I’ve recently embarked on an experiment that I originally didn’t plan to share publicly, but I’ve decided to talk about it. Maybe it will be of interest to some of you. The start of the year also seems like a good time. Welcome to 2020. Read on why I’ve stopped buying art supplies (and other things) for one year! If you prefer to watch videos, I’ve also shared this topic on Youtube:
Feeding the hungry ghost – why buying doesn’t bring us happiness
I’ve recently written about how the tendency to buy new art supplies can keep us from making art (here). As the last year drew to a close, I looked around my desk and the rest of my studio and thought: who knows for how long all of these supplies would last?
I don’t have excessively many materials, but still enough to feel a bit stifled under it from time to time. I usually avoid impulse purchases, but when it comes to art supplies, I’m often too curious to stop myself. And I tend to rationalize it by telling myself it’s for my job, or at least for teaching others what all the best art supplies are. This has led to a great number of things I haven’t used as much, or not at all over the years. And I’m ashamed to admit, I’ve thrown out quite a few supplies that dried up, broke, went bad or weren’t usable otherwise.
Usually, the things we buy don’t bring us happiness, it’s more often the experiences we make that make us happy, or the things we learn and do. And you usually don’t need that much stuff to experience something. And still, I feel I have that hungry ghost inside of me, always wanting more. Getting new stuff has become so easy these days, but somehow that hunger is never really satisfied. I’ve asked myself how I can unlearn this, to make the ghost disappear more often.
Letting go of things and my decision to stop buying art supplies (and more)
So, I’ve decluttered my art drawers in December, and sold a good portion of the art supplies that were just sitting around. I considered setting up a site to just give it all away to you blog readers, but with the headache of international shipping (and the exorbitant costs) I figured it would be easier to just sell and donate these things to people in my area. I made some people very happy with big packages of practically new art supplies for very little money, and that in turn made me very happy.
I already felt better and lighter without all the unused jars and tubes and pans sitting and staring at me every time I open my drawers. Don’t get me wrong: I still have a lot of stuff left, more than enough – but I know I use all of it regularly. I’m not an extreme minimalist, but I’m definitely a fan of a simpler life.
So, after letting go of some things, I wanted to make sure I don’t reverse the entire process and set up some rules for myself in 2020: I’ve decided that I have enough for the time being, and I will not buy anything I don’t absolutely need for an entire year (I technically started in December, so that will be my date of reference). This modified shopping ban will not only include art supplies, but everything else around the household as well as personal stuff. I really have enough clothes, and household items, and entertainment options to last me for more than a year.
The rules for my shopping ban
I’ve decided to have a few rules and exceptions to keep me on track. Here they are:
What I can buy:
- Obviously, things like groceries and household supplies.
- since my art is my business, I need to make sure I can work, so if I need something specific for an upcoming commission, then I’m allowed to buy it (but only when I don’t have a replacement). I expect this to be a very rare case, since I have a lot of supplies.
- I have already mentally planned in a few important business expenses that I know will come later this year.
- replacing things that have broken is fine, if I need them in my everyday life (like bike repair, or a broken computer, etc.)
- I’m going to plan in for exceptions like traveling to workshops or exhibition catalogues from museums I can only visit once in a lifetime – but only when I’m absolutely sure (I know these occasions can also be traps with ghosts hiding in them). I don’t travel that frequently, so I don’t expect this to happen often.
- books: I won’t buy new books, but swapping books or picking up the occasional used book will be okay. I have a library card that I expect to use more – the only area that they don’t cover well are fiction ebooks – I’ll see how that goes.
I’ll delay each purchase for at least two weeks to see if I really need the thing (if it isn’t an emergency – usually it isn’t).
What I’m not allowed to buy:
- buying art supplies just for the sake of having them or wanting to try them is not allowed. The most important rule for me this year.
- Clothes, shoes, cosmetics, household items, electronics. This will hopefully be easy, since I’m not even tempted – I have more than enough.
I’m already a very frugal consumer and make a lot of things from scratch or buy stuff used, and I pretty much have all that I need for my every day life. So I don’t expect any massive changes to my overall lifestyle. I’m also not planning to share a lot about this mundane part of my life here, because I think it’s a bit boring, and I’d like this blog to remain being about sharing and teaching art so you actually get something out of it. I’m just mentioning all of the rules here to explain the experiment better.
I realize it can sound strange to set artificial rules for yourself like this – but these seem to be the weird, late-capitalism times we live in. Am I overly trend-driven to embark on a journey like that? I don’t know. I don’t really care either. But I’ve realized that when it comes to art supplies, and generally consuming things, I really indulged myself a lot of times over the years, without honoring each item by using it.
Looking for experiences instead of things
So the only difference will be that I buy even less and make do with the art supplies that I have. I always talk about how I prefer to just be outside and go for a walk with my sketchbook, or have a cup of tea and stare into the clouds – let’s see if it’s actually true.
Over time, I’ve already let go of a lot of things (clothes, books) in my life that I don’t need, so I won’t do the classic minimalist declutter routine (also, since I’m not living alone, this would be hard). And I still wonder how it will feel if I stop putting things in (electronic) carts just because I can, and also how it will feel once the first few of my most-used paints run out – if they do.
Ever since I stopped bombarding myself with social media, I’ve asked myself how I can support the part of me that wants to be creative and explore, instead of looking for the easy, soothing solution of buying something and just imagining and liking the thought of doing something creative. That’s feeding the hungry ghost too, but like all ghosts, it disappears into something hollow and dark when I look at the actual experiences I’ve made in life, at what I’ve made and learned. Just buying stuff feels empty.
