O-Soji

My husband thinks this is still cluttered. Wha?

I was cleaning up my studio in December, and my sister told me that in Japan there’s a word for this year-end tradition called o-soji, "the great clean." We usualy call this a purge, but now that there’s a freaky horror movie with that name, I prefer o-soji. My soji coincided with a studio visit by a new client, and I decided to take it to the next level.
 
I love throwing things away, it’s practically a hobby, so this was a real treat. I opened every drawer, door, and boxes in drawers to assess and reorganize. I found so much space! I found a box of price tags, a folding stool, and two tubes of paint! The "client" part of this exercise was to pretty up for a visitor. I hung more artwork on my walls, cleared more floor space, bought a plant, and brought in seating for relaxed viewing and chatting. The soji extended through my house because I was going to have to walk Client from my front door through the living room, kitchen, downstairs through the hall, then into the studio. The entire household benefited.
 
The visit went very well (I’m hired!), and the lasting effect is an even more pleasant space to go to work. Since the visit, I have also added a candy dish, which I highly recommend for a little treat while you're thinking hard on something.

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