January 7, 2015

Lighten

The birds received a new feeder for Xmas (well, it was a gift for me from the Hubs, but really it's a toss up who benefits more from it, me or the birds). It took about two weeks for the little guys to discover it. Now mornings in the studio with a cup of coffee are accompanied by chattering handfuls of goldfinches, house finches, wrens, sparrows, tufted titmice, nuthatches, and - a new one to me - dark eyed juncos. All backlit by the rising sun. Not a bad way to ease into 2015 and every new day. Plus, watching my little friends flitter and chitter serves as a daily dose of lightheartedness, a gentle reminder of my intention for this year: lighten
Lighten the load, relinquish, unburden, lighten up, disencumber, relieve. Literally and figuratively. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. To begin, an accessible way to put lighten into practice with the benefit of rewarding (reinforcing) immediate results: one drawer a day.

I am overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff we have, most of which is mine and in some way related to Odd Bird Studio. While I am passionate about creative reuse (and folks who know this about me generously give me more stuff), there's a limit to what one girl can reuse. Wow. I think that's the first time I've admitted that to myself. Huh. See? There goes a little weight that has been resting on my shoulders that I didn't even know was there. Lighten, indeed.

My stuff is particularly oppressive of late because most of it is out in the open, in an unorganized and chaotic manner, due to ongoing home renovations and inadequate storage options. Stymied thus far by not knowing where to start nor how to start sorting through all of it, I'm attempting to look at it now as bite-sized chunks rather than a colossal whole. While sorting the entire house is my ultimate goal, the task is daunting enough to squelch any effort to begin. Sorting one drawer or one drawer-sized area a day, however, is entirely manageable.

I tend to find the decision making involved - what to keep, what to repurpose, how to repurpose it, what to relinquish, how to keep tossed items out of the landfill, how to organize what's left - completely enervating. But, ten minutes a day making only a few such decisions? I'm actually looking forward to it. So far, I've sorted two bookcase shelves with this method and it seems to work for me. Options for the orphaned books include re-gift, trade in at the used bookstore, leave at my local little free library, donate to my public library for fundraising sales, and donate to the thrift store. None of the culled books will go to waste, which lightens my self-imposed, heavy sense of responsibility immensely.

5 comments:

  1. What a terrific bird feeder. I am very inspired by your intention and all the ways in which it will manifest. One drawer a day is so achievable. Up until we moved into our current house (2 years ago) we spent a few years hopping around. During this time our belongings were lightened an enormous amount, although, now after only a couple of years, I am already seeing "stuff" building up again. I think I might do a little culling and de-stashing too. Fel from The Craft Sessions does a great "Stash Less" series on her blog... http://thecraftsessions.com/blog/?category=Stash+Less
    It's been fascinating to follow along and recognise similar habits and motivations within myself.

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    1. I LOVE Stash Less! Just discovered the series a few weeks ago. I look forward to reading from the beginning through to her current posts.

      Good luck with the culling!

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  2. ps/ those two photos are beautiful. I love your snowflakes (so do my children) - would you consider posting a tutorial?

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    1. http://oddbirdstudio.blogspot.com/2013/12/snowflakes.html

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    2. oooh yay! Perfect, thanks for passing that on.

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