Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
Next Level
Last week, my best friend asked me if I was doing anything special for the 300th issue of “Out of Chaos.” It got me thinking about what my goal is with the newsletter and with my business. I let the question rumble around in the back of my head and went about my life. I watched the debates; I went to the farmer’s market, and I worked—a lot. This is what bubbled up to the surface: We need to take it to the next level. It isn’t enough to organize, to fold things into tiny packets, to let go, to “freecycle” and make endless trips to the thrift store. We need to go deeper and stop consuming so much.
There were a lot of provocative ideas in the debates. Andrew Yang, who is definitely an interesting guy and very smart, wants to give everyone $1,000 a month. I understand that we have a serious problem with poverty in our country, but while I’m no economist, that feels like an admission that we aren’t makers anymore, that our job is just to consume. Meanwhile, another candidate, Jay Inslee, wants to focus on global warming, which seems like a great idea, and one that might require us to revaluate our consumer habits. Watching the two of them made me compare my mother’s victory garden during World War II to the black coat I bought after 9/11 when Mayor Giuliani implored us to get back into the stores. In just one generation, being patriotic transformed from doing without, scrimping and being self-sufficient to going shopping.
Then I ran into my friend on the street. She has often mentioned that she could use my professional services. She confessed that she had been “doing that Japanese woman” and that while the folding was great, it seemed like an endless task because she kept buying more. “Sure,” I said, “you can take stuff to the thrift store, and organize what you keep. But if you keep buying more stuff, it’s an endless cycle.”
I think all humans are creative beings. We all want to make stuff. Some of us make art, some make cake, some make parties or photo albums—a lot of my clients do all that and more. Sometimes I think my clients who shop the most are trying to funnel their creativity into their shopping. I don’t want to give up on “making” and surrender to consumer society.
I can come to your house and help you decide which black pants to keep and which to let go. But if we really want to take it to the next level, we need to remember that we are more than just consumers, we are makers. So let’s make art, and parties and albums and love, but let’s consume less.