Being creative is not about the tools. I have great tools already available. I love my watercolors, but it’s not about them. I love cotton paper and sketchbooks, but it’s not about the fancy paper. It’s about using these tools. It’s about finding lines, shapes, contrasts, movement with my eyes, and translating that to a surface. It’s about seeing and moving my hand. I shouldn’t need more than a pencil and printer paper for that. I don’t mean to cut myself off from all of the nice things, but I really do have enough of them for the time being. And the fact that I have so many of them lying around and still often don’t feel compelled to pick them up is my sign to change something.
How our mind keeps us in the buying loop
I think the fact that we can see so many nice things online in other people’s possession (think of blogs, Youtube reviews, etc.) often activates thoughts similar to „I want to have this so I can do what they do, and be like they are“. But I should know this isn’t true, it’s just a psychological trap, often combined with effective marketing.
I think the art community and our society as a whole could use less of that, less focusing on materials and buying options, and more focus on techniques, ideas and interesting thoughts behind the art. Ideas for expressing yourself, ideas for how to see the world, not excuses to simply try out new paint.
I don’t mean to spoil the fun for anyone who enjoys having a lot of things, or who loves to collect paint. Nor do I want to sound preachy – I’m just sharing my perspective and what feels right for me at this point. I like to put myself through experiments like that to see how I can change.
I know I could probably do an entire year of Youtube or blog reviews of my supplies, making you want to buy all of it, too. Just joking, I won’t do that (but actually I still have a few things standing around that I will share with you if they make for good sketchbook companions – but I’ll try to do this less often). I’m also not looking for any collaborations with manufacturers or sponsors anymore – I tried this in the past with a few companies, and I found the process didn’t fit with my vision for this blog, and with what I believe in.
Enjoying the things you already have
So, in 2020 I will try and focus on enjoying the things I already have. I’m excited and a bit anxious at the same time – not actually because I think I can’t do this (but then, what if I can’t resist all the beautiful things?), but because I’m putting myself out there with this experiment – it feels really strange. But usually, when I’m a bit afraid of publishing a blog post, it ends up being a good decision. That and I’m really eager to change my view on art supplies „that I absolutely need“ and see what I can learn from the experience.
I’m wishing all of you a creative and happy 2020, with whatever things you need to make cool new artwork and new experiences! Let me know what you think about my experiment in the comments!
Funny that you should mention this… I came to the same conclusion in the past week. With the New Year, I’m looking harder at our debt and being more intentional about paying it off. Part of that journey is to use the vast supply of things I have already purchased instead of continuing to buy more, increase debt, and throw away items I’ve neglected beyond their usefulness. Thanks for the confirmation!
That’s a great plan, Donna, and I hope you will have paid off the debt very soon. All the best!
Thank you, I appreciate this decision and have done the same thing at various times. I have several new beautiful sketchbooks that I’ve not yet drawn or painted in. Your comment about ‘not honoring them by not using them’ is very interesting and encourages me to work on my art more. I stopped buying plastic disposable pens 3 years ago, using up those I have. Now I draw with technical writing ink pens with refillable cartridges now. I’ve had most of them for decades! (Kohinoor and Mars Staedtler). I feel guilty using acrylic paint sometimes because i know it’s just plastic! A lot I inherited from my late Mom, a wonderful person and very talented artist. I should honor it and her by making art with her supplies.
Dear Julia,
as I am not good at speaking English, you allow me to use German.
Mir geht es genau so wie Ihnen: Ich habe -zig und -zig Stifte, Farben, Blöcke, Papier. Es reicht bis an mein Lebensende und darüber hinaus. Garantiert!
Trotzdem finde ich immer wieder Neues und Interessantes, was ich unbedingt “besitzen” möchte.
Ich kann mich noch daran erinnern, als ich vor gut 30 Jahren mit dem Aquarellieren begann. Damals suchte ich ein Aquarellbuch. Es gab nur einen Hersteller, der nur ein Buch verkaufte, das über 50 DM kostete. Das war damals viel Geld für mich. Und wissen Sie was: Das Buch habe ich noch heute, unbenutzt! So weit kann es kommen.
Ich unterliege auch diesem “Ghost” des Konsums, ganz besonders, was Bücher und Künstlermaterial angeht, und werde mich Ihrem “Ban” anschließen. Bin gespannt, wie lange ich es aushalten kann.
Vielen Dank für Ihren Blog, Ihre Newsletter und Ihre Anregungen. Ich freue mich jedes Mal darüber.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Kathi
Hallo Kathi, klar, freue mich immer über deutschsprachige Kommentare! Danke dass Sie diese Geschichte hier geteilt haben – ich kenne das Gefühl so gut und hatte auch schon Dinge über Jahre unbenutzt im Regal, weil sie irgendwie besonders waren und nicht versaut werden durften. Dabei lernt man aus seinen Fehlern meist am besten. Vielleicht ist dieses Jahr ja die Gelegenheit, das Buch zu füllen? Mit Experimenten, Versuchen, und Schritt für Schritt?
Freut mich, dass Sie mitmachen möchten! Was ich für mich schon gemerkt habe bei dem Nichts-Kaufen-Experiment: es hilft, sich vorher ganz klare Regeln zu setzen. Passen Sie die gern für sich so an, dass sie sinnvoll sind. Und dann viel Erfolg!
Ganz lieben Dank für die tolle Rückmeldung und viele Grüße! Julia
My parents were German and while I’m terrible at writing, for some reason reading and listening comes easier. I loved following this conversation in German. Both my parents are gone now so I don’t get much practice! I’m always amazed at how much I understand.
Thank you Julia for posting this! It was something rolling around in the back of my mind and now you have inspired me to go on a art supply diet too! It will be hard since whenever I buy something on Amazon a tube of watercolor or some other art supply usually bumps me up for the free shipping. I think more than anything this practice will boost my creativity! I love reading your posts!
