Editing: A Writer’s Take on Decluttering

Writing is fun and it is also hard work. When you start a new piece, you’re constantly second guessing yourself, but moving ahead anyway knowing you can “fix it in the editing.”

As a freelance writer, essayist and author, I find editing gratifying because it makes my words say what I mean, not what I slammed down to get the idea on paper as fast as I could before I forgot my point. My rough drafts are exactly that – rough as can be! 

I learned to love editing my work because with a little distance, (gotta let it marinate), you come back and can think of the right word, see how to more eloquently phrase that thought, and realize you didn’t need so many sentences to say what you intended. Less is more, especially in writing. 

Decluttering is much the same as editing. By deleting a few things, we can literally see what we have without a lot of distraction. We can appreciate and enjoy what we do have. It can help us relax because our home represents us and it feels good to be in the presence of these carefully chosen pieces that we kept.

For years, I lived with depression-era glass bowls and “things from the farm” I never lived on because my mom insisted I take her stuff home with me. It took making a move to Italy to snap me out of the pressure to keep these things. My new life in Italy didn’t need someone eles’s stuff. In fact, I needed so little, I made the move with just two suitcases – nothing but carefully chosen clothes, shoes and jewelry. Oh, and a new journal, of course! 

Just like writing, our attempts at decor might not hit the target we had in mind. First drafts can be awful, but there are usually nuggets in there that just need polishing. As a writer, it’s important to see words on paper – it’s progress. Even when you know it’s not quite right you can go back and fix it. In a home, it is harder. Sometimes we find ourselves surrounded by things that just aren’t us anymore, and we don’t know where to start. Our tastes have changed. Our stuff doesn’t represent us anymore. There are things we wouldn’t choose for ourselves today.  

So how do we start the editing, or decluttering process when we can’t just hit delete 10 times and have it all disappear? Just as in writing, we have to start somewhere. We do it word by word or piece by piece, then carload by carload, and soon progress is made. Rooms will feel lighter. Streamlined closets and shelves will make it easier to get dressed. Sparkling countertops and drawers with just what we use will make cooking more fun.

Do a little editing today, and feel free to come back and comment. I’d love to hear what you think about this post and what you edited. Thanks for stopping by!

Martha