January, 2024
City of Angels
When I was in high school, we had a robot vacuum that my family rarely used. Not wanting to waste such a handy tool, I decided to put it to use in my room. To make the most of it, I had to clear the floor of clothes, backpacks, and scattered homework so it could vacuum efficiently. While the vacuum did its job, I would put the once-lost items back in their place—though more often than not, they ended up being stuffed into my closet and drawers.
This cleanup became a Friday routine throughout high school. Even after the vacuum disappeared (I quite frankly can’t remember what happened to it), I developed a habit of "spotless" cleaning my room at the end of each week. But the catch was that my room always looked like a tornado had hit before it was Friday, and the spotless room barely lasted through the weekend.
My first big declutter happened when I moved out for college, naively thinking I’d never be back home. I got rid of my desk, two bookcases, and the shelves that were attached to my desk. Everything in there had to go, and to my surprise, all the items and work from middle and high school were able to fit into just three shoeboxes. I did regret this decision a little when I returned home to a deskless, workspace-less room 8 months later due to COVID—and again after I moved back home post-college. During that COVID spring semester, my room was overloaded with art supplies, and with charcoal powder everywhere—and no matter how much I swept the floor, my feet were always black from charcoal powder.
This made me start to ask myself what my room really needed and how I could use my space most efficiently.
Decluttering, organizing, and cleaning my room sparked an interest in space design—it not only taught me how to maximize space efficiency, create functional layouts, and enhance visual appeal, but also learned that my room could also tell a story and reflect who I am—my room became a narrative of my personality and identity.
Decluttering also taught me to prioritize what is essential and let go of what is not. By focusing on the most important items and creating cohesive visual stories, I fostered creativity and problem-solving skills essential for addressing spatial constraints and display challenges. Attention to detail, honed through organizing personal spaces, ensures that every element in a display or space design is thoughtfully placed, contributing to the overall design vision. Through this process, I learned how to arrange items that might not typically go together in a way that made sense. These experiences have taught me to highlight key elements, create clear visual narratives, and maintain order and cleanliness, which are crucial for creating impactful, well-organized environments.
I still take time every day to clean, and I love seeing a fully packed garbage bin (or better yet, having an empty garbage bin because there is no “waste.”) To me, the act of decluttering becomes a conscious effort in making a routine, breaking, and building new and healthier habits. To create a consistent, committed, and compassionate space, I maintain a clean and tidy room—because my space essentially becomes who I am.