Marie Kondo created a wave of popularity with The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up - The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.
It is the first of her four New York Times bestsellers and she made an Emmy-nominated TV series where she went into homes to help declutter. For a book about simplicity, she could have edited down the title.
I will say she has some great ideas to incorporate into life - the idea that all the items you own should spark joy rather than regrettable memories or obligations, and that items you keep should be thanked for their service. Things should be respected for what they offer, it's a way of remaining thankful for what you have.
However, she is a Minimalist, and this is the kind of thing those people like.
I am a Maximalist. I am an organizer of what I own, which can be a lot. Those porcelain birds you see at the thrift stores, I buy those, and enjoy having them scattered around the house. They spark joy. I am an artist, and creativity can spark in clutter - ephemera sparks ideas. I also am a reader and at the moment own over 7000 (well organized) books. They all spark the joy of a new adventure.
Tidying up can streamline your thoughts and create space for new items. On an almost daily basis I sort and discard what is unwanted. It feels good to pass on what you no longer use, but she warns of giving to friends, so as not to add to their unwanted items. She shares several good ideas, but getting rid is a personal thing, and saying "a rule of thumb - discard everything" may be a bit rash.
Her idea is that photographs are valued for the moment they are taken, that is the memory, they can then be thrown away. Absolutely not! Store them away for the future and be surprised when you see them again and the flood of memories return.
Books. If there is something memorable in a book, she used to write it into a notebook, but now recommends you. rip. the. page. out. of. the. book. Absolutely not. A book lover doesn't even dog ear the pages. If there is a book you meant to read but haven't already, she feels that says the act of buying it was all you needed, get rid of it. Same with a book you have already read, get rid of it. Sure you may never read it again, but the memories attached to a favourite book or author are enough to spark joy in me. How many times have I given a book away and then thought about it enough I bought another copy. Many times I put bought books on the shelf, only to randomly pick it up and read it long after - and it was the perfect book for that moment. There is always potential for discovering a new favourite author, and if you were interested enough in it when you bought it, it was just waiting for the right time to be read, a whole new world may be opening up for you. Thus why, I have many books.
I would rather be a hoarder with too much imagination, than a spartan without.
In 2015, Marie Kondo was named to the Time 100 list of the world's most influential people. The Japanese aesthetic is beautiful, but a book which tells me to get rid of books is not on. I appreciate the spark created by everything combined - too much art, too much music, too much to read. Bathe in all you find inspiring.
2014 / Hardcover / 223 pages
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