How interesting! Do you know where they were from?
Great that you want to join! I know the Amazon problem very well, they’ve designed it like a very convenient trap..
I understand exactly where you are coming from. I try not to buy much, but chocolate and art materials are my weakness. Yesterday I opened some tubes of acrylic to find that they had dried up. They were a silly impulse buy that I never even got the use of properly. I keep looking at pastels (Terry Ludwigs, Mount Vernon, etc), but have forced myself not to give in to temptation and to use what I already have instead. I need to learn to be a better artist with what I already have.
Ohh, chocolate is one of these mean ones because it hides in the groceries budget! I always try to go quickly past the aisle with the sweets to avoid having it at home. And I know that feeling of opening up acrylics and finding they’re dried up – happened to all my tubes that I still had from art school.
I know it can be hard to stick to the same old tools and really sink your teeth in – but behind that reluctance usually sits the breakthrough to a new level!
I succumbed to the Terry Ludwig’s! I promised myself that the next picture I sold I would buy them. That just happened to coincide with a seconds sale he had. While they are absolutely wonderful I’m afraid of wasting them! Honestly, I would have been OK without them. They are like “butter“ to someone on a diet LOL!
I just want you to know that I read this from beginning to end. I wish you the best results in your experiment, whatever that is. Sometimes I wish the art supply people would do something like offer sample packs of their products. Another thing I wish some of these companies would do is seriously figure out how they might reuse or recycle dead products such as pens. I admire you on many levels and for many of your talents. Happy New Year, Julia!
Thank you Susan! To be honest, I have no idea what the outcome will be. Right after I posted this, I felt like I will fail spectacularly, because now it’s out in the open and there’s no way I can feel safe and good without the option of buying random things. Really interesting.
Having more sample packs would be great, I know some companies and online stores offer dot cards for paints, or paper sample packs, but I wish there were sample packs for ink.
The same companies that make throw-away pens usually have one or two products that can be refilled, so it’s not impossible, but apparently not their main focus. I agree it would be great if old pens could at least be recycled. Happy new year to you!
My aim this year is to just have the gear that I need and that ‘brings me joy’. This isn’t just for art supplies, it covers other hobbies and more practical needs. Rather than fooling around with 10 pens, have that 1 special one, and learn how to use it so it becomes an extension of you.
I was inspired by this quote
‘Practical simplicity is that type of simplicity where I crave not having to fool around with anything, and where everything is just plain easy and effective.
And then there is natural simplicity—that type of simplicity where the process brings you more in touch with the natural world, thus becoming less about the gear and more about the experience.’
If I can achieve this then I will be very happy.
That’s a great plan, Steve, I think I will adopt that in a similar way when I do my next round of decluttering. Yesterday after I read your comment I opened a box that has all my seldom- or never-used pens in it. I rarely use them because I have exactly one favorite pen for everyday writing, and a few others when I need special effects in a drawing. I will give away the rest now. Thanks for that impulse and the quote – who is it from?
Fabulous post Julia. I too am joining the buying moratorium. At my last calculation, I’d have to live to be 300 years old to ever get through all my supplies of books, art materials and fountain pen inks! When I recently wanted to try a new technique for a multi media page, I borrowed stamps from a friend rather than buying any. Like you I’m focusing instead on experiences gained through travel. Good luck!
Bridget, thank you, and that’s so great your joining this! That calculation is truly eye-opening. Great strategy to borrow instead of buy. Good luck to you too, and let me know how it goes!
This is really wonderful! I’ve been feeling this pull/nudge to do exactly what you are doing. How fortuitous that I read your blog today. I’m going to do something similar for myself. Thank you for sharing this!
You’re welcome Sarah, and I think it’s great your joining this experiment! It almost seems like we could get a little group together. I will definitely keep you posted and give updates.
Thank you for being brave and sharing these thoughts, Julia. There’s a lot here that resonates with me. It’s surely not a bad thing to be “trend driven” if the trend is at long last, people en mass waking up to the fact that consumption driven by mega-marketing is what has got us into this mess. I’ve done a lot of soul searching along the same lines, and taken action and been so very gratified and freed by the results. Hearing another’s journey and thoughts about challenging the need to acquire is really helpful. Maybe I’ll go and darn those socks now!
Thank you Josie! Right after I made this public commitment, I felt a bit silly, and not very brave at all. And thanks for your reassurance, you’re right. It’s just that in the times we live in there are people who have found to monetize and market even things like minimalism and zero waste – it can be hard to see if your own path is still authentic and you don’t fall for yet another marketing ploy. It’s really helpful to hear you got such good results!
Thank you for sharing this – I started my art path in my 60s and thought, “if I have this or that art supply” I would be as good an artist as the person who inspired the purchase. I am fortunate I can afford to indulge this (hopeless!) idea, so I have acquired a lot of beautiful, and expensive, supplies.
As part of my process, before our recent move, I gave away supplies, keeping only the ones that I felt essential. Like you, I found donating them very satisfying and I got a huge sense of relief knowing they would, finally, be used and enjoyed by others who would get the opportunity to find their own creativity.
In my new home I am lucky, for the first time, to have an ‘art room’ – I am now horrified by how much space is taken up with my remaining ‘stuff.’ I know I don’t need it all as my goals have become clearer and more realistic. Once again I’m going to do a purge.
I now feel relief when I look at an art supply on line and can say, “I don’t need that.” I haven’t been tempted by stores like Jerry’s or Michaels, I don’t even bother to look.
