Decluttering Sentimental Closets

They say it's something called "hoarding"... this irrational need to keep things that serve little to no purpose purely based on this emotional connection you develop to inanimate objects.  True... some people take the whole collecting thing a little too far- but to some extent I think it's human nature. 

Most people have things in a box somewhere stashed away- getting moldy/dusty/eaten by bugs or what have you.  You may not be too concerned about that box of stuff on a daily basis- but when it comes time to clean out the closet... you better believe you find yourself hours later still digging through that same box of stuff, caught-up in memories and all but unaware of anything around you.

Things can hold a powerful ability to take you back in time. There's something about a physical object that gives you a sense of comfort when recalling memories all but lost. One look at that grungy stuffed animal, that threadbare t-shirt, that sweat-stained baseball cap- and you are transformed to another dimension.

Unfortunately things can also hold a powerful ability to make a total wreck of an otherwise perfectly clean and organized home. 

Do NOT get me wrong. I really do feel like it's important to keep some sentimental items.  But it's important to know when to draw the line between memory-saving, and straight-up hoarding!  We've all heard the typical stint about sorting everything into three piles

1.) Keep

2.) Give Away

3.) Throw Away

From there we can get rid of the last two- and begin dividing our "keep" pile into more specific categories like 1.) Wash  2.) Put Away  3.) Fix etc...

But recently I've begun implementing a whole other dimension for sorting my memorable items. The wonderful possibilities of digital photography. Paired with the internet and possibilities are virtually endless!  While it may not be the "same" as directly being able to have that item in your hands- it's true when they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

When you find something sentimental while you're cleaning out your closet... take a deep breath and prioritize.  Think to yourself- is this something I really NEED?  I'm not saying toss out everything- but really think about it; and if you don't need it- snapping some quick pictures may be a great way to  preserve that memory in a smaller- more condensed way. Sometimes it also feels better to give something away after you know you will still be able to look back on the pictures and have those same visual memory cues the object used to give you.

For instance- I present my high school Show Choir character shoes.

I wore these shoes for countless performances in choir and drama productions.  I can not begin to tell you how many memories I have just looking at these pictures again.  

While we were packing up for one of our moves we were limited on space and I was sorting through our "needs". I realized that in all reality I would probably never wear these shoes again (they were pretty worn-out and not incredibly comfortable) and they were just taking up space.  So- I carefully laid them out on the drive way and snapped some pictures.

I was careful to get a couple of angles of the shoes so I would have a full visual picture of them to look back on.  For instance- I can see the "triplet" note on the bottom.  We all wrote our names on the soles of our shoes and since my last name was "Triplett" I drew a triplet note on all of my show choir uniform pieces.  I can see how I wore out the bottoms- and I can almost feel how they fit just by looking at the inside soles. 

Aside from getting a couple of angles, I would suggest making sure the picture is a good quality too. You want that image to be nice, sharp, and clear.  After you take the pictures back them up (the internet is always a good portable place to store photos you don't want to lose- save them on a couple of different sites in case one goes down.)

After I took these pics I was able to set these shoes in the give-away pile with a much lighter heart. And I was able to free-up that closet space too! If you're not sure whether this virtual memory method will work for you and your decluttering needs- try it out with something that has a lesser sentimental value first. 

-What are some of your sentimental item experiences?

-Do any of you have great ideas about how to store and organize things that hold sentimental value but aren't used regularly?

-What are your opinions on keeping things that no longer have a practical use?

Happy organizing!