It's been while, and a lot has been going on. I keep saying I really need to start blogging more of this, especially the processes I'm going through right now. It might be interesting to look back on one day.
First of all, the things I have been working on for the past 6 months or so (unfortunately have very little to do with the art. I'm still trying to paint a little, a couple nights a week. But it's had to take a back seat for the one thing I've decided to focus on big time until I resolve it. And quitting it would mean certain failure as far as I'm concerned. The art is still here, I don't think I could quit it even though it pain me to have to shift focus.
What I've been working on the last year, but only in actual form 6 months is the getting rid of 4 generations, 6 to 8 other persons as well as my own, since it all became my own, melding with my own collecting issues. It's an an accumulation, a hoard, a mass of collections, endearing heirlooms, clutter, Story filled items. Whatever you want to label it. I kind of like the term accumulation. I've always known that eventually it would all come to me. And in fact it did and I've held onto it for a long time and had it at a much earlier point than many of my peers. Mostly due to the early deaths of my mom and her sister. And then the conclusiveness of my grandmother's death in 2013. My other grandparents, great grandparents before that.
I resolved that I'm going to get through this. My daughter is NOT going to want to have anything to do with any of it really. There's so much that I honestly cherish, that it makes none of it have much value to her. I want to change that. And the only way to get to that point is to let the things go. They've taken up too much of my world.
And so I left my job of almost 12 years, over 20 years in the business. And because of what I have been gifted this is the Only point in my life where I could take advantage of this time to get thing to new places. I am taking full advantage and trying to become good at getting this done. I do have opposition that's driving me a little crazy at times, as well as other projects that are going to cut into it. But I can't quit. I can't go back. It's kind of everything to me at this point to get this done. I'm determined to have happiness in my life and my home with out all the things that have taken over. I'm trying to think how high the percentage is of how much of it I don't even, and never did want - maybe 80% maybe 75 if I'm honest. I just always knew "inherited" the knowledge that it was worth more than just donating to charity.
And that's the crux really. It's not junk. I made sure that the truckloads of junk actually never made the 40 mile trek to my home. And then finessed down the other things that were already here. My grandmother was a hoarder of things and papers. And good things, things that she got for a quarter at a garage sale back in the 80's that are now worth anywhere from $20 to $250. So it's a long road. I have decided to research the antiques, the toys, the glassware, china, jewelry, tchotchkes each and every one and list them on my ebay and or my etsy. And I will admit to my own collections that will go as well. All my toys, collectibles from high school and then to my daughters toys etc. As a single mom, I simply stacked it all up from her infancy on. turning in clothes at times, giving them to needy families. But the mass majority of toys and books. Still here. and in superb condition. All of that has to go too. She always got too much, and if there was a kind of toy, she had to have one of every in the set. And because of her limitations, she really barely played with any of it. In fact I kept packaging, after a point because I knew it was going to be opened and just sit there. It's kind of criminal actually. But it wasn't my choice. I've tried to work around the mass toy influx every year. And get the things that would be used. It's all only added to my WORK. So I'm going to try to make something out of it.
I think I'm going to start blogging about it here. The things going to new places, what they meant to me, to us. And how it's helping me on my journey to some kind of minimalism. I don't see myself ever being one of those stark white boring minimalists, I have too much I enjoy as art for the love of it things. But I dream of having a regular house, garage, studio etc. And I'm on my way.
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