Marie Kondo's Decluttering Technique and Writing

Marie Kondo’s Decluttering Technique and Writing by Debra H. Goldstein

Recently, I read several articles and saw a piece on the Today show referencing Marie Kondo’s “spark of joy” Konmari decluttering technique. From the interview with Jenna Bush Hager about how to clean her daughter’s room, I gleaned, without actually reading either of Kondo’s books, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up – The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing or Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art or Organizing and Tidying Up, that one should gather all items by category, drop the clothing or objects on the floor in a pile, pick each one up, and keep the item only if it sparks joy. If one feels guilty about never having worn or hardly ever used an object that is being held, one should thank it for the joy it gave in the past or for teaching one what doesn’t work for its holder, and then toss it.

Although my entire house needs decluttering, which would be in line with Kondo’s requirement that the purge of clothing or whatever not be isolated to a single space, I decided to try a modification of her concept when my standalone computer crashed on the Friday of Passover/Easter weekend. While the technician kept me on the phone as he reinstalled, via remote control of my computer, every program I ever downloaded or purchased, I started with my desk. During the hours he worked, I was amazed how I filled a garbage can with things I previously thought I needed.

Computer fixed, I realized I was hooked on purging. Contrary to Kondo’s directive, I addressed only my closet. From blouses to black tie attire, I spent six hours holding every piece and contemplating how it made me feel. If it sparked joy, it stayed. If it didn’t, it was gone. I filled five bags of blouses, skirts, pants, suits, and pocketbooks to donate to a local charity.

As my husband helped me load the bags in my trunk, I realized both my modified decluttering technique and Kondo’s is very much like the essential rule of revision recommended for writers – when you write, you must be willing to cut your darlings. Words, when drafted, originally may have seemed beautiful, but often shouldn’t be kept in the final piece. When you revise, how do you make the determination whether your darling words spark joy in you or should be thanked and deleted?