5 Decluttering Tips to Inspire Creativity

Source: Amazon.com

It has been my experience that when I have A LOT going on in my life and my space is cluttered I tend to find I am less creative and more overwhelmed. Now, anyone who truly knows me will tell you this can be fairly often.. simply because I don't know how to slow down.

I am also a... collector of things.  

While I am collecting said things... it's fun, but it quickly turns into why do I have so many THINGS?!  I got to that moment last week when I had one of those horror film moments where I looked left, I looked right, I looked up, I looked down.... and my bedroom was a cluttered mess! I said "THAT'S IT!"... and I... took to the internet. LOL I know, that's not what you were thinking but I had heard lots of good things about the book Spark Joy. No, I didn't have time to read the book, so I found a website that offered the crib notes version and learned for those of us who have a hard time parting with things... we need to detach the memories, price tag or aspirations to use one day and simply ask in this moment... "does this item bring me joy?"

With that in mind I was able to part with an industrial size garbage bag full of clothes, finally move in my new dresser set and make my room a sanctuary! It freed me and I now do my best writing here. I can't wait to tackle my next room. Here are 5 tips I kept in mind when decluttering things from your space. Try it! I'd love to hear if they worked or if you have any tips that you have found helpful when trying to declutter and inspire creativity in your life!

1. Focus on one category to declutter at a time- clothing, papers, old decor.

2. Envision what you want the space to look like. Put some thought into how you want it to look. It will be easier to part with it if you don't see it a part of the vision.

3. Grab a garbage bag and immediately put items in them once you decide this does not fit into your life and you want to purge. Furthermore- GET IT OUT OF THE HOUSE IMMEDIATELY. If you don't remove it immediately, you will have moved clutter from one space to the next. Trust me.... I speak from experience. This is an area I need to work on!

5. Ask yourself if this item truly brings you joy and reflects the person you want to be.

It may sound so simple, but by taking these steps I have freed myself of clutter (at least in one room) and I am inspired to think about other areas of interest. While Rome wasn't built in a day, neither will our clean homes, but taking on one project at a time with these tips in mind can lead to some exciting opportunities to be creative in other aspects of our lives.