A Fragmented Nomad

This week I have been moving the contents of my print studio into a storage unit. In doing so, I realised that I have not had all my belongings in one place since 2008.

That was when I moved to New York. I got rid of much, putting only the stuff I couldn’t sell or bear to part with in my mums loft. Since then I have moved dozens (yes, dozens) of times, with my belongings spread through homes, storage units, studios and lofts.

For a while, I managed to keep my stuff to a minimum. Once, I even moved to Cornwall in just my tiny Micra! But once I started knitting again (thank you, Outlander!) And then handsewing, and then printing, well, the stuff kind of exploded.

I would say it is near impossible to be a multi-hyphenated creative and be a minimalist.

I’ve had many dreams in my life, many of which I have realised (see previous post) but I think my biggest dream now is to live in a place where I belong, with all my belongings.

Maybe then I could sort them properly, get rid of what I don’t need, appreciate the things I love, and use the materials I have (I know, ridiculous idea).

It’s only in the last few years that I’ve realised the link between ADHD and hoarding, and I genuinely don’t want to end up in a hovel filled to the brim with junk*, but I also don’t want to live in this fragmented nomadic way either.

Crossing everything and hoping that the next time I move, I will be able to reunite all my stuff, and live a more wholesome existence.

The rather stunning view on the way to my storage unit

*I honestly don’t want to end up like the old lady in The Magical Dragon Mirror, but if I ended up with a portal to the dragon world in my hallway, that would be pretty cool!