I am, however, taking more on-line classes – I consider my purchases very carefully to see whether they really fit with my new approach to learning to use the supplies I have and if they will improve my current skills rather some unrealistic vision of me as The Artist! My efforts bring me joy and pleasure; as I look back at what I have done, I see that I have grown and my creativity is beginning to flourish. What more can I ask than to be true to myself rather than aspire to acquire the creativity of others.
Again, thank you for your thoughts. They have helped confirm and give form to the ideas that have been floating around in my head. Now, I’m off to make a journal page, playing with my wonderful water colours – I was very lucky to have been given 70 tubes of Daniel Smith paints – now I’m actually going to use them!
Kind regards, Jakki
Thank you for sharing this, Jakki, it’s helpful to hear you made the same experience with giving away supplies. I will definitely give away more things over time, I feel I’m just at the start of this particular process. How wonderful you enjoy your watercolors and journaling so much – keep that joy at the center of your artmaking.
Like you, I’ve become very picky with online courses, and I found it really liberating not feeling the pressure to consume everything there is in order to maybe get a little bit out of it. Thanks for the reminder!
Hi Julia,
Great plan and ideas. I really enjoy your blog and email newsletter.
I noticed you mentioned ebooks and they may be an exception. Here in the US many of our libraries lend ebooks and audiobooks of all genres . The App my library uses is Libby. Perhaps your library also lends ebooks and audiobooks.
Have a great day!
Andrea
Thanks Andrea! Great idea – I will definitely check again with my library, I now they lend ebooks, the last time I checked they didn’t have a very big selection but I’m sure that has changed since then!
Thank you for this article; you express a lot of ideas that have been bouncing around in my head for the past year. “Contentment” has been a big theme of my life in other areas, but I see I need to also put it into practice in my art as well. I love the tie in between shopping less and experiencing more.
That’s an excellent theme Susan, and I agree I definitely didn’t connect this with my art until a short while ago – hence the shopping for new stuff. All the best!
In years past I have given up shopping during Lent……but I have adopted the same idea as you (before I got your email) and I know that I ABSOLUTELY heave more than I need and there is no need to buy more. I’ve said to close friends that I could open my own Arts & Crafts Store – LOL – Thanks for the Blog, its GREAT stuff. Happy New Year!
Great that you realized this too, and what a wonderful idea for Lent (my partner always chooses something to give up during that time, too). Thank you Angela and have a creative year (and let us know when you open your shop, LOL!)
I crave this paring down in my life too. I’ve been pondering taking a month off from my day job and purging everything in my house. Luckily art supplies are less of a problem for me because I have a very small space to store them so if it doesn’t fit, something has to go. When they start to creep out onto my dining room table, I know I need to get rid of something. I’m not sure I’d be able to do something this extreme, but maybe for 100 days. Good luck!
Letting go of stuff in your house sounds like a great idea, JoAnna. And maybe it’s really fortunate that you only have a small space, it’s true that things start to clutter every corner when you give them space. Definitely try it, 100 days is a good length, and I’m sure you will see some results. Thank you!!
Julia, I really love this post! I have felt that inner voice inside of me telling me to do this for some time. Now that I’ve given up most of social media (except for contact with my kids), I realize I want to tackle the many supplies I have that I’ve bought impulsively and will never use. I feel the same about clothing, shoes, books, etc. I find that when I go to make art, I am overwhelmed by the choices and it will be much easier if I have a few choices and not 100. It all makes sense. A person cannot get better in one particular medium if always changing to another, and this is what I have been doing for years. You are so right about the advertisers that sell things that make you feel like you could be better if they had the same tools they did. I find many of these ads on Instagram and Youtube, and of course, have fallen into the trap of buying things I didn’t need. I think a year is a good amount of time to really focus on the things we already have and make that commitment to not buy something unless absolutely necessary. I hope you will blog about your progress and any temptations you have. I know I’ll be right there with you! Thank you for posting! Happy New Year from Florida, USA. ~ Rose
Thank you Rose!! It’s so good to read others feel and think the same. I find with Instagram and Youtube it’s not only the ads from companies that make you buy new stuff, but many channels or influencers focus on reviewing or introducing new supplies, and that’s how they get into your head in the first place (and companies send them stuff to review, so it’s like a closed circuit). It always seems so innocent when one person talks about a particular paint or paper…but of course it’s marketing, even if it’s not meant that way.
I hope I will learn something during this year – I will definitely give updates. Right now it feels weird, because I have made my plan public – so I better stick to it. Thank you for your encouragement!!
What you are doing is so important and I applaud you. I gave away all my books a few years ago and now swap or use the library. It is a rare occasion when I can’t find the reading material that I need or want. I have also started scanning old boxes of photos that I feel I can’t part with and the rest have been sent off to others I think might want them or they went in the trash. I don’t buy clothes much anymore. I have what I need. If I really, really want or need something I make it. I try to make all gifts. I try to recycle, reuse or upcycle. Of course there will always be things we must have to exist in society, but they can be minimalized. It is rewarding to be free of stuff and I still have a long way to go. We are so encumbered. This is the first holiday that my husband and I did not exchange gifts, but took a small trip instead. That will stay with us. I applaud you. Good post.
Thank you Carol, much appreciated, and it’s fascinating to hear your experiences! I have tried many times to reduce my books, but I never got down to zero, and now I live with a book nerd, so I don’t think there’s a chance I will ever get that far. But I still try, I feel it’s very rewarding. Thank you for sharing all of this, it’s really helpful. I was reminded that I want to give experiences (or donations) instead of physical gifts in the future. Thank you!!
I agree. What a great blog entry.
Thank you Laurel!
Love this post, and your blog in general!
Thank you NYCgirl, I really appreciate it!
