Managing Art Supply Surplus

 

        Anyone who creates art in any capacity can tell you how easily the supply stash can get out of hand. Your neighbor offers a bin of felt she's owned since 1994, your local Facebook group lures you in with the offer of 50 skeins of black acrylic yarn for $5, or Blick Art Materials sucks you into their vortex, and you've spent $50 on canvases and sponges you definitely need. Suddenly your home is 30% yarn and glitter. If you are like me, I am sure you find yourself looking guiltily at the bins or bags crippling under the weight of all the supplies you have garnered, seemingly overnight. What do we do when we hit the moment of realization that we own more than one person can realistically put to use? 

    Our first step is obvious: panic. Stress about how you even got all these items in the first place. Run through every dollar spent in an art store. Ask yourself why you continue to accept every stash of yarn a family friend offers you. How did we end up with 17 skeins of red yarn? (This example is my  current conundrum... I am still not sure how I garnered so many). Curse your dad for encouraging you to always try new artistic mediums when they pique your interest. Dwell on these thoughts and let the yarn and paint consume you whole. With the size of our stash, it seems plausible it could come to life and control us.

    Of course, I am not serious. But, if you think in absolutes, this thought process can feel quite serious and true in the moment. Managing a surplus is tough and oftentimes overwhelming. In a way, our stash has come to life as I mused above. When so much guilt and stress hangs like a fog over the supplies, it gains a governing power over us. If I am intimidated to go through the endless tubes of paint, how will I ever conquer that feeling and finally dwindle the mound into something I have control over? I think that it is important that I know almost everything that comprises my stash. If it gets to a point that I can't recall what I own, I know it has gotten out of hand. How can I use something I cannot even remember I own?

    In the case of my own yarn excess, I took my first actionable step last October. As silly as it may sound, I put myself on a yarn ban. This consists of buying and receiving zero yarn, free or not. I realized somewhere along the way that I was adding more yarn to my stash as a function of "growing my stash" and never for a specific purpose. An extreme measure in the eyes of many, it has helped me remember that what I already own can fulfill nearly all project ideas I have. As a matter of fact, all the images sprinkled in this blog post are projects that I made with my yarn surplus, while practicing my self-prescribed yarn ban. It has been liberating for my mind to realize that I am depleting my stash, lightening my mental and physical load. To the left is a purse I crocheted with yarn purchased years ago from my old employer for my sister's birthday. I lined the purse with fabric and used metal rings for the purse hardware from old lanyards I would have otherwise thrown out. Having sourced all the supplies from within my diverse art supply portfolio, I feel a deeper sense of pride for my work, and how it came together to make a meaningful gift, still used today.

Baskets have been another yarn-busting activity that has served as a wonderful way of presenting gifts to friends and family. Baskets currently litter my own home as key-holders, pantry organizers, yarn holders, and pen cups. Parents and siblings alike have a few baskets to their name, working as plant pot covers, marker bins, and dresser organizers. I even employ these baskets as a gift bag for presents I can't reasonably wrap in another way. By this time, I have made upwards of 50 baskets, and have halved my yarn supply. Unfortunately, I started with an inconceivable amount of yarn, so I have lots more work to do. Besides baskets, coasters, felted purses, wall art, and hats have been some of the quickest, nicest ways to kill two birds with one stone.

    My biggest piece of advice for those of us dealing with surplus of this kind is to donate what you will not use, even if you feel emotionally attached to the item, and think of ways you can turn the excess into thoughtful, tailored gifts for special people in your life. Exercise caution in who you gift these handmade items to, though, as not everyone can appreciate the time and effort that goes into a handcrafted item.

    Think critically about the media you consume surrounding your craft as well. In the world of fiber art, yarn especially, it is a common trope to joke about buying yarn in serious excess, or without any intention. Constantly absorbing these messages, even if we do not believe the premises, can affect the way we operate and think about our own stash and management of said stash. I try to be very careful about how I talk about my yarn supply since I am downsizing for my own peace of mind.

    Lastly, find your own balance. For me, I know that having a very small, diverse bin of yarn, and intentionally chosen, pricier paint tubes will ultimately serve my artistic needs best, but this is unique to my current artistic life and preferences. Each of us will do best with different amounts of supply, but none of can thrive while drowning in supplies. Exercise caution with how heavily you identify with your art supplies, fabrics, and pens.

    As for how I am doing with my yarn supply, I have finally gotten to a point where my yarn fits into the storage drawers it was always meant to. I still plan to deplete it further, and I have turned my attention to my acrylic paints. Paint presents a completely different process for donating and how to use it up, but I have a few ideas in mind. Until then, I am relishing in the relief I feel. How freeing it can be to remove some physical weight from your home!