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Chances are, you're probably wrong about the Konmari Method posted at 9:36 AM



This infographic and article are a collaborative effort between myself and the talented illustrator, Yumiyumyum.illustration

I first discovered Konmari while watching an episode of the Japanese reality show SMAP X SMAP hosted by the famous Japanese idol group, SMAP. She was all smiles and encouragement while she helped people transform their rooms or houses into their own sanctuary that they loved coming home to every day. Since that episode, I've seen her popularity take off immensely. I even had my mother call me telling me that the "lady I liked on SMAP X SMAP" is famous in the worldwide now and she heard people talking about her. As of late, I've been seeing a lot of misinformed and downright incorrect information floating around the internet in forms of articles, memes, and posts alike. As a long time advocate, I'm here reviving my old blog to set the record straight.


For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Konmari Method, here is a quick(ish) summary:
Marie Kondo developed the Konmari Method as a way to overcome the all too familiar feeling of being overwhelmed and exhausted with the clutter and mess continuously piling up in our lives. Instead of cleaning and decluttering room by room, Konmari encourages tidying by category, starting with clothes, books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items) then finally dealing with sentimental items. With each category, all the items must be collected from the whole house and piled together so you can get a sense of how much of these items you actually had. More often than not, you'll be surprised by the number of things you have. Thus begins the Tidying Marathon - which involves picking an item from the pile, and getting a feeling for whether that item invokes a feeling of Tokimeki, or whether it "Sparks Joy". This feeling can be described as feeling happy and even excited when having the item in your hands. Sparking Joy can also mean being glad that you have the item, not only for its aesthetics but the function of it, and how it helps you in daily life.

If the item does not speak to the heart and feels burdensome, Konmari encourages to thank the item for their service and let it go. Those items are donated or thrown away if they are too damaged to be donated. Konmari then challenges you to finish the process until you are only left with the things you really love, so you can treat them all with love and respect. Only then you are able to think about storage and allocate all your belongings to a designated "home", or a place in your house. She also has a recommended way of folding things in an upright position, so that items such as clothing are all easily accessible and pieces won't get easily forgotten at the back of the drawer. Once everything has a home, and are displayed neatly; a rebound of the clutter won't happen as easily and you can live an ideal life surrounded by only things that Spark Joy.

Marie Kondo has written two books to date, the best selling "The life-changing magic of Tidying Up", and "Spark Joy". With the recent release of the Netflix series "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo", the hype of this method has been an all-time high. However, I encourage you to read at least the first book first before you jump into any assumptions about this method. Here are just a few of these "assumptions" I've been seeing on social media and in articles, that I want to clarify. I keep seeing repeated misinformation about her philosophy, and as a long time advocate of the Konmari method, it's honestly frustrating.

Myth #1 "I need to have only a certain amount of things because Konmari says so"

(Image Source: Boredpanda.com)


(Image source: Hypable)

In the Netflix series, Kondo mentions that for her personally, more than 30 books can feel suffocating. The internet blew up saying that the Konmari method only allows you to keep less than 30 books; and that the method was heresy to all book lovers. People were coming out to say that it's impossible for them to only have 30 books and it's really sad to have that amount.

Yet, those same people probably have dust-covered books shoved deep in the back of the shelf, that they've forgotten about. Konmari doesn't mean you have to throw that book out. but the process will help you remember that it is there, and appreciate it. It will remind you how joyous that book made you feel, and you might probably finally read that book. Or, you might realise that it was something you cared about years ago and you are at a different perspective in your life now, and this book isn't something you're interested in anymore. You can thank the book for giving you that happiness when you got it, and graciously let it go. I hear that thanking object's is weird to people, but really it's just about having a sense of gratitude for the things in your life. Believe me, I love books and I do have many in my collection. You can have as many books as you like, rather, you can have as much things as you like, as long as each and every item makes you happy. It's as simple as that.

Myth #2 "I need to throw away everything because it doesn't spark joy"

Funny-Marie-Kondo-Konmari-Method-Memes
(Image Source: Boredpanda.com)

There's a lot of people saying things like, "I might as well throw away all my cleaning products, my calculator and my can opener." or, "well I might as well throw away my whole wardrobe" Yeah, no. The method goes beyond such a superficial means of items making you happy. At the start of the book, "The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up", Kondo encourages you to envision your ideal life. Is your life that of a clean, peaceful living environment? Most likely. Cleaning products might look like a drag at first view, but think about how these items help you maintain the life you like. Calculators and can openers help you in a similar way. It's fine to let it go if you have multiples of the same, and some of them are gross and old. If the only one you have barely functions, you can let it go and invest in one that works, and that makes your life easier and more joyous.

If your whole wardrobe is not sparking joy, re-examine why that is. The point is to go through each and every item of clothing that you own. At one point you wanted this item enough to buy it, right? If everything is not your style anymore, that's fair enough. Keep the ones you tend to wear often, then slowly invest in things that really make you happy when you wear it. If the wire in a bra is digging into you and making you hurt to wear it, it's time to let it go. But if it is just kind of ugly but it's comfy and supports you as you go about your day, then keep it (if you want to)!  Konmari isn't asking you to throw practicality out the window and throw out everything you're not 100% excited about. Konmari isn't minimalism, contrary to popular belief. It's actually about keeping what works for you.

Myth #3 "The Konmari hype is filling up landfill and overflowing all the thrift stores"

Funny-Marie-Kondo-Konmari-Method-Memes
(Image Source: Boredpanda.com (this meme is actually tongue in cheek though and less misguided))

Please don't blame the Konmari method for all the clutter you've accumulated in your life?!?!? Things that don't spark joy is honestly just dead weight in your household now. You need to learn from that experience and be mindful not to buy needlessly for next time.

Marie encourages recycling and donating where you can, but do it as quickly as possible because you will just have bags and boxes cluttering your space as it waits to be donated. Having the philosophy of the Konmari Method makes you mindful of the things that you buy, and really assess whether that item will really be part of the ideal lifestyle that you had in mind before you let it in your life.

Of course, there are a lot of other wrong assumptions out there about this method, but I hope I was able to clear a few of the misconceptions about Konmari that's plaguing the internet right now. Konmari really changed my perspective on life. Her method allowed me to let go of the guilt in parting with a lot of the items I have held on to even if it was burdening me. It really hurts me to see people paint Marie Kondo and her methods in a negative light when all she has done is spread positivity and helped lift a lot of weight off people's lives.

Here are some other reading that cover the myths and facts of Marie Kondo, if you are interested:

3 Myths about the Konmari Method according to Marie Kondo Herself - The Chalkboard

Marie Kondo isn’t coming for your books, you’re just being xenophobic - Hypable

It's okay to shop: KonMari busts myths about decluttering - AsiaOne
About
⋆ Maiko, Mai, Japanese Australian, Very inconsitient, sparsely published fashion and lifestyle blogger. ⋆
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