Deep Cleaning

I've been lamenting at how dusty my home has become.  I haven't seriously dusted since I first moved in here nearly three years ago.  I vacuum regularly, but I've been hesitant to spend the energy dusting when things are just dusty again in a couple weeks.  My dust, though, is pretty thick.

Suddenly, the other evening I was inspired to do a sometimes-annual go-through of everything, to get rid of more stuff I don't need anymore or I've found some other thing I have that will suffice, or I simply want fewer things to have to dust whenever I do get around to it.

Well that was a perfect correspondence of want and need, and I spent most of this weekend deep cleaning my place, little bits at a time.  I expect it to continue for the rest of this week.  And that's okay.  Because once I get into this exercise (cleaning and discarding), I really enjoy it.

I like finding new uses for stuff, shuffling things around, reorganizing, consolidating.  We get things set up just the way we like them, and eventually take it all for granted and forget that we can change it up.  That changing up thing is a wonderful creative activity and always spawns new inspiration for me.  Gives me an opportunity, too, to live with things I love that maybe I haven't seen in a while.

Recently I took down all the art in my studio that was for sale, and replaced it all with stuff I'm keeping, work I love and want to look at and live with.  What a concept.

Change is good.