 |
| Christopher Stott Baggage II, 36"x36", Oil on Canvas, 2011 |
While packing up my life a month ago, I realised how attached I am to my crap. Previous bad shipping experience made me carefully photograph (I kid you not) the boxes and bags that were shipping and list their contents. I'm still not sure why I did it, but am quite certain it's OCD-esque and I can laugh at myself and go delete some photos now. I have posted them just for your entertainment - just these two because there are many more unnecessary ones. There were 4 pieces to ship and I took about 5 days to sort and pack and get them shipped off. Needless to say I laughed at myself because my stuff shipped overnight sans problem!
This physical and emotional attachment to things is scary; these things mean nothing. They are just shiny pieces of junk - replaceable, loseable, sellable, stealable, burnable. Our humanity, our society, and our environment makes us attach so easily and quickly to things. I see it in as many small children as adults, (which does not encourage me to want to reproduce, at all). How do we move away from that in a time of ultra-consumerism? I once asked a very wealthy guy if he would give it all up for a simple life and he shook his head. Never. The man would probably fall apart in the worst way and always smiled but I saw a deep down sadness in his eyes when he put on a show for everyone. Yikes.
I revel in
 |
| I think mom threw this drawing away when she unpacked it :( or I left it... |
 |
| Must. Pad. Art supplies. It was a suitcase full of art supplies. I am still attached tho those. |
If I'd left everything, if I'd given everything away and just returned with the clothes on my back, and my electronics, what would happen? I'd find a way right? I would use the tools I had remaining, (mourning and sobbing aside). Letting go proffers mental, spiritual freedom and peace of mind most of all. That of course leads to some measure of happiness I suspect.
This physical and emotional attachment to things is scary; these things mean nothing. They are just shiny pieces of junk - replaceable, loseable, sellable, stealable, burnable. Our humanity, our society, and our environment makes us attach so easily and quickly to things. I see it in as many small children as adults, (which does not encourage me to want to reproduce, at all). How do we move away from that in a time of ultra-consumerism? I once asked a very wealthy guy if he would give it all up for a simple life and he shook his head. Never. The man would probably fall apart in the worst way and always smiled but I saw a deep down sadness in his eyes when he put on a show for everyone. Yikes.
I revel in
Fostering creativity by letting go of your mental and emotional baggage is a very good thing. I'm a strong believer in using the tools you have - and I can thank my parents for that. I've got some measure of pack-rat behaviour along with ability to let go. Of course knowing when to let go is another matter. I love my simple, albeit very cluttered, thing-filled life. I believe in simplicity and I sometimes wish I could be more minimalist in living but I'm sentimental and have an overachiever artist brain where I think I can use all my materials. It's a war really.
I'd collected cans, bottles and bags when I was in Grenada. I'd planned to use them. They were probably thrown out. I hope they at least got recycled. That's my only hope for them. I've now left that behind and I'm starting again.
I'd collected cans, bottles and bags when I was in Grenada. I'd planned to use them. They were probably thrown out. I hope they at least got recycled. That's my only hope for them. I've now left that behind and I'm starting again.
6 comments:
Sweet post! And so very true. I embrace the minimalist lifestyle but fight whenever I get sentimental over "things". I'm sure I don't need to keep that 2 year old birthday card from my mom lol.
They really are JUST things! Great post Tracey :)!
I see exactly what you mean, many things take a lot of our energy away if we focus on each single thing while being attached to them all. I've been guilty of that in the past and still am..old postcards, brochures from places you really wanted to visit, books that I'll never read and many, many pieces of paper with numbers, names, thoughts, lol..it's almost as if it was more about those things and it is about our life * sigh*
When I had to move, trying to figure out what to take was stress!
very neat.
I can so relate to this. Last year when I became so ill I spent an month in the hospital which ended up with me moving in with family afterwards - everything I owned - with the exception of clothing and a few art supplies went into storage. Now, a year later, it is STILL in storage. It's really made me realize what I actually need and what I just drag around. Some of that can't be replaced but I was really struck with how much of it all I don't miss. (That much...)
Damn! Yes.. sometimes paring down is necessary - sometimes things happen as well that remind us of that!
Post a Comment