less effect | tools, supplies, and what-ifs

One of the most difficult things I've had to address while parting with my belongings is tools. You see, I grew up in a very mechanically inclined house; dad was a mechanic, handyman, plumber, floor installer, painter, DIY king that did it all, all the time, with excellence. And he has a lifetime of tools amassed, for almost any job imaginable. My childhood had a lot of watching and learning, whether it was working on cars, fixing the dishwasher, replacing the faucet, or tinkering with some electronic children's toy. He is especially good at fixing things, too. This meant I learned a lot about tools and problem solving. There was never a situation we encountered when I was a kid, that he didn't have the tool for. Even when I worked with him for a few years cleaning drains and fixing stuff, he always had the right tool for the job.

Now, having all of that as a really big foundation for my life, I too have begun amassing a variety of tools and supplies. Especially in the art realm. Tools also come with a huge 'what if...' question attached. What if I need that wrench for taking apart the kitchen sink p-trap to fix a leak because it wasn’t put together right? What if I need xyz tool for some imaginary problem I might have one day? What if I want to make xyz thing, I'd need all this glue and knives and clippers and foam and paint and texture medium... you get where I'm going with this.

Where does practical functionality and preparedness end, and excessive hoarding begin?

So, I got rid of 99% of my art tools and supplies. Donated them to the college, and some to ReCreative, with the hope that someone who truly needs them now will have that need fulfilled. It was sad, in some ways. I love watercolour painting. But when was the last time I used watercolours? Years. I love pastels, especially the nice set I bought in college. But when would I actually use those pristine sticks of soft pigment? I have no idea! but charity, you could make time. Yes, I could, but was that what I really wanted to do?

It kinda stung, too. I felt like I was giving up a part of me, like I was failing at being the artist I claim I am. Because I didn't have those tools. No, I'm not failing. I'm an artist! just because I'm an artist, doesn't mean I have to have bins full of French curves and triangles and rulers, heart paper punches and 10 different colours of ribbon, armature wire, mesh, and some weird assortment of clay.

I'm an artist because I create.

But anyway. The tools thing extends beyond just art stuff. What else am I keeping for the sake of entertaining the 'what if'?

It'd be really nice to have a drill. My ex is/was going to give me their corded drill, but that's technically Cursed. I don't want to go out and buy a drill, exactly. What about my laser level(s)? They're cursed, too. What about the various size pliers and wire cutters, hex-key sets, multi-tip screwdrivers, etc.? The screwdriver is actually really cursed, and is … fucking broken (it had a little light you could turn on to see where you're working) because my first husband tried to use the end of it as a hammer. ugh even had a rubber button so not like that would have gone well anyway, whatever i digress

It's nice having those options available. What about all this sandpaper and jewellery sanding cloth I have? Actually did use the jewellery cloth a few days ago, and some of my sandpaper is this super neat discontinued 3M 'flexible' sanding stuff. It's gold, now!

Building on those ‘this is useful, but I don’t need it right now’ sort of things, I’m still at an impasse about some other weird funky things that one just…amasses. Like lightbulbs. Cleaning rags. Different types of cleaners and detergents. Picture hanging wire. Markers, sharpies, a surplus of pens and cartridges. On that last one, I decided to pick a couple of my favourite pens, keep their replacement cartridges (if any), and donate the rest. I don’t need 10 pens, 4 of which are the same exact one. Same with all my pencils and most of my sketching tools. If the moment strikes and I really want to pursue graphite, then I’m going to go buy a nice set of graphite pencils in the brand / size / quantity that I genuinely want, and pursue my craft

I’m the handy one that mounts the shelves, hangs pictures, builds the ikea furniture, and fixes the things around the house when they need it. I like having tools available for my job. I definitely don’t need 48732489 lightbulbs hanging around that i might need one day, and I don’t need 3 different rulers and 2 tape-measures and 5 of the same hexkey and they all suck