Surrendering to the joys of studio clutter
June 21, 2009 by Noreen Crone-Findlay
Filed under inspiration
We all know that clutter is a big no no these days.
Say it all together: ‘We must not clutter! We must be sparse, we must be spare, we must be oh so organized!’
photograph by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright
Okay, so my tongue is in my cheek when I poke gentle fun at the ‘gurus’ who have laid down the ‘no-clutter’ laws…
and I agree- I drive myself crazy with mis-placing stuff in my layers and heaps in the studio.
But, gee, sometimes, just a leeeeeeeeeeeeeeetle bit of clutter can be so much fun!
I was telling my friend about the oh so neat vintage Japanese silk reeling thingies that I bought at the Habu booth last year.
That’s one of them at the farthest left on the shelf and another hanging below on the pegs.
I can’t remember their proper names, but, boy are they ever neat to work with.
I’ve used them for plying and they work beautifully.
They are a treasure for so many reasons… they feel wonderful, they feel imbued with history, and they still work!
I decided to take a pic of them to send to my dear friend, since I have been chatting to her about them.
Before I knew it, one thing lead to another…
and instead of just taking a ‘clinical’ pic of the silk reels, I had to gather up a bunch of things from around the studio and put it all together to keep the reels company.
Clutter? well…. yes….. but you see, I really am fond of all of it…….
and, it’s all so useful…. well, mostly…..
So, do you surrender to the joys of your clutter or are you ~oh so disciplined~ about it all?
I have to have my collections around me – it all inspires me to create! What is the joy in being surrounded by four plain walls? LONG LIVE CLUTTER!!
I adore your blue shelf and the assortment of lovely useful items!
Thank you so much, Marian!
Like you, I love color, texture, and especially, a feeling of history!
Also like you, I LOVE vintage needlework tools, and it’s a pleasure to be inspired by their presence, and to feel that they connect still to their previous owners!
Your clutter looks like art. I knit, spin, rug hook and now am addicted to needle felting. Needless to say, I have a lot of stuff… but, I must admit, as a super organized professional organizer… my stuff is not cluttered. Your stuff doesn’t look cluttered either.
To de-clutter is to remove things that you don’t need.
To de-clutter is to make space where there was a lack of space.
To de-clutter is to give things new life by gifting them to people and charities who might actually use and appreciate them.
To de-clutter is to identify a place for everything worth keeping.
To de-clutter is to part with things that no one will really use.
To de-clutter is to free your soul.
For help with de-cluttering check out: http://www.organize-more-stress-less.com/De-clutter-One-Room-at-a-Time.html