ANN HILLESLAND
  • Home
  • Publications
  • Blog
  • Media
  • The Hat Project
  • Contact

Writing Blog

Maximalism

3/8/2021

8 Comments

 
Picture
After I “finished” The Hat Project, I realized I no longer knew where most of my hats were. I’d added hats during the project and acquired even more since the project “ended.” I’d moved hats around to accommodate the new arrivals. Assuming I had anywhere to go (not a given in COVID times) I wouldn’t be able to find my desired hat without taking down several boxes.
 
I had to get organized.
 
I created a table listing all the hats in The Hat Project’s Hat Gallery, sortable by color. Then I started opening boxes, inventorying the contents, and tagging each box with a sticky that listed the hats inside.
 
In the middle of this effort, a friend called. When I told her what I was doing, she mentioned how great it was to “KonMarie” one’s surroundings.
 
“I don’t know about that,” I said.  “I’m a maximalist.”
 
Some people are taking the shutdown as an opportunity to clean out their houses. Not me. To me, now is when you want your nest extra feathery. Forget cleaning out the closet. Yesterday I bought a fifties vintage coat AND a sixties vintage suit. Plus, I find minimalist interiors depressing.  All that white and beige and gray brings me down. Where's the color, where's the fun?
 
I’ve read many articles that advocated turning all your hangers around and only turning them to the right side again when you’ve worn a garment. At the end of the year, you discard anything unworn. I know myself. I’d be searching through those hangers for unworn clothes so that I could wear them before the year was up. I don’t want to get rid of them.
 
Yes, I could definitely tidy up my office (papers seem to explode there) and my bedside table, where old New Yorker magazines go to die. But my clothes? My books? A purge every few years does fine for me.

Even the short stories I write have been getting longer. I've switched from 1000-word flash fictions to thirty-page opuses. 
 
COVID has forced austerity on all of us, and I’m sick of it. When this is over, I’m going to dress up for everything. I’m going to wear my vintage beaded yellow blouse and my gold lamé coat and a velvet evening hat to the local bistro. I’m going to travel to New Zealand and everywhere else I’ve dreamed of visiting. I’m going to throw a big party with great food and music. I’m going full maximalist on life.
 
Nothing creative ever happens in a tidy way. Every first draft I write (even of this blog) is a mess. I don’t want to live in a white and beige tidy world. I want to live with a lime green sofa and a colorful Mexican tile kitchen table, and a stack of books that don’t fit on the nightstand next to the bed, and ideas for abandoned stories littering my computer, and too many beautiful vases crammed into my cupboards.
 
Yes, I do want my hats to be organized. But right now I’m keeping all eighty of them. And I’ll always find room for another fabulous find. 
8 Comments
Polly
3/9/2021 12:01:56 pm

Love this Ann! It made me smile, laugh and say way to go. I so agree. I'm so tired of the forced austerity. The other day I got a little too dressed up to go to the grocery store! I know some people like it, but I find white and gray walls depressing. I live in an 1890s Victorian and each room has a different wall color that's very well, shall I say colorful? And I totally agree with you about tidiness in art. A tidy hat room is not the key to success. Whatever I'm on full on creation mode, my room is so messy I can't even find my phone or glasses. But that's okay.

Reply
Ann
3/9/2021 02:11:47 pm

Polly,

Your house sounds lovely! And I'm so glad to know someone else who doesn't mind untidiness while working!

Ann

Reply
Laura Gautier
3/10/2021 10:48:31 am

OMG Ann!! I love the idea of a colorful life!! I'm all about bright colors. It brings happiness to my life. Traveling to New Zealand sounds like an amazing treat...Great Job!!

I like how you don't like to get rid of clothes. I sometimes feel guilty of having a huge walk in closet with clothes for every occasion...thank you for such an uplifting post!

Reply
Ann
3/10/2021 11:20:36 am

Thanks, Laura! Yes, I take up more than my fair share of our walk-in closet, plus most of the guest room closet is full of hats and more clothes. The day may come when I downsize, but it hasn't come yet!

Reply
PAT WILSON,Realtor
3/10/2021 04:09:08 pm

So nice to hear others defend their collections. I will be wearing all my pretty things as well, just because this is how I express myself now that I am older, family is grown and gone....why not? I've got my own way of dressing, up or casually, still have my health, so lets get together soon hopefully at church, and celebrate life.

Reply
Ann
3/10/2021 05:01:17 pm

Pat, I too feel that fashion is self-expression--a form of art, really. Look forward seeing you soon, hopefully--we'll both wear some fabulous hats!

Reply
gail schwettman
3/15/2021 06:12:47 pm

I think you should devote a portion of some relatively unused room in your house to these hat boxes. Don't hide them away. Pile them up in an artistic way as a part of your decor. People will think it's unique and will wonder why they haven't thought of something like that.

Reply
Ann
3/15/2021 08:57:21 pm

Hmmm...maybe a hatbox Christmas tree?

I do see people online making nice displays...hatboxes, a hat on a hat stand, a pair of gloves. It may come to that if I get any more hats!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Ann Hillesland writes fiction and essays. Her work has appeared in many literary journals, including Fourth Genre, Bayou, The Laurel Review, and Sou’wester.

      Subscribe to My Blog

    Subscribe

    Categories

    All
    Musings On Life
    Writing Inspiration
    Year In Review

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    March 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015

    RSS Feed

    © Ann Hillesland 2015-2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Ann Hillesland   with  specific direction to the original content.
Copyright © Ann Hillesland 2015-2022
  • Home
  • Publications
  • Blog
  • Media
  • The Hat Project
  • Contact