When will then be now?

We all have those "projects" right? you know the ones.....the "someday" projects, the "when I have enough time" projects and the "I am overwhelmed just thinking about it" projects.

This is what overwhelm looks like.

The way you you begin any project is with one tiny step. That step It may be sitting down and making a plan of attack. It may be hiring someone to help. It may be just digging out the items for the project from the attic the basement or the storage room. It may be calling a friend and finally saying "Help!" as my best friend did two years ago when she asked for help with her garage. She was overwhelmed.

The first step is never easy. Its may be facing some sense of guilt ( I should do be able to do this) or frustration ( why can't I find the time) or even a sense of shame. ( I am being lazy by hiring someone) My friend felt all of these looking at her garage. She simply wanted a space to put her product in a place she could find it and there were four more family members sharing this space and she couldn't find anything.

My response is simple; Its going to be ok. There is no shame or need for self criticism. Organizing is onerous, repetitive and at times emotional. It takes time, it takes a plan of attack and it takes an objective point of view. We took two weeks working together. Going through boxes, prioritizing

Organized chaos. A place for everything.

what she needed and getting rid of what she didn't. Most importantly? Keeping her focused on the goal. This picture may not look much different but we created a space for her to store her thrift shop finds. And put bins together with like objects. There were numerous dump trips combining bins. In the end everything had a place to be.Organized chaos. Fluid yet orderly.

You might say but this is a garage, you do photos. Its the same principle on a smaller and some might say more boring level. Its being able to look at pictures and see detail. To understand importance. Its communicating empathy and compassion for a client whose photos may trigger emotional responses.Its being able to discern good from bad; needed and not needed. Its the ability to tell a story with pictures about an event you didn't witness. Its making a space for joy. I love organizing others. But my passion is photographs. Photographs are important to all our lives for big and small reasons. As important as all this stuff is to my friend and her family....the photo albums are what she would save in a fire or other catastrophe.

It may be that I am boring or onerous or repetitive. But organizing big or small is my super power. let me help you all you need to do is take the first step. When will then be now? Soon.