(Dash Snow & Dan Colen’s Nest from Deitch)
A reader asked a great question about the mess in her home that doesn’t seem to resolve itself:
” I have a big problem that I have had forever and I was wondering if you had an advice for me. I am a clutter bug. I have clutter everywhere. I usually clean every other weekend and get everything clean and pretty looking only for it to be a hot mess by Monday. Once a month I go through a bunch of stuff and get rid of things I don’t need and try to find a home for everything. How do I overcome this problem? I am in therapy and talking out issues with my amazing therapist but for some reason what I am reflecting back at myself is just messy. I want to be done with it and I am wondering if there is something in my environment that I can change that will help me with this problem or anything that you have seen help messy people in the past.
Also, I recently painted my walls all white so that I could add some awesome colorful art work to the walls. They have been white for about 3 months now and I want to paint something to put up there but it’s like I am putting too much pressure on myself for it to be the perfect first thing I see in the morning. I am wondering if because my room is super white if it is causing me to feel anxious about choosing what to paint and if I just put something up then it will be easier.”
My Answer:
(Dash Snow & Dan Colen’s Nest: mess as art)
Always great to hear from you!
I’m gonna be as simplistic as possible…and I’m not sure I can even remotely answer your question but perhaps some of this strikes a chord…
1. You may be into the latest video I put on YouTube: Feng Shui for Control Freaks. I’m not saying you are a control freak but I relate to your question because I was (and I suppose always remind myself I can still be) a control freak. The word perfect is a synonym for control. Sometimes perfection-loving people accumulate big mess because it takes a lot of energy to keep all those plates of perfection-striving spinning in the air.
2. A little artistic mess never hurt anyone! Paint for fun. Draw for fun. Open your eyes and see what you created on the morning. You can always paint or draw or find done something new. Life is changing all the time. Flow with it.
3. Mess can signal confusion, apathy (not your problem from all I know of you), or just not wanting to make choices. I myself accumulate a mess when I’m just not in a space to make decisions or I am tackling too much at once. When I remind myself that if I have clear space my thoughts will be clearer (even if they aren’t fun thoughts) I’m motivated by this purpose and can get things together.
Maybe try being basic. Fun with art. Clear with thought. Not too worried about mistakes.
All of the artists I’ve been blessed to know and experience have all had one thing in common- they all relished mistakes. And a bit of a mess, too.
The artwork above, NEST, created by the late genius Dash Snow and Dan Colen, is a mega-example of mess as art in its most concrete form.
Mistakes – meaning an outcome that wasn’t intended- tend to be where the genius lies. It is where masterpieces are made.
You can’t deliberately make mistakes! It is where we grow in unpredictable ways.
I mean, I make mistakes all the time…. And I’ve come to realize they keep things real. They bring me more freedom. I hope even a bit of that helps!
xoxo!!!
Dana
P.S.: The Catalyst Camp Feng Shui Home & Life De-Cluttering is on the way soon to open up your life to the new like never before!
It’s 8 weeks of de-cluttering, letting things go and lightening up life in radical ways.
Join us making space for more money, love, peace and happiness to flow now and in the New Year!!!
xoxo Dana
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Soo. It was kind of funny how I was able to decide that I wanted to paint again. I had the worst weekend. I was super depressed and couldn’t really shake it. I ended up watching some gabbyb and it brought my spirits up and then I thought of the things that make me happy and remembered what you said. Perfect=Control. and I just said who cares.. so I started painting and it 100% brought me out of my funk. Yay!
yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!