RobArt Penguin

Daily writing prompt

Where can you reduce clutter in your life?

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Many artists will verify that they have a habit of collecting many odd items for future art projects. Artists see art in many ordinary things, often discarded things. My brother-in-law swore he would never help me move again after discovering that he was helping to move boxes and bags of trash. It was trash in his mind, but I saw the items’ potential. My work spaces are cluttered with odd cuts of paper, cardboard, and wood. I have loose wire rolls and scraps. I have run out of space for my “studies,” sculptures made out of dried paint, candy wrappers, Styrofoam packing and sheet metal trimmings. I’m lucky my future daughter-in-law didn’t run away upon discovering my collection of foam-filled socks hanging from the ceiling. Unfortunately, my appetite for projects outweighs my space or capabilities, leading me to purge occasionally. Some of my tinkering leads to finished work. My neighbor was extending his deck and a scrap piece of cedar landed in my yard. I immediately saw its potential and with a few slight modifications I had a little frog figure, which adorns my office. So, the collecting will continue, within reason.