The Death of a Futon Frame

In case you didn't know, the first rule of feng shui [fuhng shwey] is to de-clutter. 

I didn't know this either until a roommate of mine went through a feng shui phase a few years ago... I will not use her name in an effort to protect her, because I think it took her a few years to get through that first step. Don't worry, it has taken me a while too and I'm just now kicking it into high gear. 

My basement apartment is amazing, tons of space; not necessarily where you want it and there is only one tiny closet in the bedroom, but it is nice. It is just what every artist wants; a space to live and make their work, or so one would think. The space has been challenging to organize for me and working from home has proven challenging to organize as far as time and self-discipline. Moving into this new year I have decided to rethink the way that I do a lot of things. Re-evaluate and recognize some of the things that have tripped me up and caused me some trouble over the last year. 

What can I do differently? What can I do more creatively? How can I rearrange my space, my time, my actions so that I feel more free to create and to be myself? 

In asking myself these questions I decided yet again, that it was time to purge. I have been going through stuff for days and I am super disappointed at myself for keeping so much crap around my studio and my life! Though, being disappointed in myself never got me very far, so I will not dwell on that thought. Anyhow, I have been cleaning and then of course, yet again, I decided to move around my furniture.

 In the moving of furniture I noticed that my futon, the first piece of furniture I purchased out of college, which has been well used, loved and worn... to the point that I hate the piece of junk! The cheap metal frame is bent and no matter how much you tighten all of the screws it is hopelessly loose and squeaky. It no longer sits up the way it is supposed to or folds down the way it is supposed to and lives in a perpetual state of stuck in the middle-ness that is really annoying to sit on. So... I took the futon mattress (which is still in good shape and quite cozy) off of the frame and pulled the frame out of my space. I attempted to dismantle it myself but was completely unable to as all of the pieces are so out of whack that the screws are stuck on there! *I believe I can find someone will to assist me in said project at some date in the near future. * 

Anyhow, I set the futon mattress on the floor and propped it up against the wall so it has a normal couch-like shape, threw some throw pillows and a blanket on top of it, along with a fuzzy rug and Voila! It is super fun and reminds me of the Jerusalem Garden, restaurant here in Asheville where you can sit on pillows on the floor. I love the futon mattress reborn without the old  and cumbersome frame! Why had I not thought of this sooner?! This was the easiest creative solution I could have come up with, but alas, sometimes you just have to get frustrated enough with a situation to come up with a fresh way of handling the problem. So, I suppose the whole futon didn't die, just the frame, and the mattress has been re-born. 

Out with the old, in with the new (ideas) and unleash the creativity.