Should Art be considered in the process of letting go?

Distracting visual clutter not only affects horizontal surfaces but also vertical ones. But should Art be considered in the process of letting go?

"You've inspired me to another level of desire for a simple living. However, I do enjoy art [...] There are always some that are in my closet, as I don't have the space to hang them all, awaiting their turn to be brought out" wrote one reader.

When recently discussing the subject of living simply with mostly bare walls, a friend told me that he was intrigued and he too argued: "One needs some visual pleasure (beauty) in the home, don't you think?".

I understand the attachment to Art, as I too used to fill my walls with it. I hung on to Art for reasons such as: A home has to have Art, Art shows that I am educated, Art proves that I am an artist. Today, I no longer consider these reasons valid.

As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, we now only display a handful of non-functional pieces: the occasional glass of flowers or foraged plants, the painting on our largest wall, the found animal skull in the playroom (Max enjoys science and biology) and a couple of pieces in our shared office/studio. But we're not forever-attached to any of them. I find that visual beauty abounds around us and does not need to be canvas-bound. Beauty "is in the eye of the beholder" and can be found everywhere and anywhere: In the yellow bird outside of my window, in the light filtering through my chihuahua's ears, in the new shoots sprouting from my living wall, in my kids smiles, and in simple functional items in the home.

Furthermore, I have come to realize that:

• Showing less allows each individual piece to breathe and allows the viewer to fully emerge himself into it, without the distraction of neighboring pieces. In quantity, the individuality of each piece gets in part lost to "the competition" (the ones next to it) on a wall. But when a piece is isolated, it is "put on a pedestal" and given every opportunity to shine, inspire, and amaze.

• Overtime, many pieces lose their appeal. After the initial excitement, they lose their visual novelty and get forgotten (you'll walk by them, and won't notice them anymore): Sometimes due to a switch in decorating style or frame, sometimes due to relocating (to a darker corner for example), sometimes due to a fading trend: Remember when the velvet paintings were cool? Pieces (along with their frames) as such can however interest collectors/museums or be reused by artists and made into "new".

• Walls with windows, do not need art: A window can be a frame displaying beautiful nature, a living piece of art.

• The lighter the load, the easier the move. Moving Art is no easy task.

• A functional item can often fill or balance an "empty" area: Relocating a live plant, a chair or a lamp will often do the trick.

• Supporting local artists is an honorable reason to collect, supporting ZeroWaste artists is even better, when purchasing Art, look for Art that is 100% compostable or made from 100% recycled material.

We have not missed any of the "beautiful" pieces that we used to own and have sold. We now rather find "beauty" in living simply.

I don't expect many of you to agree with me here... What do you think: Shouldn't Art be considered in the process of "forming better shopping habits, sharing with others, or making Zero Waste manageable" (as mentioned in this previous post)?

Our white walls explained

Picture used for illustrative purposes only



Comments, such as the following, keep recurring:

• "I certainly would not want my children, when asked what their mom loves [...] to answer "clear surfaces and white walls." Anonymous

Critics come in waves. Through them, I have had to defend our car usage, our meat consumption, our toilet paper purchase... lately, our white walls (and I thought I was making a statement with the white floors;). That's right. White walls and decorating style. I sure did not expect to spend any time explaining my wall color or design choices when starting this Zero Waste blog.

• "Bea, it seems like you are advocating a style choice rather than a more environmentally friendly way" Anonymous

What do the color of my walls, and our mod decor have to do with Zero Waste? Where on this blog can you read that one needs white walls to adopt the Zero Waste lifestyle?

Honestly, these comments crack me up. They take my decorating aesthetics way too seriously. Again, this blog is not to dictate how one should live (or decorate), but to share the principles that I have found to work for myself and my family. This is simply NOT a decorating blog.

I thought it went without saying that to adopt of lifestyle of Zero Waste (or voluntary simplicity), mid-century modern decor does not need to apply, and could just as well be Moroccan, Mexican, shabby chic, French country... or whatever style you're into (I can't believe I writing such an obvious statement).

• "You [Bea] confuse personal aesthetics with zero waste, [...] I would go nuts in a white home!" Mitty

Ironically, the color of our walls save us a lot of energy: We intentionally chose white to brighten up our house (and in turn lower our electricity consumption). Although we live in the trees, we do not need lights on a rainy day or before night fall. Every bit of daylight gets used and reflected. On a hot day, the house stays cool. Not to mention that for me, a light house has always meant a happy house. The white walls represent a canvas colored by people and their personalities, shadows on the walls change with daylight and seasons, the windows and outdoor views become living artwork. I understand that this color (or the lack thereof) choice might not be everyone's cup of tea, but hey, that's a personal preference, no need to lash out about it. As for our decorating style, it simply evolved from what we were able to find used...

None of this criticism obviously would have come out, would I have omitted pictures of my interior, which happen to be a quick and easy way for me to add visuals to my posts... I could search for alternative pictures instead, but I find that my time is better spent sharing lifestyle choices than decorating styles. That said, you are free to post and share pictures of your interiors on the forum or our FaceBook page.

