Over the weekend, the lovely Kelley?decided to join a minimalist challenge for the month of May. For each day of the month, you give away as many things as the date: 1 thing on the first, 13 things on the 13th, until you’ve given away 496 things (by her math). ?I was intrigued.?I’m a strong believer in that whole Oprah thing about your home being an outward representation of your psyche. For me, both are in need of a serious deep clean and decluttering, so I’ve been making a concerted effort to do both in the past two months. Unfortunately for the purposes of this challenge, that means I’ve given away most of my extra clothes, shoes, bags, dishes etc. and have more on the way this week. ?Fortunately for me, that’s not my major problem.

My shopping sprees happen on Etsy, thrift stores and salvage shops. I have a million little bits and bobs waiting to become something else: blank canvases and drawers of acrylics, a die cutter I’ve only used once, a suitcase full of earring wire and polyester fringe. I can’t fit anything into the trunk of my car because it’s literally overflowing with upholstery fabric samples. Sometimes I have some of the materials I need for a project but can’t afford the rest, but usually what’s lacking is me. ?Discipline, focus, confidence… I’m full of what ifs that keep me from doing anything at all.

So I’m remixing this minimalist challenge. Instead of purging to have less, I’m also creating to get more.

I have to hustle these hats and earrings harder.
I have to write.
I have to refine and sew these bows.
I have to paint.

That’s what I have to commit myself to give: my talents. Because I do have them. ?We’ll see what I accomplish by the end of the month. I only have a few days until sheer numbers force me to start wholesaling this jewelry out to keep up, so I guess I need to get cracking.

And y’all need to start buying. 😉

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