My take on stuff

Videos, plus essays from the old blog, 2015 to 2020, on decluttering, creativity, money, and adulthood.

Videos

  1. Etsy Up conference talkSteps for creatives to tackle physical, digital, and inner clutter. Recorded at the Etsy Up Conference in New York City.Watch on YouTube
  2. New Order book trailerThe official trailer for New Order: A Decluttering Handbook for Creative Folks (And Everyone Else). Directed by Kelly Nyland. Song produced by Rob Kleiner and performed by Fay Wolf.Watch on Vimeo

Essays

2020

  1. I won’t sugarcoat it.Sep 30, 2020What hurts worse? Doing nothing, or doing the work that leads to freedom and relief?
  2. some personal wordsJun 24, 2020This is my inner clutter.

2019

  1. Do not hold on too tightly.Dec 30, 2019Loosening the grip can lead to gifts we may never have imagined.
  2. Are you fooling yourself with your space?Nov 20, 2019Does your gut know it’s time to make a change?
  3. I know you have time for two sweaters.Oct 16, 2019I get to take ownership of my things instead of those things owning me.
  4. Do you have 20 minutes?Aug 9, 2019The only way anything gets done is one step at a time.
  5. Decluttering IS creativity. (Whoaaa.)Feb 6, 2019We can’t know until we embrace the inherent imperfection of the task and let creativity take over.
  6. 2019 is here and I only care about two things.Jan 2, 2019Overworking ourselves seems to be in fashion, year after year.

2018

  1. Free books, free movies, free spaces, free lives.Jun 18, 2018Libraries were awesome then—and they’re even more awesome now.
  2. Get into that Black Mirror mindset.Apr 18, 2018Please join me at the foot of whatever seems insurmountable.
  3. Unnecessary musical instruments.Jan 3, 2018There’s nothing like a hard deadline to get a space in tip-top shape.

2017

  1. The end of the experiment. (Conclusions on the spending rest.)Dec 29, 2017The freedom I found in knowing exactly what I could and could not spend money on was exquisite.
  2. Are you in good working order?Nov 21, 2017I’ve written decluttering book chapters while my car was a disaster.
  3. Perfectionism all up in my politics.Oct 18, 2017I say this a lot: I’m a Recovering Perfectionist.
  4. Try something new, why dontcha...Aug 16, 2017I’m pretty sure what you’ll find as a result is something that feels a lot like glee and looks a lot like freedom.
  5. How to be a storage weirdo.Jul 12, 2017There are no rules, only choices.
  6. Decluttering your money.Jun 19, 2017I never thought I’d be able to properly budget — and now I just…can!
  7. Your own personal science projects.Jan 23, 2017This year, I’m calling them New Year’s experiments.

2016

  1. Actually, I’m NOT sorry for the delay.May 8, 2016We’re not doing something wrong by taking our time.

2015

  1. How Not To Prove You’re Cool.Aug 31, 2015A $3 vintage tee with a magical loon on it.
  2. The saddest jar of tiny pickles.Jul 20, 2015An unopened jar of pickles sits in the fridge for months.