Some days I wonder: What did I get myself into? What am I doing giving my time away to hungry angry critics using my walls as a target? What am I doing complicating my life by sharing our voluntary simplicity? Then I remember those of you, who do not get hung up on my white walls but rather read beyond or see through them and I keep going.

Now, enough about decorating style, let's keep this blog and its comments focused on the core values covered in the articles: Waste and time/money/resources wasted on the unnecessary (this article would be one example).

Granted!

Had I not picked 36 lbs. of organic strawberries on Sunday (which needed my attention on Monday), had I not been at work until 8pm Tuesday, and had I not deleted my post by mistake last night, I would have made this blog announcement earlier!

We won the Green Parent category at The Green Awards last weekend! Check out the other category winners here: https://www.thegreenawards.com/

Your votes, which accounted for a 1/4 of the voting process, combined with those of a panel of environmental judges (such as the Rainforest Alliance, Surfrider Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Working Group), gave us first place in our category, providing us with a $25,000 prize (read: grant) to take Zero Waste to the next level. Thank You!

Wow. The announcement sure came to me as a shock. While unprepared to give an acceptance speech (but happy to have saved the bit of paper), words of emotion filled my mouth, as tears filled my eyes. In the audience, my pre-teen guest, Max, kept his cool. A blase moment for him, but an out-of-body experience for myself. The white lights glaring in my face and the microphone echoing at the sound of my voice, made it all feel surreal.

Some of you criticized the Green Giant sponsorship, but not to the surprise of the sponsor who well knows that criticism comes from exposing yourself... as I too found out from writing this blog. And although Green Giant would appear to be an unlikely supporter of Zero Waste, I greatly appreciate their willingness to promote new thinking, approaches, and business concepts. Ultimately, we need to work together (forward thinking individuals and corporations alike) to build a more sustainable future. So, I thank you, Green Giant for giving individuals the opportunity to publicly share their sustainable ideas and provide us with the funds to spread the word about Zero Waste. We will keep you posted on our progress.

Trip notes:

• The new terminal at SFO, sports hydration stations (to refill water bottles), along with compost receptacles.
• Despite our relentless attempt to find a pair of pants to match Max's black thrift shop blazer (which fits 3 of 4 members of our family), we ended up buying a new pair at the last minute ;(. My dress only cost $5 though ;)
• As you would guess, I refused the swag bag on the spot.
• I would have liked to refuse the award on location for The Green Awards to reuse next year (a bit of sanding or a plaque over my name for next year's winner should do), but I leave that decision to Max, who "always wanted a trophy". (Green Giant offered to have me send it back to them, should Max change his mind.)
• Offsets were covered by the event. And besides the cocktail paper napkins, I did not notice disposables at the event. Impressive.
• While in LA, Max and I went to an amazing Street Art exhibit at MOCA's Geffen. I highly recommend.

Why I've let go of non-functional items in my home.

Why do we fill our shelves with knick knacks? Is it to simply fill empty surfaces? Why must they be filled? Are we afraid of hurting someone's feelings (by not displaying a gift)? Is it to show off our wealth? Is it to remember someone? Is it to prove that we are educated and cultivated (shelves of books)? Is it to escape our own reality ("this shell reminds me of happy vacation times")? Is it to prove that we have been places and are wordly (tiki statuette)? The last three especially ring true to me.

In my previous, bedroom community life, I had unconsciously filled my home with travel books and artifacts collected all over the world: A way for me to impress friends and separate myself from a settled community that I longed to escape. But I have since come to realize that the pictures in my head, the experiences lived and the memories shared with my husband of that world trip are more important. They live forever and can never be taken away, stolen, damaged or burnt. On the other hand, artifacts can. The library now stores our books. I am free of the responsibilities related to possessing such objects.

My story might not ring true to everyone but what I know for sure, is that the pretexts that I hear from my clients point to the reasons given above. "Oh I can't let that go, I bought it in Thailand!", or "I paid X amount for it!," or "My mother made it!," or "My friend gave it to me," or "It reminds me of happy vacation times." Are those reasons good enough to clutter your walls, shelves and overall life? They do not seem valid enough to me anymore. People do not give us things/presents to burden us, they give them to us as a simple, sometimes cultural gesture, not to clutter our space.

Putting much value on such items teaches our kids to do the same. With parenting comes the question: What important life lessons do we want to teach our kids? We choose to teach ours that there is more to life than stuff. It is experiences and people that make life rich, and it starts with parents living with less.

"The stuff that I cherish is mine to cherish - I don't expect my children to keep it and I have told them as much" Anonymous... Valid outlook on heirloom guilt, but, to the question: "What does your mom love?" I would not want my kids to answer "her porcelain dolls."

"Telling our kids" is one thing, but "living by example" is another, and in my mind, a more powerful way of getting an important message through to them.

I have questioned my past pretexts and feel liberated from the false reasons that had me display non-functional things. Today, I only display a handful of very select ones.

Again, I do not write this blog to dictate, but rather to share my experiences, and hear yours.

What keeps you from emptying your curio shelves?

Does decluttering help the environment?

