Clutter is Dead Energy - How to Finally Chuck Out the Junk, Declutter Your House, and Re-energise Your Home
Coffey makes the point that clutter represents 'dead energy'. I know what he means. I'm sitting looking at a corner of my study, jam-packed with clutter, right now, and I can tell you that corner is dead. If I don't move that junk away from there I may as well erect a headstone engraved with Dead Corner, RIP, 2004-2011 and build a little fence around it.
What's lying there? About a dozen paint brushes, (one sticking out of a pot of hard, dried paint.) An old newspaper. A picture of a black cat. Some bottles of turpentine. A dead rucksack, a broken lamp and a dead tool box. They've all been lying there for, oh, two years or so.
That"s just on my left. On my right is a clothes rail groaning under clothes that I should wash or dry clean, mend and wear or give away. The bookcase is behind me and it's stuffed with - oh I can't even be bothered to describe it because it 's so awful. (Not the books - the books are fine - it's the files of junk and clutter and random photos and bits of paper, a broken camera stuffed between files, old Christmas cards....)
Coffey's article is good. If I could follow its advice I have no doubt my living space would get decluttered. But I'm a clutter-magnet. Some people are, and some people aren't. I don't want to attract clutter, or hoard things, but things sort of fly at me and attach themselves to my person as I go about my daily life. Mostly, it seems to be paper. Today I went into a local town here in the south of France, Carpentras. While I was drinking a coffee, the pleasant café owner told me how she makes the lovely cakes she sells. They're like little jewels, works of art. "Here", she said, "take this leaflet - it tells you a bit more." Then I wondered into a newsagent's shop. I didn't buy anything, but as I left someone smiled and handed me a programme for the local cinema. I noticed a leaflet for a local opera too and picked that up. Arriving home, I checked my mail box and pulled out a bunch of letters (also known as bills) and more leaflets.
I don't know if you've noticed, but whole new phenomenon of online clutter has grown up around us too. I have passwords for dozens of sites and services, most of which I don't use or care about. The online clutter providers throw "memorable information" at you as soon as they give you a password. What was your first toy? Which sibling did you hate the most? At what age did you realise every girl in the class needed a bra except you? And so on. I have a little black book full of memorable information I'll forget if I don't write it down and largely scribbled out temporary passwords which have been sent to clutter up my inbox. The temporary passwords so typical of online clutter are always of the annoying genre 2WeDXy5eHpmNq. Why can't they be JohnnyDeppFanciesYou or BradPittJust Called? Something you might have an interest in remembering?
Anyway - if you're not a clutter-magnet yourself, I know what you're thinking. Why the hell doesn't she stop whinging about clutter and throw that stuff out of that corner? Then she can sort out the clothes rail and the bookshelf. I know you're right. I don't have a reasonable argument to come back with so I accept your recommendation. I'm going to stop right now - this writing lark is sheer procrastination - and DECLUTTER this study for once and for all. Wish me luck.
Source:
personal experience
&
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7747764/controlling_clutter_the_feng_shui_way_pg2.html?cat=6&com=2
Published by Catherine Dagger
READ CATH'S BLOG on daily life in Provence, south of France, at: http://provencesouthoffrance.blogspot.com Cath lives in Provence. In the past she lived in Washington DC., England, Scotland and Italy. Sh... View profile
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8 Comments
Post a CommentGreat article. I understand what you are going on about. Believe me, I can out-clutter you any day. I'm not even going to describe my clutter - but I am going to work through getting it attended to. The Easter break is a good time to make a start. Good luck with yours.
Okay, I now have a 4 foot by 6 foot by 5 foot stack of stuff to go through for the second round. Yikes! You would not believe how much I burned, trashed, and gave away. This coming week can be my next challenge. Excellent ♥ thanks for sharing
excellent work, thanks for sharing ♥
excellent
Wow, your I shouldn't be alive article is almost as intense as mine.
Clothes trees and stacking containers piled in my closet neatly arranged in my closet loaded to the gills. That's how I de-clutter.
Catherine, I don't often get the opportunity to apply my training in psychology these days, but I think you hit on a very important reality that everyone should consider: the effect of cyberspace on our perception of physical space. The Internet itself promotes the "storage" mindset. Being part of social networks promotes "storage." Being part of online professional communities promotes "storage." I have no doubt but that for those whose day to day lives pivot on the Internet, and those who know no other kind of socializing, the constant promotion of "storage" must have a psychological impact on how they (we) behave offline, in the physical world. Is this just one more side-effect of spending time in cyberspace?
I hear you, I need to de-clutter myself :) cheers