Do you have stacks of paintings, half finished canvasses, and filled up art journals? Are they in your way physically and emotionally? Do you keep all of your artwork even the ones you don’t connect with? Every year, I sort through my artwork and decide what to keep, toss, re-use, repurpose, or recycle. I find it challenging to get going, but I feel very free afterwards. It clears energetic space for new artwork to be created. Watch the video below to see me sort through a stack of artwork and check out my tips below:
How to decide what to keep:
Give Yourself a Set Amount of Time
Decide how long you want to spend on decision making i.e. an hour, 30 min, 15 min, and set a timer for yourself. This will keep you moving. If you have any artwork you feel stuck on, put them in a maybe pile and come back to them. Start with the easy ones first as it will help you get warmed up.
Bring All the Artwork to One Spot
Gather all your artwork that you have in different spots around your studio or house. Stack them based on substrate i.e. paper, canvas, wood, or art journals. This will free up space and help you see the possibility of empty shelves and clear walkways. It will be easier to let some go.
Make Categories
Decide on your categories:
keep and store
display
toss
re-use,
and sell (if you sell your artwork).
Make signs to help you remember what each pile is about.
Questions to Help with Decisions
How do you feel when I look at this artwork?
Does it spark a fond memory?
Are you proud of this artwork?
Do you connect with it?
Do you like parts of it and could tear it up and reuse as collage paper?
Does this artwork serve a purpose for you?
Move quickly and allow your intuition to make a decision for you. Thinking too much may result in keeping everything. Of course, you are welcome to keep everything too if you wish!
Take Photos Before Recycle or Toss
You don’t have to get rid of any of your artwork if you don’t want to. If you do and you are finding it hard to let go, take a photo of the piece first.
Put Your Canvasses to ReUse Away
If you end up with a stack of canvasses or art paper you can re-use, find an easy to access spot in your studio or art space. Take one more step and gesso over them so they are ready to use.
Celebrate
Artwork can hold emotions, memories, ideas, hopes, dreams and it can stir these up. Be gentle with yourself and celebrate your progress.
In this video, watch me go through a stack of paintings and decide which to keep, toss, reuse and repurpose. And yes, I tore some up!
do you keep all your artwork? Share below.
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