"[...] Getting rid of inspiring artwork/fixtures etc. just creates more waste (what really happens to stuff that no one buys from Goodwill?) . I completely agree with reducing what you buy/bring into your home--but, if its already in your home will getting rid of it really help anything?" - Jasmine in Maine

In response to the comment above, I need to clarify a few, very important things before going on the subject of decluttering a specific space, as promised in Less is More. While the comment above ignores the financial, health and time saving benefits of decluttering (i.e, "make room in your life for the things that you enjoy doing"), it calls for a further look at the environmental benefits.

Does decluttering help the environment?

1 - Decluttering forms better shopping habits. Less shopping means less strain on our resources: Only thru decluttering will you find epiphany in reducing future purchases. A process better lived than described, but I will try my best.

Many of my clients are thrifty shoppers, but all their "cheap" purchases do not seem to impact their wallet. But the accumulation eventually strikes them to use my consulting services. Hours of work and piles of donations later, they realize that the seemingly harmless shopping is the cause of clutter, stress, unhealthy dust collection, and a waste of time and money ($1 here, $1 there, really add up). The exercise of decluttering change their shopping habits forever. They now think twice about buying and bringing anything new or used into their home.

I remember having that same revelation after simplifying my home. It directly lead me to stop shopping as a hobby, stop the online searches, the spontaneous trips to Target, and the unplanned stops at garage sale or thrift shops. Not that I ever considered myself a big shopper before, quite the contrary, as I was considered frugal by friends and family. But thru decluttering, I learned to really understand and restrain resource depleting accumulation and shopping habits, and choose (repairable) quality over (disposable) quantity: A must in the long term future of Zero Waste.

2 - Decluttering supports sharing with others: Many complain that thrift shops are full and use this as a pretext not to declutter. But thrift shoppers with a targeted list will disagree. I am one of them. Many times, I have gone to a thrift store to look for a specific item and have come out empty-handed. I have struck out on backpacks, school supplies, sheets, pillowcases, kids books, boy's suit, shoes... and yet I have found these items unused, in homes that I have consulted. Storing unused items, is not considerate, but selfish to the Earth, as it forces those who care about the environment to buy new.

The future of Zero Waste holds great resale shops. Sharing is key to the large scale success of this lifestyle. As they say: Someone's trash is someone else's treasure", and I truly believe that. The recyclers want your 30-year-old paperwork (to save trees today) and the fashionistas, your 1990's accessories.

That said, while thrift stores can be a convenient way to initially let go, many other outlets exist and are often more appropriate. The key, is finding the best match for the items that you do not use or need. Among the countless possibilities, here are some examples, not in order:

• Diggerslist (home improvement)
• Freecycle
• Consignment shops (quality items)
• Habitat for Humanity (building materials, furniture, and/or appliances)
• Craigslist (large items and free items): My experience is that anything posted for free can disappear within 15min.
• Ebay (small items of value)
• Amazon (books)
• Local Women's Shelter (toys)
• Local SPCA (towels)
• Auctions houses
• Antique shops
• On your curb with a free sign
• Friends
• FamilyRegifting
• Operation Christmas Child (in a shoe box, only new items)
• ThredUp (kids clothes trading), or Relash (clothes and book trading)
• Homeless shelter or hot meal locations
• Crossroads Trading Co
• Nike Reuse-a-Shoe (any brand of worn-out athletic shoes)
• Tool co-op
• Schools (art supplies, magazines, dishes to eliminate class party disposables)
• Churches (dishes for reuse in lieu of disposables, but also ministries occasionally need specific item donations, such as warm jackets)
• Nurseries and Preschools (blankets, toys)
• Garage sale
• Rummage sale for a cause (our school held one last weekend to raise money for Nepal Freed)
• Friends for their own garage sale
• Flea markets
• Return to the source (for example, bike tires to the bike store, recyclers reuse them)
• Optometrist (used glasses)
• Dress for success (workplace attires)
• Recycling (paper clutter, and empty boxes)

More, local resources:

• Trips for kids (bikes)
• The Away Station (building materials)
• Urban Ore
• Ohmega Salvage
• Scrap (art reuse)
• Creative reuse (arts and crafts)

As for the "stuff that no one [will] buy from Goodwill"....or from the sources above, chances are, it has past its useful life. Whether you dispose of it or you successors do, it is waste. Holding onto it does not make it into something useful.

3 - Decluttering makes Zero Waste manageable: I have said it and will say it again. Simplifying (which starts with decluttering) makes it easy to organize and stick to the logistics of Zero Waste. How many reusable bags does one need to be Zero Waste? In my case, 3, not 10. Less means less to worry about, clean, store, repair or dispose of later.

Jasmine: Even if you did not see the point of decluttering in order to form better shopping habits, share with others, or make Zero Waste manageable for environmental reasons, don't you value time saved from not caring for the unnecessary? I personally do... Time has allowed me to re-connect with the outdoors, green my home, create this blog... Time is the most valuable commodity needed in caring for the environment -it is our lack of time that created the problems that we now want to fix (e.g, SUP's in the great garbage patch).

Overall, it seems that Decluttering items already purchased "helps" the environment more than Storing them. Wouldn't you agree?