Podcast: Things to Consider Before you declutter your art supplies

Hi friends! How are you doing during this odd week between Christmas and New Year? I find myself puttering around in my studio, tidying up, organizing, and doing loose inventories of my stash. I put away the Christmas craft supplies and get ready for the new year. I like to take this time to go through every drawer and shelf and see exactly what I have. Doesn’t it seem like your supplies multiply when you’re not looking?

I recently heard that there was a paint shortage (they talk about shortages of everything these days) and in particular, a shortage of titanium white and ultramarine blue pigments. My first reaction was panic! I use more Ultramarine blue than any other watercolor and I would really miss it if I ran out. I actually thought about placing an order but I calmed down and counted how many tubes I currently had in backstock. Let’s just say I won’t be running out anytime soon and if the supply chain problems last as long as my Ultramarine blue stash we have bigger problems as a planet! I’ve noticed since the start of the pandemic that art supply prices have risen. Products began selling out and some products went away completely. This phenomenon has slowed my shopping (although let’s be frank, I have a lot and am frequently sent products to review) and decluttering. I don’t think it is a bad thing tho. Hanging on to useful stuff and making it work rather than buying the next new “perfect” thing is something we all might want to embrace when “storing it at the store” is no longer as reliable as it was 2 years ago. I tend to do this by default living in a part of the world where you may be snowed in for days. As you go through your supplies contemplating decluttering ask yourself if you will use them before it goes bad. If it’s not something you even like anymore or if you know it will dry out before you can use it feel free to pass it on. Do what’s best for you but don’t feel bad about holding onto “just in case” supplies for a bit longer. You might be glad to have that extra tube of white paint (that might not be your favorite) when you run out and the store is out of stock.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to declutter and organize but don’t throw out today what you will need to rebuy tomorrow. Also, I don’t have it all figured out. I probably hold on to too much because it gives me comfort to know that no matter what life throws at me I can at least make art. Then again, what’s wrong with a bit of comfort clutter in the middle of a pandemic? (As long as it is organized, you can find what you need quickly, and acquiring it didn’t put you in debt.)

What are your thoughts on this? Let me know in the comments below and enjoy the podcast! Happy crafting!