This graphic always makes me smile. While it’s meant to be funny, there’s a kernel of truth tucked within. 
Clutter drives me nuts! A temporary, working mess doesn’t count, but the kind that builds slowly, insidiously, sneaking into places where it should never be–? I hate it!
Our master bedroom closet and my office are two offending locations right now. The closet is just plain overcrowded, while the office qualifies as cluttered. It’s important to make the distinction because overcrowding can be frustrating, but clutter is mind-warping. Granted, both are first world problems … an embarrassment of overabundance that should fill me with guilt for having what much of the world does not.
What it does, however, is immobilize me. In my office, creativity is at a standstill. I can neither write, nor push myself to do something about the clutter that is to blame, so I escape with my laptop to the family room. ‘Out of sight, out of mind’, right? Not totally, but it helps.
The closet is harder to ignore. It’s a mid-sized walk-in under the guise of being an all-season storage locker. If it were smaller, I’d do what one of my daughters does, and every few months sort off-season clothing into a bin and put it in the basement. But because our closet gives the illusion of being generous, my hubby and I keep our entire wardrobes in it. As a result, the rods and shelf space allotted to me are woefully inadequate, everything is squashed together and I can never find what I’m looking for!
I need to clarify that I am not a shopper. Some of my most frequently worn clothes are ones I’ve had for more than twenty-five years. I own about six pairs of shoes, but wear the same ones almost every day. I’m not an hoarder, either, although perhaps I qualify as a keeper-of-things-I-like.
That’s why a recent Facebook post caught my attention. A friend talked of “creating a minimalist capsule wardrobe”. She advocates “paring down your closet to include only the clothes you love and really enjoy wearing. (And the ones that fit…not that you hope will fit in 2 months.)” Her inspiration came from the Un-fancy blog.
Now that our kitchen’s mini-reno is complete, I’m ready to embark on a new project. I’m not likely to go out and shop for anything to create a new ‘capsule wardrobe’, but I feel inspired to do some paring down. When I pack a suitcase my criteria is always comfort, coordination, condition and ease of care, and I see those as a good goal for my closet clearing.
A tidy closet won’t contribute anything towards my writing, and whether or not this exercise will inspire me to tackle the office clutter is yet to be seen. I’ll let you know.
Do I dare ask you to describe the condition of your closet and/or desk? Are you one who produces best in a distraction-free, pristine environment, or while nested within the comfort of familiar clutter?
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MUSINGS 
I had to totally pare down with the move to Spain. In BC I had a lovely large walk in closet and a spare closet for off season clothes and party outfits. Well in Europe, the closets are very tiny. I now have less than 20% of the space I had. I got rid of a lot before moving, especially winter things, but I can see I will be eliminating much more. Good luck with your project! I don´t like clutter either but as writers, we do tend to let things pile up, especially research info and books. (I also brought too many books!)
I’ve been decluttering, and it has been restful and rejuvenating to have cleaner spaces. In fact, I feel that I’ve been clearing the way for newness to come in, by letting go of so much from the past.
It’s still a work in progress. My bedroom, bathroom, and linen closet are in good shape now. My writing office is improved but still has a way to go!
The closet declutter has been accomplished! Hubby even built a couple new shelves in it to accommodate the reorganization of what was left after I pared down and packed away. The office, however, is another matter which we won’t discuss right now. LOL.