Wait, What, Housework?

Can domestic drudgery be creative?

Photo by Wonderlane on Unsplash

I sought every opportunity to rev up my art practice this week. I did morning pages. I went on an artist date to the library. I did some low expectation playful watercolor attempts. I took walks. I started a new quilt. But there was still something heavy slowing me down and making me restless.

The truth hit me. It was the dust and clutter throughout the house I co-inhabit with my husband, my son and his wife.

So I spent a larger portion of my “free” time on purging my belongings and cleaning up my personal spaces. And it helped. I feel re-energized as far as picking up a pen, pencil, or paintbrush.

I gently encouraged my daughter in law to purge and consolidate her belongings as well, so that I could actually get to my piano, which I haven’t touched in over a year because it is in the room where we are storing her stuff.

Part of my problem is that when I was working and had so much discretionary income, I spent on hobby supplies. I fed my need to be creative by buying stuff. Shopping for supplies and a few hours on the weekend using them was the sum total of my creative practice.

I will never use up all my yarn, fabric, or painting supplies. I am slowly chipping away at the stash of stuff: donating, selling, giving away, and using it up. I just need to do it faster.

I started the year with a very big decluttering project and made great progress freeing up 8 - 10 feet of shelf space and emptying storage drawers and bins so that I could clear off my work areas on desks and tables where I paint or sew.

The effort I put into cleaning, getting rid of, and reorganizing has really lifted my mood and restored my creative zeal. The link between clutter and depression/anxiety is well-established. So what I learned this week was that decluttering and cleaning can actually feed my creative practice and boost my mood as well.

Here is my plan for keeping from being overwhelmed by my stuff again.

• If I am tempted to by more storage bins, I must free up existing storage space.

• Weekly trips to the library must continue. I should always bring 2 or 3 books to donate to the used book sale room.

• Spend 15 minutes before bedtime tidying my sewing room or art space.

• Limit fabric purchases drastically. No more buying fabric just because it’s pretty. Quilt from stash.

• Stop reading the promotions tab of my gmail account in the morning.

• Only buy new paint if I run out of a color. If tempted to buy paint, leave it in the online shopping cart for at least 24 hours before sending in the order. Consumables such as paper and canvas can be purchased as needed.

• Look for more donation opportunities.

When I feel down, nervous or lacking in creative energy, I need to take a look around me. It could very well be my environment that’s weighing down my mood.

Some links to information on the link between clutter and mental health.

The Link Between Messy Rooms and Depression

The Clutter-Depression-Anxiety Cycle

Why Clutter is Bad for People With Anxiety

How to Declutter with Depression

Have you tackled this problem successfully? I would love to hear from you in the comments