterfly chairs. It’s a start. You can do it, Mad!
Maybe that’s it: containment. Your studio (having seen it before and after and how pleased your are with the after) is a good inspiration. I must have heard a similar story on NPR, because I usually hold up something like that as an excuse. (I heard another story on NPR about women being less map-oriented than men. I know lots of exceptions, but I hold that story up as an excuse, too…)
I do have to say – through my own recent experience – that a cleaner space does make for room for creativity.
But, don’t stress about the piles! I firmly believe that a home without piles is only possible for left-brained thinkers. The right-brained folks simply have to have piles: the only time I have let things slide is when I decide to “organize” and put stuff away in color coded file folders and then things become literally out-of-sight and out-of-mind. And, I know my piles – what is in them and where things are located in the pile. I remember hearing a story on NPR 15+ years ago about the myth of organization – and an associated report about a higher rate of success for stockbrokers with “messy” desks as opposed with those with clean work surfaces…that has been my clutter defense for years, by the way.
Okay, so my pile solution (and to give me a sense of control and to make my life less messy) is to move those piles into thematic cardboard storage boxes (one for each kid, one for bills, one for my work, etc.) which are conveniently placed throughout the house in places where I like to pile. This way, the papers are still piled, but they are contained and can be easily wisked away into closets or corners if the need arises. The trick is to throw away extraneous stuff before it gets into the box (or to have a separate box for paper recycling).
As far as actually cleaning, I am of no help – I can buy all of the Swiffer products I like, but the house does not magically clean itself. And, when I do clean, I have to do it again several days (or several hours) later. Totally depressing.
Does returning a shirt to Target count as getting rid of something? I’m saying yes.
Madelyn