(Note: there are no classes today so there's no What I'm Wearing to Teach Today post.)
"What if joy is unfashionable?" is what I blurted to the ladyfriend as we were walking the other night. We were discussing our upcoming (Saturday!) clothing purge a la the KonMari method (The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up). Here's what we're supposed to do - take all of our clothing and pile it up (the ladyfriend doesn't want to take some of her shirts off the hangers so I might let this step slide for her), and then "take each item in one's hand and ask: "Does this spark joy?" If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it" (p.41).
I've been both excited and a little nervous about this. As you probably know, I have a lot of clothes (no snickering or commentary, please) so on the excitement side, I'm looking forward to figuring out what I really want to have and what I've simply hung onto for far too long. I'm thinking of my style coming forward like one of those magic eye pictures - you know, the ones where everything looks the same until your eyes relax enough to let the lion doing a cartwheel or whatever image it is be seen. So that's kind of cool.
I'm also excited about getting rid of some of the visual clutter that comes along with a lot of clothing. Gearing up for this has also opened some kind of secret creative portal where I'm suddenly finding new ways to combine things (this could also be a result of my nervousness). Additionally, I'm glad to be continuing to refine my life and make it align more fully with my values.
And while I'm not really worried about being unfashionable, there's a part of me that worries I'll try to justify or feel sad/guilty about not wearing or liking or utilizing something. It's reminds me of the feeling one might have when you don't like someone you probably should. There's also a small fear that Joy (yes, personified) isn't always practical. Thankfully I already know that some of my more practical items like the Alabama Chanin skirts and t-shirt I've made spark great joy in me.
Marie Kondo says that "when you touch a piece of clothing, your body reacts" (p.41). How much Joy can I handle? I guess we'll find out on Saturday. (By the way, the ladyfriend is going to set up a camera to record the entire day; there's always room for Art (Joy's brother - hah!)).
"What if joy is unfashionable?" is what I blurted to the ladyfriend as we were walking the other night. We were discussing our upcoming (Saturday!) clothing purge a la the KonMari method (The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up). Here's what we're supposed to do - take all of our clothing and pile it up (the ladyfriend doesn't want to take some of her shirts off the hangers so I might let this step slide for her), and then "take each item in one's hand and ask: "Does this spark joy?" If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it" (p.41).
I've been both excited and a little nervous about this. As you probably know, I have a lot of clothes (no snickering or commentary, please) so on the excitement side, I'm looking forward to figuring out what I really want to have and what I've simply hung onto for far too long. I'm thinking of my style coming forward like one of those magic eye pictures - you know, the ones where everything looks the same until your eyes relax enough to let the lion doing a cartwheel or whatever image it is be seen. So that's kind of cool.
I'm also excited about getting rid of some of the visual clutter that comes along with a lot of clothing. Gearing up for this has also opened some kind of secret creative portal where I'm suddenly finding new ways to combine things (this could also be a result of my nervousness). Additionally, I'm glad to be continuing to refine my life and make it align more fully with my values.
And while I'm not really worried about being unfashionable, there's a part of me that worries I'll try to justify or feel sad/guilty about not wearing or liking or utilizing something. It's reminds me of the feeling one might have when you don't like someone you probably should. There's also a small fear that Joy (yes, personified) isn't always practical. Thankfully I already know that some of my more practical items like the Alabama Chanin skirts and t-shirt I've made spark great joy in me.
Marie Kondo says that "when you touch a piece of clothing, your body reacts" (p.41). How much Joy can I handle? I guess we'll find out on Saturday. (By the way, the ladyfriend is going to set up a camera to record the entire day; there's always room for Art (Joy's brother - hah!)).
I suspect that Joy may be sexy! If an aura-measuring machine existed, it could be used to determine those items that spark the most joy. Speaking from experience, guilt taints joy. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteAlso, some things that spark joy may also trigger sadness if they no longer fit or are becoming threadbare. In which case they could be reconfigured....
ReplyDeleteI have a bin of things that need mending or reimagining; for example, I'll be ripping out a couple of sweaters to reuse the yarn.
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