An update on the massive purge. Thank you to everyone who donated to my Colleen’s Closet Donation Incentive Drive. Not only did you help me raise money to produce nearly two issues of A Distant Soil, but you helped me clean out my office.
When I first moved to my little farm house some years ago, my two-room office suite was a dream cottage of drawing happiness. Such a big improvement over my tiny condo clutter-horror.
I set it up with one room devoted to drawing, and the next room for library and storage.
Unfortunately, the library room was simply too small for all my books and records, and I couldn’t find anything. I had many more books stored out in the wellhouse, as well as lots of art supplies boxed away. Nothing was in any kind of order, and it was all so cramped I couldn’t make room to make order.
The primary problem of too much stuff was exacerbated by a rush move and poor packing from the start. Later, a flood in the well house, which necessitated another rush move of boxes of goods which made things even worse.
A few years ago I started pruning. But though I had given away, donated, or sold at least half my collectibles and books, I still had too many things.
In the office, it became obvious that I had made my art supplies and art secondary to my book collection. Well, that was dumb.
Though I’d managed to organize a lot of the art supplies in bins, most of the the art has never been in order. Sketchbooks and papers were a total mess. Flat files only handled a small portion of my work. I could not find many supplies when I needed them, because the bins were crammed. I’d quickly forget where things were.
The only solution was to get rid of the office library and to prioritize making art instead of reading about it. Hence my donation incentive drive of a couple of months ago.
Anyway, here is a look at my library in January:
And here it is now:
I’ve removed most of the books from the shelves. They are packed in clear plastic storage boxes. Each box is filed by category: Greco-Roman history, mythology, religion, animals, fish, space science, etc. They are stacked where they can be easily accessed in my wellhouse. I have many obscure reference books I don’t dare get rid of, but I don’t need to have them at the ready all the time. Eventually, I will go through and make a computer catalogue of my entire library.
The art and supplies are now where I can see them. I have enough paper and pens to last for more than a year, and plenty of canvases and gesso boards for several years. I refrained from buying brushes when I was last in an art supply store, and good thing, too. I found an entire stack of pristine, natural bristle brushes in a box.
Anyway, this has been a lot of labor, but kind of fun as well. Sort of like Christmas, finding all these things I didn’t know I had, lots of art I had forgotten.
Alas, in my urge to purge, I stored away a few things I was supposed to ship out to donators, and I apologize. I am getting those packages out now. Just shipped a few.
Once again, I thank everyone who participated in the donation incentive drive. Thanks for helping me clean out my place, raise some cash, and for helping me to prioritize my work space for the production of NEW WORK instead of reading about other people’s work. There’s a lot left to do, but now I can breathe.
I will post some of my nifty finds as I can. I think you will get a kick out of them.
we’ve been doing the same thing here. My husband found a green metallic box and I knew what was in it before he even opened it. *cough* issues of ADS. He thought he was finding me a forgotten treasure. Oh no… I knew exactly what it was! I’m the one that duct taped that box close.
We found the rest of my ADS collection too. Coda needs to be replaced (there’s an order in already for it). And most of the comics… well… really, its my fault I didn’t make sure they were elsewhere. *cry*
Ah well… a little spring cleaning never did anyone wrong.
I don’t know what it is about cleaning and organizing, but I love the whole process. When I am not cleaning my own stuff, I love to clean other people’s stuff. I remember popping in to Steve Bennet’s office one day, and I just started organizing it. He was dead chuffed.
I need to get more permanent plastic storage boxes before I get any further with my own work. The well house could use a good scrub in the cabinets, and since there is no working plumbing, I’ll have to haul it all out there. Hah hah, the well house has no plumbing, even though it has a sink. Do you not love the irony.
The big problem facing me now isn’t too much stuff – later this year I MAY do another art donation incentive. Probably late in the fall.
Anyway, there are still about five big fat boxes of papers to get through. Most of them just old clippings for reference, some more than 20 years old. They either need to be sorted or dumped. It’s ridiculous to hang on to them if I am not using them.
And for those who may be wondering, I did make my fair share of imprudent purchases over the years, but the bulk of my mess is due to my inheriting the estates of three artists over the last 30 years.
It’s flattering that they trusted me with their things, but the stuff from Kelly Freas alone filled an entire storage unit. Most of it had to be sorted and tossed. I simply couldn’t afford to pay rent on it year after year.
From another artist, I have received a collection of large bottles of Dr Martin’s Concentrated Watercolor, a graphic artist dye no one uses much anymore, but was the standard for comic art color. The old dyes are not lightfast, so few will want this stuff. I may simply donate it to a local school.
I have to rearrange the furniture every six months or so. Of course I have to clean in order to be able to do that, so I use that for my “get off your butt and throw some stuff out” excuse. I’m looking forward to working on it this weekend
LOL! I am the same way. I am known in my family as someone who is constantly moving furniture around, searching for Plato’s Perfect Form for Colleen’s Environment.
I almost rearranged my studio again, but now realize that with the furniture I have, this is as good as it is going to get. And I can’t justify buying new furniture. I need to save my cash so that it covers the current projects, so I need to budget the cash to last through next March.
Book advances are maddening tests of self control.
Anyway, spent SIX HOURS cleaning today – need to take a quick shower, and I look forward to a lovely, relaxing evening of drawing.
Found MANY really nice pieces of art started and never finished. I am going to put them in a special file. Also found a few long lost commissions to send.
The only problem I have right now is maintaining focus. So many good projects, so full of energy, so excited about all. It takes me awhile to calm down enough just to sit down and draw every day. I want to do 20 things at once!
Oh, good, good for you! Anyone who can tackle their mess deserves an internet pat on the back. I was sadly born with the pack rat gene and without the organizing gene, so it’s always been a struggle for me. On days I set aside to organize, I look around, heave a big sigh, and stare at it for a while, then sometimes I manage to pick up and deal with just a few things before I give up. Few people can understand what that feels like. I would literally pay someone to help me if I could find such a person. Anyway you inspire me to keep chipping away at it, so thanks!
I reorginize my place every 3 months or so. Toss out things I don’t need and donate those books and movies that I know will make people smile. It was fun watching my friend’s son smile when I gave him my copy of the Lion King 1 and 2. For him it was like Christmas. For me I was happy the DVD went to someone who appreciated it.
I am totally with the “pack rat gene” and not in the good Frank Sinatra meaning, either. Oh wait that’s “rat pack.” Nevermind
Looking forward to two days of throwing things around and out.