I’ve had my studio for about 4 years, and I’ve cleaned it twice. Once was when I accidentally turned the wrong spigot on the water tank and water shot up like a fountain “washing” everything in the studio. So, it really needed a cleaning, but somehow I always found something better to do, like make quilts and potholders. A couple of weeks ago Jon suggested I get some help and I have to admit, it made all the difference.
So today, instead of making potholders for the Potholder Contest (thanks for the overwhelming positive feedback , I’m planning on posting the contest on Friday) I hired Bailey for a few hours to help me clean my studio. And although I could have done it without her, I don’t know that I would have.
It’s true that two people doing a job goes quicker than twice as fast. ( You know, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.) Also, I have a tendency to get obsessive when I clean. I’ll move a box of fabric to clean under it then start to look through the box and obsessively sort the fabric. By the time I get done, I’m bored and tired of cleaning and move onto something else. But having someone else there, helps keep me on track. And, Bailey is a professional, so she knows how to move around a crowded space and clean every corner and cobweb. And maybe most important, working with Bailey was fun. We worked well together. The idea that cleaning my studio could be fun is new for me. I think I’ll make it a yearly event with Bailey’s help of course.
Of course, a Feng Shui expert would be cheering now because you made an unfettered path for the Chi to flow…and that can bring rewards in your personal and professional life. Aside from the good Chi, at least you know there are no hidden rattlesnakes. 🙂
I usually end up cleaning my creative spaces when I have to look for something that has been “misplaced”. I always procrastinate, but it feels good when I am done. Frees up more room for new energy!
I always joke that cleaning is the devil’s work. I can think of SO many things I would rather do than clean and declutter, and most of those things are reading! Lately however, and I am by no means turning over a new leaf, I have been grieving the loss of our dog, and twice found myself feeling so lost and sad, and realizing that I needed a project to focus on. So I tackled our out-of-the-nest son’s bedroom, and cleaned and sorted everything he left behind into piles for Goodwill, for him to go through, etc. The other time I tackled my desk in the kitchen where I put everything that doesn’t have a logical place (or I can’t be bothered to figure that out). Each decluttering session, I have to admit, was very therapeutic. Hmmmm….. And my husband, who likes a clean and organized house (but has stayed with me for 24 years anyway), was thrilled. But I will still value reading and staring up at the trees above all else!