Today’s closet clean up review is Anne’s journey. Anne is an illustrator, manager of the showroom Spice PR in Amsterdam, and mother of a 6-year old son. She was at a turning point in her life, and because of that, there was little time and energy left to get her house in order.

Anne is one of my best friends and the one who created the term ‘Candy Drawer’ for my system of folding clothes in drawers. In February 2020, just before COVID put the world into lockdown, I flew from Singapore to Amsterdam to offer my help. Over the course of 2 afternoons, we cleaned up her closet…and talked through some of the issues that were manifesting themselves in the closet. At the end of our work together, Anne gave me the most beautiful compliment, saying, ‘I feel like everything is in flow again.’

A few months after my visit, I called to check in. Please enjoy this closet clean up journey with Anne! 

Tell us about what was happening in your life. Which obstacles were there? 

A year ago a new time dawned; my relationship ended and I started a new job, next to making illustrations. I also have a gorgeous 6-year old son. My life changed rapidly in a short amount of time. With a busy new job and caring for a child, there was little time left to start reorganizing at home. I didn’t know where to begin. I had stuffed closets and drawers just to keep things out of sight, which led to headaches time and time again when I opened them. 

What did you see yourself doing in these hectic times?

Procrastination. I kept everything out of sight by stuffing closets and drawers, but because of this, I had no idea what kind of beautiful things I’d actually collected over time. And also, what kind of things I kept and that this meant I was holding on to certain periods in my life.  

Thinking back to the afternoons we spent cleaning up your closet, what do you remember about how you felt?

I loved that you started with ‘First, we take everything out!’ Initially, I thought ‘Oh no, that is going to be quite a job…’ And it was, but because I had every item in my hands and really asked myself if it really made me happy or if I still needed it, soon enough it became much easier to make clear choices.

This is how I found out that I don’t necessarily have to hold on to every garment with a memory/story in a nice storage box, but that I could save the most valuable and most important ones and could give the other pieces a second life by giving them away. When that switch was turned, it became much easier and I’m still on a roll a few months later! 

Now, I am lucky that my son’s biggest hobby is cleaning. Last Saturday morning he thought we had to clean up the cutlery drawer. That was also really necessary because the “junk drawer” was full, so the cutlery drawer became a second junk drawer. Biek’s lesson: everything out first was applied, and next, I tackled the rest of the kitchen cabinets! 

What are you most proud of after our clean up sessions?

That everything went through my hands and I made informed decisions about what I want to keep and what got a second life for someone else. I also realized that holding on to certain items meant that I was holding onto certain periods of my life.

Which specific result have you achieved since our time together?

That everything – clothes, toys, papers, knick-knacks, all the stuff – has a permanent place to live which gives me so much peace, and it makes cleaning up the laundry go smooth! 

How would you describe the experience of working with me to someone else?

With all your attention, all your patience, and your professional eye – it’s actually very therapeutic. 

Who do you think could benefit from working with me?

Women who have a lot on their plates due to a busy life (partner, family, career). She needs help to get to the core, to get closer to herself in order to use her talents and her time effectively. It’s a socially intelligent woman, and very sensitive. She wants to feel strong and confident again. 

Are you inspired by Anne’s process? Do you also want to work together with me? You can! Book your introductory call here, so we can see if we’re a match!!