Mini Sessions

To get any large task done, the best way to tackle it is to break it down into several tiny pieces. To make art means to make space for creating. This is both in your weekly schedule as well as in your physicality.

What does having a yard sale with my siblings have to do with making art? Well, clearing out a storage unit—even just a little—marks a conscious decision of letting go and provides an opportunity for someone else to get into the zone of creation.

This brings me to a recent experience. The last thing I put into my car to haul to the yard sale was a Husky toolbox filled with paint markers. I have at least four more of these drawer systems, ranging in size from medium to semi-large. I can certainly let go of one that I haven't touched in a few years.

When I opened it, I discovered at least a couple dozen paint markers that were still sealed. These run about $10 each. Thus, I reclaimed maybe $250 worth of art supplies I can incorporate into my studio.

Next, I emptied the rest of the markers from the toolbox and put them in a bag and marked the whole thing for 10 bucks. Someone saw that, tested some of the markers to see that they still worked, and swooped it up posthaste. Massive score on their part, and a little less weight on my shoulders of "what do I do with all of this stuff?"

We carry so much around—in our minds, on our bodies, in the pockets and cubbies of our homes. We don't need to carry so much. An empty mind, lighter stomach, and room on the shelf make way for something new to flow in.

Little by little, clearing out and moving things from stagnant to useful puts us and others in the "zone." And that's exactly where we are all meant to be.