Journey of a Mixed Media Hoarder
As a mixed media artist I use a lot of recyclables and found
objects in both my art and my work as a teacher of art so I have collected a
lot of material and have huge stash… but as we all know as much delight it is
to collect the material and look at our stash if we are not actually using it
well it has to go. So I began my long and difficult journey of the de-stashing
process. I started going through it and loading it up actually letting it go. I
was happy to find homes for the things that I knew another mixed media artist
would love as mochas I do and put the fabric paper books ephemera to a creative
use in their own art… I gave a bin of silk to an artist who plans to make beautiful
scarves , I an artist who uses photos and collage papers gladly received the
old books, I gave large pieces of fabric
to a women who teaches sewing which I know it will be reincarnated into beautiful
dresses and projects her students create
in their sewing classes… I sorted and cut my fabric and collage papers and now
it is ready to give to a Quilt Guild that makes quilts for nursing homes and
children in hospitals. A teacher who uses "Green" material in her
classes is taking the collage material. I am planning to create collage
packages to sell on Etsy and use it in my up-coming online mixed media classes,
I finally realized that I no longer use the files and folders of art projects
from the past an am more digital so I am letting go even though there are such
sweet memories of the beginning of the Joy of Art Studio when I did not have a
computer but took notes and created folders from my classes and projects. I let
go of a char in my studio that I lovingly called my comply chair so many
meditation moments and books read there in order to actually start using a
beautiful chair that I husband brought from China
I'm a terrible hoarder too Joy, and I'm only at the beginning of my de-stash journey with a long way to go!
ReplyDeleteI just came in from my studio (really just our garage), where I've just packed a box of books that I picked up "just in case", and they're going to the local charity shop tomorrow.
This was just the encouragement I needed to keep going, thanks! :)
Jane, it all begins with one box at a time... When I started my journey it was overwhelming and I honestly did not want to do it but I am so glad that I did! It is amazing how much we as mixed media artist collect and we love collecting! I can only tell you to keep de-stashing because at the end of this journey you will find such treasures... Yesterday I gave an art teacher who also uses recyclables in her classes another collection of de-stash material for her own students. She had just moved here and had to let go of her art material and was delighted to get the things I was letting go. We are now connected and plan to do projects together and exchange material I now have a wonder friend all because of my de-stashing…. I continue because I still have a lot of stuff so I am putting together stash bags to sell on Etsy and use for my own mixed media classes and workshops joy of Creative Surfaces and Backgrounds as well as the video series Monday Morning Mixed Media Meet Your Muse that I begin in May . … All of this is because I began with one box at a time… Let me know how it goes in your own de-stashing journey. So glad I could inspire your own de-stashing. Joy
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