Hello Julia, thank you for your blog and inspiring us to accumulate less. Your use of the term ‘hungry ghost’ is very apt. I recently felt overwhelmed and depressed by the amount of clobber that had accumulated in my attic workspace. I am untidy and every time I wanted to work I had to do a tidy up, so I had a massive clear-out of things I no longer needed, including some artwork I had made (that bit was hard). But now it has gone it feels better and I can concentrate on learning how to make best use of the watercolours and coloured pencils (oh, and some inks as well!) that I have kept. I think doing nature journaling helps me to focus on the process rather than the product, especially as a portable palette demand less rather then more. I hope that like you I am able to stick to my resolve to be more minimalist in my art purchases!
Thank you Kathryn!! That sounds like the clear.out did a lot of good, even if it was hard. I know artworks can be hard to part with! Yes, portable sketching supplies and observing nature is what also helps me during this process – because I realize I don’t actually need a lot of stuff. I wish you the best of luck! I’m planning to post a few updates during the year, so maybe that will help you to stay on track, too. :-)
Julia,
I commend you for your decision. If everyone would consume less and recycle, our world would be better. As artists, we are natural explorers. We see something and want to try it. Maybe our imaginations would soar, if we would explore with what we already have. Thanks for a great post.
Marianne
Thank you Marianne! Sadly we don’t live in a recycling-friendly world (yet). But I agree, we can channel our curiosity towards experiences and focus on the things we have.
Julia, sincere thanks to you for being a hopeful voice. I have been trying to stop the purchase of things not really needed. It is wonderful knowing that you are trying to travel the same path. Best wishes to you and for your work in 2020!
Thank you so much, Michael! I agree, it is so helpful to hear from others they’re trying to do the same. All the best to you, too, and a creative 2020!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us! It really resonated with me. I made the decision in November to stop buying clothes and shoes – it was an empty exercise for the very reasons you described, and I am instead using the time I otherwise spent looking at clothes online and being creative – knitting, art, cooking. I feel so much happier and my creativity has really sparked. I am glad that my pursuit of meaning and happiness isn’t unique to me. Thanks again – you always inspire me.
Thank you Debbie! That sounds like a good decision, and how great you enjoy your creativity now so much more. Thank you for sharing your experiences!!
Oh my gosh, I needed this today! I have been stressing about this very thing. Thank you for laying it out there and giving me the push I need.
You’re welcome, Jane, and I hope you’ll find a good way to make this work for you! Let me know how it goes!
I have also been doing this. I’ve not bought clothing, unnecessary stuff for the house, or used the car when walking will do for a few years now. But I have to admit the art supplies buying was a bit harder to let go of, however I have been doing that. It is made easier by just not going into the art stores. I have slowly been using up old supplies and finishing up, or discarding unfinished art. It feels good, especially when I toss out a bottle of paint that is now empty and discover a new favorite color from my stash. My final hurdle is not spending so much time looking at Pinterest and instead working on the old ideas I have saved to my page for “someday”. I am doing that but more slowly than I had hoped. I don’t necessarily buy the suggested supplies but make it a challenge as to how I can use what I have to produce what I see. It’s been a good challenge. Good luck with your plan. (It is perhaps easier for me because at 70 I realize I need to downsize so getting “more” is really not a good option for me.)
That sounds good, Lin, thank you for sharing. I agree that rediscovering “new” paints in a drawer can be great, even though I always think it’s a bit alarming when I don’t even remember having bought that thing..
With Pinterest and internet inspiration, I find that books are very beneficial at giving me ideas, but not overwhelming me with choices. Challenging yourself to use what you have is great!
Thank you for your good wishes!!
Totally agree with you and your commenters! Like several I began some art supply thinning, to give away, a few days ago when I finally! began painting my art/guest room – I bought that paint almost a year ago so you can see I’ve had that intention for a while! It feels great to now be doing this!
That’s great KathyAnne, thank you for sharing this here!
Julia, ausgezeichnete Idee!! Ich versuche, mitzuspielen. Ich kaufe auch viel zu viel und meistens nur weil ich kann!
I’m also a photographer turned sketcher and watercolor painter, Julia, so the cost of new “toys” for my art is usually far much less expensive than new cameras or lenses. Thus the lure of purchase is far greater. Your post is very timely and made me think seriously about following your lead. I am going to try and to channel any income I get from photography teaching and art (I’m retired so those are my money sources for purchases) into experiences, i.e., trips I might otherwise take and attending workshops.
Vielen Dank für die Inspiration, Julia!!
Bill, your German is really good!
That’s so interesting to meet another photographer/painter, I know exactly what you’re talking about. In comparison, painting is really inexpensive and it’s much easier to fall into the trap of buying stuff. It’s funny, when I was a photographer, I was quite content with the tools I had. Probably because it was harder to change the existing system.
Great that you’re thinking about doing the same (or similar). I can absolutely recommend it, even if only for a short time. Investing the money you save into trips is a wonderful idea! Best of luck and let me know how it goes!
Congratulations Julia! I’ve never thought of this hungry ghost. You’re right! I can identify with all you have written. Yes yes yes I’m thinking as I read. So I am going to do the same! I have lots of stuff plenty to last a life time so thank you for the focus. Good luck and happy new year. Veronica
Thank you Veronica, and I think it’s great you want to do the same! Feel free to adapt my rules so they suit you, and definitely let me know how it goes. Happy new year to you too!
Oh, wow – reading this makes me feel like I‘m right in the middle of something that‘s (hopefully) becoming a bigger movement in society! In December I started reading a lot of books about Zero Waste and reducing plastic and lowering CO2 emissions and now I‘ve started implementing these ideas in my life. Which means purchasing a lot more consciously – and less (while trying to not get too overwhelmed be the hugeness of all of this and not deprive myself in a way that feels like I’m robbing myself of joy and fun). I too sold off some unused art materials and other things I didn’t use a few weeks ago and have actually (much to my surprise) managed to walk out of an art supply store with only one tiny purchase that I‘m really using (oh, and something else I had forgotten about and haven’t used yet – oooops…).
