Netflix program is ‘sparking joy’ through decluttering
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Emily Papa of McMurray sorts and organizes her children’s clothes that will be resold.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Items to be organized at the Papa home in McMurray
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Emily Papa folds clothes with her daughter, Lucy, 6, at their home in McMurray Friday.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Emily Papa and her daughter, Lucy, 6, pose for a photo Friday in a recently organized closet at their home in McMurray.
Courtesy of Emily Papa
Emily and Sam Papa in their wedding duds, which they donated as they downsized their possessions.
Emily Papa and her husband, Sam, have a two-story home, two young children, and a laundry list of demands that come with having a family.
Naturally, with challenging schedules, keeping their closets crisply organized is something that tumbled far down the priority list. But once they moved from Washington to their abode in McMurray, the couple decided that too much of their time was being given over to managing their stuff.
“The house that should have been a perfect fit for us, we were struggling to make it a home” Emily Papa said.
For that, they looked to the East.
More specifically, they sought out the insights of Marie Kondo, the Japanese professional organizer who has built a whole industry around the promise of immaculate households where well-ordered bliss prevails. Her books on organizing have been best-sellers, and her eight-part television series, “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo,” which debuted on Netflix Jan. 1, has led more than a few people here and elsewhere to decide that now is the time when the twice-worn shoes, the dress that’s one size too small and the half-read, kind-of boring novel have absolutely, categorically got to go.
While there have been reports in some places of an avalanche of used goods pouring into thrift stores and consignment shops over the last month as a result of Kondo’s program – Anchorage, Alaska, and Denver are two examples – most stores in this area say their intake has been fairly typical for this time of year. Barb Gallo of the Designer Consignor in Peters Township, said that decluttering and purging possessions is fashionable, and her store has benefited from the castoffs.
“It’s very trendy right now to clear out and declutter,” she said.
The rigorous approach Kondo encourages – known as the “KonMari” method – asks individuals seeking to clear their homes to carefully evaluate their possessions. If something no longer “sparks joy,” then Kondo urges that it be jettisoned. When a decision is made to part with something, the item is “thanked” for its service. The method follows clear-cut steps, starting with a commitment to tidying up, and then imagining your ideal lifestyle. Kondo also advocates tidying up by category rather than location.
Papa was first introduced to Kondo through her books, and they inspired her to “see tidying up less as an isolated event, but a way to change our lifestyles.” She and her husband were growing frustrated with the amount of toys, clothing and duplicate items they had to deal with, and decided they needed to embrace a more no-frills way of living.
They have since donated 184 pounds worth of goods between the two of them, along with 30 additional pounds of clothes, toys and accessories from their daughter. Papa even donated her wedding dress, and her husband parted with the suit he wore on their wedding day, two pieces of apparel people tend to hang onto through thick and thin. They put them on one more time, laughed and danced, Papa explained, but decided they still had photos and memories, and the outfits would be better used by others.
“It’s freeing us in so many ways,” she said.
Papa and her family are hardly alone when it comes to allowing clutter to accumulate. The self-storage business has grown by 7.7 percent annually since 2012 according to IBISWorld, the market research firm, with one out of every 11 Americans paying close to $100 every month to have their overflow items stashed elsewhere. Whether it’s goods that are more durable than they once were, or clothing that is less expensive in relative terms, Americans have become quite adept at accumulating things.
The primary impediment most people encounter when trying to keep their houses orderly is the clock, according to Lorrie Slonchka, a professional organizer who lives in Kennedy Township.
“People are doing stuff,” Slonchka said. “The last thing they want to do is tidy up the house.”
Before she embarks on her work, Slonchka tells clients that they must get rid of things. Sorting is “always the first step.” More to the point, she tells people that if they have not worn a certain outfit for a while, they should toss it. The same goes for other things.
“Just keep the things you really love, and the things that bring pleasure to you,” Slonchka said. “You’re going to keep the things that you need.”
Household clutter can be frustrating, and several studies suggest it increase stress and anxiety. Psychology Today pointed out in 2012 that it “inhibits creativity and productivity by invading open spaces that allow most people to think, brainstorm and problem solve,” as well as making it more difficult to relax and creating feelings of guilt.
Papa is determined that her home will not become a haven for clutter again. She pointed out that her mother, sister and some friends have become converts to the KonMari method.
“It’s really about being mindful and the lifestyle you want to have with the things you possess,” Papa said. “Just getting rid of some stuff, I’ve noticed a change. Everyone feels the change.”