I like to walk about among the beautiful things that adorn the world; but private wealth I should decline, or any sort of personal possessions, because they would take away my liberty. —GEORGE SANTAYANA
First, I am done helping my mother pack up her house. It was full of 27 years of things. Next, I am going home for the first time since Monday. After that, I am going to purge my apartment of so much unnecessary clutter so as to avoid being overwhelmed with the things that don't matter and to develop a better appreciation for the things that do. Now I'm going to recommend a book. It's not a work of literature, it's sort of a self help book. It's for people who need to purge their lives of excess:
30 Days to a Simpler Life http://www.amazon.com/Days-Simpler-Life-Cris-Evatt/dp/0452280133
I read it years ago and had a nice "cleansing" by following the steps. But moving and working and jumbling of life has happened and things like pairing down and taking care to keep only the useful, beautiful things, that's sort of gotten away from me.
The question is, what does all this have to do with poetry or art? Quite a bit, I think. Time is the precious commodity that is taken away from most of us creative types since our creations are not often things that can support a living. We have to turn to other things to make a living, as they say.
Between Life as a Poet and Life in a Profession/Life at a Job, there comes also every day life things. Dishes, laundry, cleaning, sweeping, cooking. Maybe we have other interests, like jewelry making or gardening, music or movies. The time to balance all of those things evaporate quickly when there's too much of everything.
Today I thought to myself: Why am I taking up time sifting through a closet of albeit REALLY ADORABLE shoes I hardly ever wear trying to find the more practical daily shoes? Why do I store pieces of paper with potential projects that I never worked on from 4 years ago? It's not going to happen! Let it go! It's getting in the way of the piece of paper from the thing I am working on right now. If I can get rid of the little things that are in the way, I can clear up way more time for the things that matter.
First, I am done helping my mother pack up her house. It was full of 27 years of things. Next, I am going home for the first time since Monday. After that, I am going to purge my apartment of so much unnecessary clutter so as to avoid being overwhelmed with the things that don't matter and to develop a better appreciation for the things that do. Now I'm going to recommend a book. It's not a work of literature, it's sort of a self help book. It's for people who need to purge their lives of excess:
30 Days to a Simpler Life http://www.amazon.com/Days-Simpler-Life-Cris-Evatt/dp/0452280133
I read it years ago and had a nice "cleansing" by following the steps. But moving and working and jumbling of life has happened and things like pairing down and taking care to keep only the useful, beautiful things, that's sort of gotten away from me.
The question is, what does all this have to do with poetry or art? Quite a bit, I think. Time is the precious commodity that is taken away from most of us creative types since our creations are not often things that can support a living. We have to turn to other things to make a living, as they say.
Between Life as a Poet and Life in a Profession/Life at a Job, there comes also every day life things. Dishes, laundry, cleaning, sweeping, cooking. Maybe we have other interests, like jewelry making or gardening, music or movies. The time to balance all of those things evaporate quickly when there's too much of everything.
Today I thought to myself: Why am I taking up time sifting through a closet of albeit REALLY ADORABLE shoes I hardly ever wear trying to find the more practical daily shoes? Why do I store pieces of paper with potential projects that I never worked on from 4 years ago? It's not going to happen! Let it go! It's getting in the way of the piece of paper from the thing I am working on right now. If I can get rid of the little things that are in the way, I can clear up way more time for the things that matter.