I too am intending to try this for a year to allow myself to get used to all the changes in routines and in thinking and acting that are required. Which also includes to not look at ads in my mailbox or online. I find that when I don’t see it I don’t want it (and I rarely need it anyway).
Thank you for sharing this, Julia! It’s so encouraging to read about your thoughts and your journey and also to read everybody’s comments!
Oh – and about the eBooks: Du müsstest eigentlich über die Kasseler Stadtbücherei Zugang zu Onleihe Hessen haben. Da gibt’s wirklich jede Menge eBooks und richtig viele Hörbücher kostenlos zum Ausleihen. Alle Kategorien und Genres – ich hab zum Beispiel die Bücher von Peter Wohlleben dort gelesen oder gehört. Ich hab die Onleihe neu entdeckt im letzten Herbst und bin begeistert!
I think it’s really commendable and great that you read so much about this and try to change things, Ayoka! It’s so helpful to see you’re on a similar journey!
Though I have to say as much as I hope that my efforts are worth at least a little bit for the environment, and it’s definitely the right thing to do, I know very well that whatever I do will not be enough to change something significantly. At this point I’m disillusioned enough that I don’t believe that society will change all by itself, even if buying less things could become a bigger movement – there are always more than enough people who do exactly the opposite.
But that shouldn’t deter us at all! In the meantime, I’m all for doing everything I can on a personal basis, and I’m so excited you’ve made the same experiences and have similar plans. :-)
About the ads: I installed an adblocker in my browser, and unsubscribed from nearly all newsletters, that helped me a lot with seeing less ads.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, and all the best for your journey in 2020!!
Great post! I know I have bought supplies instead of sitting down to actually draw and paint. I am changing that and focusing on sketching every day. I am a beginner, and I won’t advance if all I do is think about it. I need to practice. So far (it’s only been a week), I’ve practiced every day. I am determined to keep it up. Thanks for the inspiration in all your posts!
Thank you Susan! That sounds like a great start, and if you implement this as a habit now, it will become easier and easier. Keep going, you can do it!!
You and the others commenting here are really sharing some good truths, Julia.
FWIW, I lost all of my art supplies and most of all the other “stuff” in my life (completed sketchbooks and years of journals, too, egads!) in late 2018 when the Camp Fire burned our entire community (including our home and business). It gives one a completely new look at “stuff,” whether related to hobby, business, wearables, readables, furnishings or otherwise.
I find that I’m really consciously now *choosing* what to replace–I painfully visualize all these “things” burning up physically and it makes me not want to buy much again, “because it just goes away” in the end.
That said, I have replaced my sketchbooking stuff–at a very small percentage of pre-fire inventory. And you know what? It’s enough! There’s a joy in using the new things and thinking I’ll “use them up” in the future and then see what I want to purchase at that point. In our community (14,000+ homes burned and gone), we all joke that we now “use the soap and light the candles.” We’ve learned (the hard way, for certain!) that there’s no sense in saving “the good stuff” for some day in the future–enjoy the fragrant, bubbly soap now and let the pretty candle burn all the way down.
So fully explore the art stuff you keep and integrate it into what you do; the things that are really *needed* will pop to the surface and you can *choose* to get those–or not! Peeling back your level of “things” helps to focus you–and it’s a whole lot easier to keep your house clean ;)
(Oh, and explore various libraries which have ebooks, Julia; there are many that have oodles and oodles of fiction. I actually *pay* for a library membership in a community we vacation at because they have so many ebooks I can load on my Kindle for free. It’s more than worth the $10 a year!)
Tonya, I’m so sorry to hear that this happened to you, what a horrible experience to go through and lose everything – to see how in an instant quite literally everything can just go away. I can believe you have an entirely different view on owning things now. And yet, you are so optimistic and enjoy and experience the things you have now more fully. I think there is a lot to learn for others in your story. Thank you so much for sharing this!
And I will definitely look again at what ebook offers my library has, thank you for the tip. It’s nearly impossible in Germany to get memberships at other libraries besides your home town, but I’ll do some research and maybe it’ll work!
All my best wishes to you, your family and your community!
You’ve really struck a chord here based on all the replies.
We’ve been trained like dancing monkeys to want and get more than we need. A little luxury is nice, maybe even necessary, but to go beyond is wasteful.
I like the phrase Hungry Ghost. Can you define Ghost more specifically? Is this an original phrase?
Great blog!
It seems like it, yes. I was a bit surprised myself. Thank you for dropping by Mark!
The phrase “hungry ghost” is not by me, I’m sadly not a poet. It’s from a song by The Cure – not even their best or most memorable song, but somehow this line has stuck with me.
I see this kind of ghost as a hidden want or impulse, something that waits inside of you and makes you consume things to fill an inner void – maybe that’s the place where the ghost hides and eats away at you. It’s just an interesting metaphor I think.
Thanks Julia for this post and sharing your plans. I have spent the last three years decluttering everything! Streamlining my life and working materials. Closing my Facebook accounts was one of the best things I did. It has made me feel lighter, more free and also more productive – I don’t waste time being distracted with “stuff” – it’s easy to find and store my things too. Every good wish with your plans.
Thank you Mairim! So you’ve also been doing this for quite some time, that’s great! Wonderful feedback, thank you for sharing and all the best to you too!
Hello dear Julia, this is a beautiful reflection on how much thought you have given into creating and living life mindfully. It spoke to me as i am also learning to navigate this path in my own ways and i have gained more insights from your words. Thank you.
