Organized my desk more over the weekend. I swear, this time next year i'll probably end up with only 1 thing on my desk [most likely a Muji pen] if I keep on the path of simplifying my life. It feels good...and the less I have the less anxiety I have. I need to re-read my favorite book: The Simple Home  and want to read this book about C.S. Lewis and his simple life.  Love this man, so much so I have a print of him in my shop...and thinking I need to do more.

But back to my desk, and getting organized. One of the main things that triggers me needing to organize more and more is if i'm constantly cleaning up after myself. I make a lot of messes every single day. This is something that will never stop, however...the time it takes me to clean up my messes has dropped significantly, and this is due to me limiting myself on the materials I use. I use to want to surround myself with soo many craft/art supplies thinking that it made me a better artist [?] but towards the end of college I started to work in just two mediums over and over again... Thus helping me realize...that I don't need all these other things, or at least I don't need them out. 

So little by little i've been shedding : 

My desk as of this morning

This probably might seem like a lot of clutter to some...but for a person who paints at least 4 hours a day...it's not too bad. :/ Saturday I spent more time than I would have liked looking online for containers to hold my pens/brushes/scissors etc. The one's I liked were over $100 and with a student loan debt of over $200,000 now...that wasn't happening...at least not for something that I could easily make or go without. So I did what my mother taught me best and utilized what we had. I found 4 cans in the garbage left from our fajita dinner and then cut into my black suede. Stitched up covers with my twine, and tada! I had 4 new holders in less than 30 min. :) 

I also ended up painting my clip board and making a little calendar for it to be best friends with.

The baking tin was something I found a couple months ago at the thrift store [they have tons and tons of these] and spray painted half of it. 

and then I found some little frames for some of my Native American postcards...painted an old oval mat and cut around it with my pinking sheers... and hung them in the corner. The little diamond picture of Red Riding Hood and the Wolf has a lot of symbolism for me. I have another picture of that scene downstairs in my studio...and found this extra one Saturday and knew instantly what to do with it. It like that image because R.R.H reminds me of me [not literally] and the Wolf reminds me of the Adversary [I do believe in Satan, but as an actual being] and how he will try everything in his power to make sure I fail, and wants nothing more but to see me unhappy [read The Screwtape letters by C.S. Lewis & this will make more sense if your confused] anyways...When I see this image, it reminds me to be strong and don't let my feelings..i.e. insecurities...or other people's insecurities stop me from being happy & achieving my dreams. 

Lastly, while going through old portfolios, I came across some familiar friends I painted back in 2009, which I think need to be resurrected... if they can be on their best behavior that is. :)

So, with all that said... I hope your weekend was productive and relaxing as well! 

I have a lot of catch up work [still battling this head cold/sinus infection?] and will see you back here on Wednesday with a pretty awesome giveaway! Oh! AND I will be part of a giveaway over at P.S. I ADORE YOU later this week as well... if you haven't been to their site, and want to help children with cancer I suggest you check this site out, these ladies are do amazing things!