Love seeing/reading you here, Karen! What an emotional ride. How lovely that you can use this ‘new’ room for your own explorations. I will keep looking for you here! All the best, Marg Stubington.
Congratulations on getting through all those files. I admire your drive and dedication, all more so since my decluttering was more of a struggle!
Of course it’s harder to deal with our personal mementos than with work records, and the need to cope with quarrelling inner voices during the process!
Excellent piece. We've been in our home over 30 years and have all the family treasures and crap. So much to go through. I want a dumpster for my birthday present.
well this was a fascinating article re the age old dilemma of what can become the "detritus" of one's most productive years of life. I was intrigued at her throwing out her training material where she constructed products before technology took over. That to me could be archival material for some instittue of how to think "barehanded." Right now AI is taking over the writing of student essays,fodder for exam tests etc etc . Now Universities are resorting to exams being conducted with the good old "blue books and pen"....no tech apparatus in sight. I am happy for this author she now feels liberated...brave work!
This 100% resonates with me. Also a former journalist, like you I accumulated mountains of notes, research, and the various stages of creative process. I also taught, which created mountains of original curriculum. It's taking me longer to divest myself of the clutter, not to mention the hulking oak filing cabinet in which much of it resides. You've done a brilliant job of exposing the emotional hurdles to putting such a past behind us and inspired me to continue. Thank you.
Hi Karen, congratulations on emptying the cabinet—literally and metaphorically! I’m convinced our paths crossed on a government IT project, the details of which are lost in my mental filing cabinet.
I can so relate to this! I'm 40+ years along in my career as author, reviewer, blogger, teacher, and once Michigan State University bought my "current and future literary papers," I started to steadily divest myself of the accumulated writing life materials of all sorts. There's always more to let go off, like the previous years publications, notes for workshops, reviews, etc. Just this Fall, I once again packed up books and research materials for another novel I realized I would never have the time or energy to write and was happy to have someone from MSU's Special Archives come and take them away.
I also worked freelance for years – I used to do a mixture of applying for research grants and having people ask me to do various sorts of work, particularly writing (both unglamorous editing and more prestigious writing the reports from Committees of Inquiry). I slowly wound down as clients moved and no new work was coming in. At 83, I still have files with some material from that work, but periodically I go into them and toss out more stuff. Fully identify with your dilemma. Luckily we have loads of space (and I have a good sized study with two half-empty filing cabinets, but one went to a son-in-law). Good luck in your new life. We talk about down-sizing, but....
Sounds like you have crossed the threshold from art for work’s sake to art for art’s sake. An artist never stops creating. Good on you Karen!
Love seeing/reading you here, Karen! What an emotional ride. How lovely that you can use this ‘new’ room for your own explorations. I will keep looking for you here! All the best, Marg Stubington.
Congratulations on getting through all those files. I admire your drive and dedication, all more so since my decluttering was more of a struggle!
Of course it’s harder to deal with our personal mementos than with work records, and the need to cope with quarrelling inner voices during the process!
https://peternewman.substack.com/p/the-great-declutter
Excellent piece. We've been in our home over 30 years and have all the family treasures and crap. So much to go through. I want a dumpster for my birthday present.
well this was a fascinating article re the age old dilemma of what can become the "detritus" of one's most productive years of life. I was intrigued at her throwing out her training material where she constructed products before technology took over. That to me could be archival material for some instittue of how to think "barehanded." Right now AI is taking over the writing of student essays,fodder for exam tests etc etc . Now Universities are resorting to exams being conducted with the good old "blue books and pen"....no tech apparatus in sight. I am happy for this author she now feels liberated...brave work!
Mary Anne Ferguson
Absolutely beautifully written.
This 100% resonates with me. Also a former journalist, like you I accumulated mountains of notes, research, and the various stages of creative process. I also taught, which created mountains of original curriculum. It's taking me longer to divest myself of the clutter, not to mention the hulking oak filing cabinet in which much of it resides. You've done a brilliant job of exposing the emotional hurdles to putting such a past behind us and inspired me to continue. Thank you.
I met an innovative chef who showed me his smoker -- a three-drawer metal filing cabinet. Bottom shelf meat, mid shelf fish, top shelf veg.
This poignant story resonates. I am writing something similar about my filing cabinets at the moment!! I'll bet other readers are too.
We are all staring ruefully at our filing cabinets. Can’t wait to read your story!
I enjoyed your story. Retirement is an incredible opportunity!
Such a an accessible, lyrical and relatable piece. So so well done!
Hi Karen, congratulations on emptying the cabinet—literally and metaphorically! I’m convinced our paths crossed on a government IT project, the details of which are lost in my mental filing cabinet.
Ah - adieu to the filing cabinet - wonderful
Great piece.
I can so relate to this! I'm 40+ years along in my career as author, reviewer, blogger, teacher, and once Michigan State University bought my "current and future literary papers," I started to steadily divest myself of the accumulated writing life materials of all sorts. There's always more to let go off, like the previous years publications, notes for workshops, reviews, etc. Just this Fall, I once again packed up books and research materials for another novel I realized I would never have the time or energy to write and was happy to have someone from MSU's Special Archives come and take them away.
I also worked freelance for years – I used to do a mixture of applying for research grants and having people ask me to do various sorts of work, particularly writing (both unglamorous editing and more prestigious writing the reports from Committees of Inquiry). I slowly wound down as clients moved and no new work was coming in. At 83, I still have files with some material from that work, but periodically I go into them and toss out more stuff. Fully identify with your dilemma. Luckily we have loads of space (and I have a good sized study with two half-empty filing cabinets, but one went to a son-in-law). Good luck in your new life. We talk about down-sizing, but....