I spent most of the day culling. Not words from a story but actual ‘stuff’. Stuff that has been piling up in my life for some time now. Literally. We have piles of papers and items that have been surplus for some time. Finally I have the courage to rid myself of them.
My dear husband has been trolling through our filing cabinet, retrieving ancient records which are no longer relevant and not required for legal purposes. This has made our piles-o’-stuff even more landscape-like. It is quite mind boggling how quickly our life can become so cluttered.
I have now spent hours shredding papers; there are now another two massive plastic bags full of newly created puppy and kitten bedding for the local pet store. All that is left of this particular venture is to sweep up the thin slivers of paper stragglers that have blown their ways. At least it can be recycled.
Over a longer period of time I have been slowly reducing the contents of my material stash cupboard. Most of the costumes that I have made, over the past four years, have been with the materials I have. Not many new purchases have been made. My current costume project is mostly made with these contents… yet still they accrue!
Like the contents of my cabinets and house, I am learning to de-clutter my mind, unloading baggage that has piled up over the years; at the end of last year, it reached a point where it was no longer bearable. I dropped my bundle and my life started shredding. My writing has helped me unload some of the baggage. My art and photography have also consoled me. With help, I have begun to free myself from both material clutter and mental clutter.
Now… onto more shredding….