Craft-transformation!
There are two kinds of things that put me in a zen-like, contemplative mode that I just love — working on house projects (like painting the dining room woodwork, which I just finished), and craft projects.
Unfortunately, my craft space was an incredible disaster of piled-up mess. I could not find anything, and there was no actual room to create. Think I'm exaggerating? Here's visual proof:
The mess of it has weighed on me more than I can express. There have been a lot of times I wanted to just chuck it all, to decide I didn't need it in my life, I was not good at it, the whole thing was stupid, all because I could not handle the mess. When I DID try to do things, I could not find the right items: the pinking shears, right color thread, etc. I was about this far from giving up.
That's when, a few weeks back, my friend Emily offered to help. Emily is an incredible creative person who I first met when she ran a wonderful pop-up called Highway North for several months (she still has a kind of sense of that shop at Groundswell, so you can pop in and get a latte and cool gifts). She's started a new business, called Gathering Space Organizing, and I knew she was perfect for the job.
Because here's the thing about Emily. She's the perfect mix of intellectual and emotional. She understands your reasoning about holding on to something, but she also understands your emotional tie to it. She's not judgmental, but she does so much want to help you get through it.
So today I blew off my clients for 3 hours and got through the whole craft space. Not only is the space organized beyond my wildest dreams, but it feels manageable. I can hardly wait to sew, and paint, and create there. I can find everything, and get sit down to work on a project without abandoning it halfway through. I was able to get rid of things I was not using, while feeling far more of a feeling of abundance with what was left. And isn't that what you are supposed to feel the night before Thanksgiving?
Here are the after pics:
AMAZING, huh?
So, if you are looking for kind of the ultimate "your life and mental health are important to me" gift this holiday season, I highly recommend giving a gift certificate for time with Emily. I'm hooked — I can hardly wait to bring her back. I feel like my whole life has changed after this afternoon.
Unfortunately, my craft space was an incredible disaster of piled-up mess. I could not find anything, and there was no actual room to create. Think I'm exaggerating? Here's visual proof:
The mess of it has weighed on me more than I can express. There have been a lot of times I wanted to just chuck it all, to decide I didn't need it in my life, I was not good at it, the whole thing was stupid, all because I could not handle the mess. When I DID try to do things, I could not find the right items: the pinking shears, right color thread, etc. I was about this far from giving up.
That's when, a few weeks back, my friend Emily offered to help. Emily is an incredible creative person who I first met when she ran a wonderful pop-up called Highway North for several months (she still has a kind of sense of that shop at Groundswell, so you can pop in and get a latte and cool gifts). She's started a new business, called Gathering Space Organizing, and I knew she was perfect for the job.
Because here's the thing about Emily. She's the perfect mix of intellectual and emotional. She understands your reasoning about holding on to something, but she also understands your emotional tie to it. She's not judgmental, but she does so much want to help you get through it.
So today I blew off my clients for 3 hours and got through the whole craft space. Not only is the space organized beyond my wildest dreams, but it feels manageable. I can hardly wait to sew, and paint, and create there. I can find everything, and get sit down to work on a project without abandoning it halfway through. I was able to get rid of things I was not using, while feeling far more of a feeling of abundance with what was left. And isn't that what you are supposed to feel the night before Thanksgiving?
Here are the after pics:
AMAZING, huh?
So, if you are looking for kind of the ultimate "your life and mental health are important to me" gift this holiday season, I highly recommend giving a gift certificate for time with Emily. I'm hooked — I can hardly wait to bring her back. I feel like my whole life has changed after this afternoon.
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