Thank you Si Jing! That’s wonderful to hear, I’m wishing you all the best on your path! If you want, let me know how it goes. :-)
Julia, I feel exactly the same, not only with my art supplies but with clothes, books, etc. I’m Costa Rican and came to the United States 8 years ago. When I still lived in Costa Rica, it was so much easier to not want to buy stuff. We had two art supply stores with limited offering (certainly nothing compared to what there is in the stores here in the U.S!), and at least 8 years ago, we hardly even online shopped, there’s no street addresses in Costa Rica, so receiving stuff by mail is complicated. Yes, we receive no mail, we have no mail boxes in our houses, all directions are given by reference points (“from the soccer field in so and so neighborhood, 100 meters east, 200 meters west, yellow house with big pam tree”….I’m not kidding, you can google it and amuse yourself with what you find :)) I know it sounds crazy, I could explain more about this, but it would be long and out of subject ;). So, without the online shopping temptation, life was definitely a lot simpler. When I moved to the U.S, it felt like heaven to be able to buy any supply I needed (and even supplies I didn’t need) and anything I can think of. Now that I am settled here, I can see pass the marketing strategies and also have decided to be so much more mindful with my shopping in general. I’m very conscious now of the impact our consumerism has on the environment as well. So much eye opening happened for me last year in this regard. I have also come to realization that I have way more art supplies than I need, and although I use most of what I have, I do not need anything else at the moment, it will be a couple of years before I run out of most paints, and more years before I run out of surfaces to paint on! I luckily have a very small room that is my work space (I’m so lucky that I have a room dedicated to be my art studio, and also lucky that it is small -although I have seen this as a disadvantage sometimes- because the storage space is limited and I have maxed it out) so I know I can’t fit anymore stuff in there. I need to make the stuff with the supplies I have and sell it, not buy stuff and store it. This blog post resonated it with me very much, thank you for writing and I’m with you on this. You’re definitely not crazy, you are very lucid to have realized that you don’t need all the stuff.
Cheers!
Carolina
Thank you for sharing this, Carolina, that’s so interesting to hear. I wonder if people ever get official stuff in the mail in Costa Rica…(this is the first thing that comes to my mind since I live in such a bureaucratic country..)
It’s good you have both perspectives. All the best for your artmaking in 2020!
thanks Julia! I think you are courageous to put this out there for all to see! I know for myself, once I do that, it’s like, “Oh my god! what have I done?!” So thanks! and wow! yes, I too have dried up paint tubes and 4-5 boxes of pastels I have never used that I bought because another artist told me I should….I don’t even like using them! So, I love your give-away…I have lots of local artists I can connect with and share the bounty :) In fact I just now got an idea for a art-supply swap party/donation something or other…..inspiring, but also want to say how much I’m inspired by you and the sketching nature journaling….I just bought (haha!) a new journal and pens for just that purpose for 2020…and have enough supplies for sure. and now to journal this snowy day, bright blessings, Julia!
An art-supply swap party sounds like an amazing idea, Nancy! I hope you’ll enjoy your sketching activities this year. All the best!
My philosophy is to buy less, buy smarter, and use it or lose it. Like you, it isn’t about a trend, but about being respectful of personal and global resources (including time). It’s okay to like different things than people you respect and admire. It’s okay to love seeing art in a particular media, but not to use that media yourself. You only have so many hours in the day, you can love everything, but can’t do everything. When I buy an item, I think of it as a commitment to use it up or pass it along. If it sits in a drawer, I am breaking that promise.
That’s a great philosophy to live by, thank you for sharing!
I try to follow the old adage:
“Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do, or Do Without”
Since I have a limited income, it works well for me.
Good luck!
These are great principles to live by!
Thank you for another eye opening article. You always cover every side and your perspective is well balanced. While I don’t have an overabundance of art supplies, just enough, I love your idea and I will be doing this with you. It’s not just a challenge, it’s a new way of life.
All the best to you!
Interesting that I am going through a similar ban! I think I, along with many others, are tired of falling for that trap, seeing all the cool new art supplies being used in videos and we get drawn in and HAVE to have it! How many of those supplies sit unused or used once and abandoned? And it ends up putting another dent in our bank accounts. I’m avoiding buying art supplies and many other household items now and making do with what I have. There is too much clutter and too much money spent and I’ve reached my limit. What a timely blog topic this is!!
Thanks for this honest and humble post. I really appreciate that you put yourself out there, Julia. This blog really hits me as well……I hate to think about how many hours I wasted in Michael’s trying to make the most of a 40% off coupon. And now my work surface is totally covered in supplies. Not only is the problem that any one supply/tool is relatively inexpensive, but they’re also fairly compact. One drawer can hold a ton of pencils, paint tubes, sheets of paper. Plus I have so many boxes of saved (used) beautiful wrapping paper, old magazines, paper of every kind, old clothes to be made into beautiful wall hangings or something someday. It has become truly a burden. Also the consuming of classes. I was always taking classes, packing materials into a big tote bag to take to class for several weeks, unpacking (or not) and putting away, starting a new class and doing it all again. I’m on board with clearing out, lightening up and focusing on my own journaling practice using techniques I’ve already been shown but have not fully applied.
Oh my goodness, Julia! This hit me right between the eyes. Thank you for the inspiration. You are right, of course. I don’t need more art supplies, I just need to regularly practice with the ones I already have. And having recently reduced my work hours (and my income), this was just the nudge I needed. Thank you!
That has become my resolution, too. I hadn’t put a date to it but truthfully this sounds perfect to me. I have way, way, way too much stuff I haven’t even opened much less used to even begin to justify another purchase of supplies. Absolutely, gonna keep this resolution.
