The Minimalism Experiment W6: Minimalism as an Artist
For Week 6 of my Minimalism Experiment, I decided to apply the concept of Minimalism to some of my more artistic hobbies. If you take a look further back in my blog, you’ll see a variety of DIY posts for different projects, as well as my Etsy store Studio Blue Custom Vinyl Stickers. As you can imagine, all of these different projects that I like to spend my time creating, in addition to my Etsy business, require a lot of different materials to make them work.
I have been interested in art since a very early age and have moved through favouring a variety of different mediums throughout my life. Through this journey, I have amassed a large collection of supplies that vary from paints, to printmaking linoleum, to vinyl. While all of these items are still useful to me, I decided to spend this week decluttering this area of my life and letting go of various different items that I no longer need, or are no longer useable. By going through this process, I came up with a few different tips that any artist or hobbyist can use to help declutter their space.
1.Get rid of multiples
Anyone who takes part in any kind of art, hobby or craft can understand the need for very specific types of tools and materials. As we advance more in our hobby we also tend to upgrade our tools and materials based on the nature of the craft and how seriously we have invested our time and money into it. With this natural progression comes the habit of holding onto old tools and materials for sentimental reasons or the “just in case” type of logic many of us often like to follow. While it is true that many items required for hobbies and arts are often expensive to purchase at first, does not mean that they need to be held onto. Try reaching out to your community online and sell your unwanted materials and tools, or even put together a little beginner’s kit and donate it to a local shelter or children’s organization.
2. Stay organized
Artists are inherently messy. Staying organized is often a challenge even when it comes to our precious art supplies. When you’re halfway through an intense creative session, the last thing on your mind is putting away your supplies in an orderly fashion. My tip for this is to spend some time at the end of each week going through your supplies and getting things back together. By doing this, you’ll be able to get rid of items you no longer need on a frequent basis and be able to find a lot more simplicity in your practice.
3. Keep essential tools close
In addition to the previous two tips, keeping your most used tools in your immediate work area is also really important. Not only will this make it so much easier when you sit down to create, but it will remind you of what tools are most essential for your practice, making it easier to get rid of unneeded items.
4. Scraps can be the devil
Materials are extremely expensive, and no one wants to be wasteful. These two factors are key in making people want to keep scraps or left-over materials for potential use in future projects. While the practice of keeping scraps can be cost-effective and less harmful to the planet, they can quickly accumulate and clutter your space. My best tip for keeping scraps under control include being realistic and organized. Being realistic with your left-over materials can drastically help you to eliminate the amount of materials that you collect. Before adding something to your “scrap pile” be sure to ask yourself if you are simply saving it because you feel guilty that there are left overs, or if there is a legitimate use for this item in a future project. If you choose to keep the scrap, place it in a well-organized file folder or space in order to keep all loose pieces contained and categorized. If you choose to throw away your scrap, be sure to dispose of it kindly and recycle if you can.
Overall, as an artist and business owner I found this week really productive and helpful. It definitely increased my productivity when making new items for my shop and made orders much easier to fulfill. I would recommend this “artistic cleanse” to anyone that struggles with the amount of materials and tools that they have, and wants to take a more minimalistic approach to their hobby, passion or work.
If you’re interested in hearing more about this topic, click the link below to listen to The Minimalists.
