The Space to Create: Decluttering and Creativity

For the month of August I have been off work: no clinical work, no teaching and no workshops. Every August I take the month to rejuvenate and spend time with family. I get to spend more time in the garden, riding my bike and creating.

This time, much of my creative energy has been in the form of deconstruction of space. It started with changes at my work where we are moving our desk space, from the basement, to an office space in the second floor. It meant a shift from a work space that was open and connected with my fellow colleagues and therapists to one shared with one other therapist. It meant purging many papers and things that have been accumulating for the 16 years that I have worked there. From workshop/ training handouts, books, art supplies and toys (we moved the art/play room up from the basement to the first floor). It was exciting but a little stressful in the month of July as I purged and reorganized my professional work space. The room in the basement was a good-sized playroom and the space I moved to was less than half the size so this meant I had to really focus on what to keep and what to let go of.

Cluttered space, cluttered mind. I know myself that I can easily get distracted by things in my environment when I am trying to focus on a task. Having a clear creating space is essential, otherwise I tend to use my “creative time” reorganizing my space instead of playing.

The move set in motion a process where I began to reflect on all the stuff we accumulate and to what end. Why do we hang on to things; knowledge on paper that has since been integrated, things that we don’t use but “might use one day”; stuff in general that crowds our space and ultimately our minds?

It raised many questions for me about the effects of hanging on to “things” on our emotional wellbeing. Cluttered space, cluttered mind. I know myself that I can easily get distracted by things in my environment when I am trying to focus on a task. Having a clear creating space is essential, otherwise I tend to use my “creative time” reorganizing my space instead of playing.

This letting go of things is much like the letting go of thoughts: rather than hanging on and being bogged down by them there is a feeling of lightness and an openness to what is present.

The office move seemed to have open the flood gates for clearing out all that is not needed. At home I began to get rid of papers and old journals that I kept thinking I would refer to but it was obvious from the dust collecting on them I was not. I released clothes that had served their time, ones that no longer were being worn, yet still I hung on to “just incase”. Items around my home that I was hanging on to for the wrong reason, because someone had given then to me though the items no longer held a special place for me (even though the person who gifted it to me does).

As I cleared out a lot of “stuff” physically, I began to feel an opening to my creative potential. No longer dependant on past things accumulated to fill my space. A freeing and decluttering of my core being. Though I have not completely finished purging my home and home studio, I already feel lighter. This letting go of things is much like the letting go of thoughts: rather than hanging on and being bogged down by them there is a feeling of lightness and an openness to what is present.

I am not my clutter, my things, my work, my family, my thoughts, or even my creativity. I am so much more.

The emotional space opened up for me to finally paint a canvas that had been sitting waiting for me. Though still in its beginning stages and likely will be transformed beyond its initial appearance. This process has been a great reminder for balancing the bigger picture in my mind. I am not my clutter, my things, my work, my family, my thoughts, or even my creativity. I am so much more. No one thing defines me. Clearing space through this purging process has helped me let go a little more of his kind of attachment

Aside from being prompted into this journey through work circumstances, I was inspired by the book “Spark Joy” by Marie Kondo and “L’art de la Simplicite” by Dominique Loreau. Though I did not follow either to a “T”, both gave me fresh perspective on getting rid of some things that I thought I needed to hang on to but really did not. I’m very much of the opinion that one needs to follow their own process. As creatives it is easy to hang on to every little art material we have “just in case” we “need” it later. But the truth is later often never comes if it’s already been 3 or more months. Your creativity stems from the inside out, not the other way around. You do not need your “things” to be creative , but you do need the space for your process to unfold.

Your creativity stems from the inside out, not the other way around. Click To Tweet

Here are some tips you may choose to use for your own letting go process or not.

Take what makes sense for you and let the rest go:

Go through items fairly quickly, beginning with categories of items that you are less attached to (not as much sentimental value) and ending with those that have more emotional pull.
Gift unused art supplies or half used collecting dust art supplies to a local community centre or school.
Toss broken, unfixable items.
Fix broken items if it is worth it, and do it now or get rid of.
Organize in terms of usage, this will help you determine if you are not using something (art supplies included) so that you know its time to let go of them.
Thank your “things” for what they have offered you and release them to others who may find joy in them.
Go through your purging process until it is done (as much as possible). Spreading it out over weeks or even days means you are more likely to rethink what you let go of.