Clean up fights depression

It also helps creation. I'm in a period of feeling down and my doctor has ideas about what's up, already looking into that. Meanwhile I need to purge the studio of the detritus that mounts up when you're productive.

It's a lot harder than winnowing out other stuff, because it's about who you really are and who you were when you made it.

Donating materials is easy. But the art itself, that's demanding.

I've significantly reduced the loose moraine of drawings, photographs, computer art, paintings, prints, handmade paper, which record about thirty years of work. Probably since the last time I did this!

Amazed at the range of forms and ideas, most of which did get exhibited. Found evidence of awards and recognition I'd forgotten about. So they've served their purpose. And each phase you go through enables you to get to the next one.

By way of relief I also went through the large crate and drawer of  appliances and tools, and pulled out a lot to offer around before loading them for a thriftie run. That was easy.

One thing that keeping stuff around does is to suffocate future ideas. Old art keeps you anchored in the past. So every now and then it's good to be clear about what you are unlikely to do again, and move the evidence out. In this case to the recycle.

And I was still stuffing bags of artwork on paper into the bins when the truck came to pick up. No time for second thoughts. Good.

I did find a bunch of good drawings which are worth a new home. If you'd like one, just let me know. And donate to your local food bank or animal rescue instead of paying me.

Send me an 8×10 envelope with your address and postage on it, and I'll get to work on it. Subjects are flowers, leaves, outdoor things. Small, frameable.

This will help my spirits, too.