Swedish Death Cleaning

While having lunch with a friend recently, I mentioned my efforts to declutter my home, ensuring that my daughters won’t have to sift through my belongings after I’m gone. She responded, “Oh, that’s ‘Swedish Death Cleaning.’” Initially, that sounded quite dark, but I realized it perfectly describes my process. This term refers to removing unnecessary items and creating an orderly home as we become more conscious of life’s impermanence, according to Margareta Magnusson, who is, in her words, aged between 80 and 100. She is the author of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning and The Swedish Art of Aging. In Sweden, this decluttering practice is called döstädning, with “dö” meaning “death” and “städning” meaning “cleaning.” This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out belongings can be undertaken at any age and should ideally happen sooner rather than later—before others have to take on that task for you. Last year, I moved from a large house that I shared with one of my daughters to a cozy country cottage with a separate art studio. During that transition, I donated what seemed like carloads of clothes, drawings, studio tables, paint, substrates, shelving, small paintings, and appliances to a local charity. However, I retained most of my art supplies and hundreds of cherished photos, many depicting my life with Kai Winding, jazz musicians, and of course, my family. After my last birthday, I confronted the reality that much of my life lies behind me, and I created the Encaustic Academy, http://vimeo.com/ondemand/theencausticacademy featuring 14 digital encaustic classes to share my techniques and experiences. Now, I’m looking at a collection of paintings in storage that deserve to be seen and appreciated by collectors. I am planning a gallery exhibition here in San Miguel in February titled “The Legacy of Inspiration.” While I haven’t selected the paintings yet, all will be offered at sale prices. Additionally, there will be an online sale, likely in January, where I will either provide free shipping or a 30% discount. Be sure to check my posts for updates on the sale, or visit my website to see if there’s art you’d like to add to your collection: www.ezshwan.com.