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am I just moving my horde of stuff into a new category?
I made a commitment to go through my unfinished projects and either finish them or toss them this year. I have managed to toss a number of items that just didn't work, yea me.
The problem comes with the projects, aka cards and diy books, etc that I have finished. I want a clean uncluttered room to hang out in and it occurred to me that maybe all I'm doing is moving something from unfinished to finished but still hoarded and therefore not accomplishing my ultimate goal. I have had fun making the items and crafty fun is definitely a plus but I'm thinking it is time to take a closer look at what and how I'm going to get that clean uncluttered room that I want.
If you love the items, or some of them, and enjoy having them around you, either in your craft space or elsewhere in your home, why not keep them?
I also like uncluttered, so have two white picture rails in my office/craft room that hold small finished projects and cards, plus some dup cards (and cards from others) are hung on the wall on an IKEA piece made for photos or cards. So it looks intentional.
On the other hand, if you don�t love them, I bet a nursing home or friends or relatives or someone would.
In case anyone is interested, some picture ledges have front lips that are a little too high so they block small items a bit. (You might be able to put a few layers of chipboard or thin wood trim on the bottom to raise items.) These have lower lips. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FJVYD2K...ter_B01C6YYNXW
The ones I have made and want to save for future reference or use, I store in a decorative box. That way I can store many close together and inside of each other, etc. They are on a higher shelf that I need a stool to reach. I store them out in sight for awhile and then pack them away several at a time.
I bought a old window frame with the intentions of having hubs hang chicken wire in the glass frames ( it still has glass in it) and I want to rotate happy mail that I have received and collected over time from crafty friends, ( right now all that art is in a box so I don't have to dust it and I have no flat surface space to display it on either) so, I am going to hang the window and have a "spot" for some to be out at a time. and just rotate it every so often.
(maybe something like that a dedicated space would work for you? and when the box is too full if this is your art, mail some off so you always have room to keep creating.?
You made me think of the KonMari method of cleaning/decluttering/organizing. Her focus is to only keep items that bring you joy. Once they no longer bring joy, they should go. (That’s the short version ;) ).
You have found joy in creating those items. Now that time has passed and they’re keeping you from finding more joy in the space you want to relax in. Maybe thinking about it this way will make it easier for you to release them and step towards your goal?
Mine is always: If you are getting happiness from having it around, keep it where you can continue to have it give you joy. If that time has past, find a place where it will bring you happiness to give it away - a school, a friend, donate to someplace where it will become someone else's treasure...a gift for someone's raffle off kit...bless it and let it fly...
__________________ The future is uncertain, because love changes everything!
Thank you Stacy for the idea, but I have no wall space left in my room. With four doors and three windows, the wall space is limited. I do have track shelving though and I have two frames from Michael's that have glass and lots of cards displayed in them. I like stuff sitting out for awhile and then I have to make it less messy. LOL
Since posting this I have been thinking about the moving things around from one hoarding category (unfinished) to another (finished). Making things just for fun is a stumbling block for me it seems because afterwards I put those things away instead of doing something with them and I fall into that trap so easily. It is time to let some, okay many things go and pass the "joy" on.
Stacy, just gift them away. Put your ultimate favorite's in your memory box. If you have a memory box, lol. That's what I did with my favorite projects. It gives me joy when I open up that box. I sure don't want ten billion projects in there. I think I have like six.
I had those same problems with keeping my cards because in my mind, they all were my "favorites".
Then I discovered Cards for a Cause right here on SCS. I go through my cards every month and gift them to the cause, whatever it is.
It makes me feel good that someone is in need of the cards and they will be very appreciated. It doesn't matter how many you give away, some months it's just a few, others a few more, however many I want to share! Then I am more motivated to create more.
__________________ We can't all be stars but we can all twinkle.
I would separate categories 'finished' and "unfinished" in my thinking. If there are finished projects you really dislike, separate those out --to keep. Discontent is the precursor of growth! Depending on how much you have accumulated, think about the finished group you're satisfied with as the ones to give away, store, etc. But the finished group you're not satisfied with are the ones to hang on to. I know that sounds goofy but those are the projects you can learn the most from, the keys to your development. For the unfinished projects (again depending on how many you have),decide how much of a bore or (in my case how much of a horror) they are. The ones that most annoy or frustrate me are the ones I keep. Allow yourself room to grow, in both skill and insight into problem solving. The worst embarrassments have proved to me to be the most valuable. Nothing for me equals the satisfaction of reworking/redoing them a year (or even years) later as measures of my progress. I started way below zero in skill but even if I'd been a trained artist, I think I'd revisit my craft horrors --no greater satisfaction than conquering them!
If you have created books--you might contact a Cancer Center close to you and see if you could bring them for patients to use....I have gifted composition book journals to several undergoing chemo and they have used them to write questions they want to remember to ask about treatments and so forth as well just reflections and ranting while they are receiving the chemo or whatever treatments it may be.
__________________ c-mouse-If you can't say nuttin nice--don't say nuttin at all. Thumper. Pansy
Card Sketch Challenge 1-227 done only 396+ to go to be caught up!!!!!
This post (thread) just right out at me and to answer the original question - yes! It's effective. One year (back in 2015, I think) my mantra was Use it or Lose It (including supplies, things made, etc) and it worked! I kept my word and what I didn't use, went to church and Girl Scouts. It stung, but what a valuable lesson for myself not to hoard or go crazy buying. Now I'm more selective (especially at new stamp releases where I just had. to. have. it!)
But the best part of that mantra was the giving. I gave and haven't stopped - It taught me to mail more cards to friends, send more happy mail, give to charities. It was as enriching as it was educational ♥
Mine is always: If you are getting happiness from having it around, keep it where you can continue to have it give you joy. If that time has past, find a place where it will bring you happiness to give it away - a school, a friend, donate to someplace where it will become someone else's treasure...a gift for someone's raffle off kit...bless it and let it fly...
And to add just another idea to this - you could always abandon your art! There are several art abandonment groups on Facebook that you might join to get inspiration from as well as printable tags for your art to let people know it is free.
Is use it or Toss really effective or