How lovely to read that others are sharing the same sentiments that started popping into my head in 2019. I’ve been feeling guilty for a few years, as my Scribing requires using many marker pens on large format paper for workshops, so I firstly invested in refillable markers :D
I chose not to order that hefty “art materials wishlist” before Christmas and instead, thought how I could minimize the habit of buying new art materials – imagine a whole year using up what I already have!
I didn’t realize I was serious about it for 2020, until I’d messaged a friend for approval of watercolor brush pens I’d seen on Instagram :P And even though she granted me permission, I realized I only wanted them because they made the technique look easy… easy is not the answer! Practising with materials you’re struggling with and mastering a technique with the more difficult tools, is what I believe will be of greater benefit.
Happy new year and wishing everyone a frugal & prosperous 2020!!!
Hi Carla, I too find it so interesting that many others share the same sentiment! Great that you’re making changes already. You’re right, easy is not the answer here. :) All the best for your creative endeavors in 2020!
I applaud you for committing your new resolution-not to buy any more things (unless absolutely necessary). It encourages me to do the same, since I have many more supplies than I will ever need. Also if you look at the larger picture, the picture of dying life on this once beautiful planet, it is consumerism that is a major cause of the destruction of our environment and not buying “new” stuff is an important way we can help all life on this planet. In addition, in order to help stem climate catastrophes, is is important to eat plant-based/vegan and curtail travel, both things I’m already doing because there’s not much time left.
Feel absolutely welcome to join in, Edith, we already have a small group here judging from the comments! You’re right that everyone should do their bit to help save the environment. As for changing how you travel and eat, I’m with you on that, although I don’t believe that even our combined efforts on that front will be enough if the politics and economical goals worldwide don’t radically change. All the best for you in 2020!
I agree with you, Julia. But we should do as much as possible anyway, especially those things that we have control over. I wish you a good new year too!
Hi. Very thoughtful and thought-provoking. I do tend to buy too much. I now try to research and substitute, make it do. But what really made me think was after my Mom passed away.(2016) She had down sized several times by then so supposedly what she had she wanted. She was quite the artist and crafter. For example, she still had all of her oil paints. She’d switched to acrylic then alkyds in the 1970’s. But might go back after she retired, in the 1990’s. Never did. She wanted to try water mixable oils. Bought a starter kit, don’t know when but the store closed some 30 yrs ago. Never opened. She had 4 sets of soft pastels, one from high school well used. One sort of, two untouched. An unopened set of oil pastels. Two sets of watercolor pencils, one untouched, one barely used. The one thing she really used were her colored pencils. I liked her set (Eagle brand) when I looked for them, I found a 3″ pink stub rest were gone. A set of rock hard watercolor tubes, never even knew she watercolored. Lots of paper, multiples of things one only needs one of. I gave lots away, use some, annoyed that I had just Bought a set of watercolor pencils for myself when I found hers. Hers are nicer. So I try to think, plan. I’ve done a couple of workshops/classes that made me decide against products or tool requiring techniques. I’ve also tried Alot of products where I could buy open stock. So I can try one and decide. Helpful. Decided against twinkling H2O’s. Against bottles with daubers /sponge tops. Decided for Inktense pencils. Pan pastels. I’m also cautious on colors. I don’t need every color. The one thing I did splurge on was a set of Prismacolor pencils. Mostly because I realized that each larger set included all of the smaller sets. So I waited for a good sale. But really going through boxes of decades old unopened art stuff really made me think. Of course this was the woman who hated to cook ( but was going to learn someday) when moving into assisted living (no stove) wouldn’t give up her cookbooks, most of which were gifts from me. Until I figured out that the only way I was going to get good home cooking was to make it myself.
Thank you for sharing Amy. Sorry to hear about your mom. That sounds like a lot to deal with, and a lot of art supplies. It’s not so easy to go through someone’s belongings, especially when it’s someone so close (I was in a similar situation a few years ago). Glad to hear you came up with a plan and found out what you actually need. All the best for you and your art!
How did this experiment go? 2023 is supposed to be the year I declutter, streamline my life and enjoy experiences. I have 2 storage units that cost almost $500 per month. I came to have one storage unit when my dad died and I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of his possessions. That was over 20 years ago. His belongings haven’t been touched in well over a decade. My second unit was a result of a marriage and subsequent move when I became a widow. That was over a decade ago. I haven’t seen anything in that storage unit in 14 years. It’s in Another city. I presently live in a tiny home and am up to my ears in art and jewelry supplies. I’m an avid painter and jewelry maker. It keeps my mind off what I’ve lost. But I’ve got to do SOMETHING.
I’m ready to purge. I think that your idea to not buy new things is inspired! I’m getting on the band wagon. At least I can start doing something about my present living situation. Not make it any worse! Lol. Thank you for the inspiration. Josi
Hey Josi, somehow I never really followed up on this. I think the experiment went well, apart from a anxiety-induced prepper-like hauls on certain items right after the pandemic started (I’ll have enough paper for a few years now..). Since then I’m trying to be very mindful about what I buy, and I set boundaries. I have one cabinet with art supply stuff, and when it’s full, I simply can’t buy anything new. But I’ve also learned that from time to time it’s ok to get a new thing – if I really need it and use it regularly.
I know how hard it can be to get rid of possessions of deceased loved ones. My approach was to keep what I could use (I have items in daily use that belonged to my grandma, and that remind me of her, in a good way) and to give away what I knew could still be of use to other people – in a way, that may honor the item better than just keeping it in a box at home. It is an emotional process, and I’ve noticed that it is easier to part with some things than with others, and time also playes a role. I’ve decided to hold on to a few small items that remind me of that person.
You seem to be in a good mindset to start decluttering – feeling ready is important for this, it can help a lot with the overwhelm. I wish you all the best for this process!