The other way this cloak of domestic invisibility works is very similar to the one my father had, which was evident in his little room we always called "The Office." Stuff was everywhere. Apparently disorganized, piled up in nonsensical ways. There was even a dog in there - a sweet 90lb boxer and her crate. She blended right in. Yet he knew where everything was. I do to. Like my Dad, I have the gift of not "seeing" the domestic chaos around me most of the time. Maybe it is denial because I am not a Goddess of the Clean Homefront. Maybe there is some deep psychological reason why I find a pair of clean socks on the kitchen counter, and they stay there for two days. Maybe my brain is too busy thinking about other things to notice the cluttered bookcase, the messy cellar and spare room, and the cobwebs in the corner of the bathroom ceiling. Maybe because I work so much that I am tired. It is not that I like to live in a mess - quite the opposite is true, and despite what it looks like in my house I clean up things every day, more than most people need to clean.
The life attached to my busy mind has many areas of "working," and there is a lot of material attached to that work. Beads, fabric, threads, yarns, sewing machines, reference books, drawings, paintings, collages, embroideries, quilts, sketchbooks, altered books, stuffed figures, Turkish relics, more books, records and Cd's, guitars, parrots, parrot toys, parrot cleaning supplies, parrot food, parrot toy parts, dogs, dog beds and towels, food, treats, cats...well, cats are easy. Don't even get me started on clothing. I could go on forever with lists of things that can be disorganized and "plopped" all over my house. It doesn't help that my physical ability changes on an often daily basis, meaning things that SHOULD be done do not get done. This compounds issues of general chaos and I am sure this contributes to my super power of not seeing it. Living alone also makes it harder to stay on top of things -- no one sharing the space means no one to look on in horror at laundry stacked in a hallway or a bulging bag of beads hanging off a bookcase. God bless the few brave people who have come over and not complained about dog hair and other assorted remains of Toby. You know who you are.
This is my computer's desktop. More icons that the image can hold! Crazy! It works though!
Which brings me to February Vacation. A week off from school during which I usually clean and declutter in preparation for spring. Items rendered invisible before now appear in all their ugliness. Purging. Organizing. Love having the time and energy to sort it all out. My lists are longer than my energy, though, and despite what I hope to do, I never finish it all. Once I have time to slow down and see my living environment, the blinders come off and I stare in amazement at the jungle that is my home. Oy vey.
Amidst this angst and organizational fury, I try to eek out a few hours daily to do some artwork without guilt. But first I have to clean my studio room...I think I like it better when the invisibility cloak is on!
What are you going to make today?