The excitement in the room was palpable as Marie Kondo, author of “Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up” and “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” took the stage at Santa Monica high school’s Barnham Hall, with a translator in tow.
In case you been living under a rock – or in this case, too much clutter—Kondo, a Japanese organizing expert, has sold millions of copies of her books around the world which detail her KonMari Method of tidying up homes and offices.
Her appearance was one of the series sponsored by Live Talks Los Angeles, which regularly presents conversations with thought leaders, writers, actors, musicians, humorists and newsmakers in various locations around Southern California.
“This is my magic,” said Kondo, as she presented a series of photographs and live demonstrations of her organizing methods, including how to properly fold clothing.
But it’s not just a matter of getting one’s belongings in order and getting rid of items that no longer serve their purpose. For instance, clothing that just doesn’t “feel” right.
“Imagine the ideal life you want and visualize it,” she said. “Sort by category of items, and not location.” She showed a photograph of a client’s 200 teacup sets, which after organizing, the person ended up keeping about one quarter of them. She reminded the sold-out crowd that tidying up is a lifelong process and that one should focus on one’s own belongings and not other people’s in the household.
Kondo revealed how as a teenager, she threw away some of her brother’s things and they got into a big fight– but eventually made up and came to an acceptance of each other. Many of us have had parents who have done the same thing.
After the demonstration, Jamie Lee Curtis– a self admitted neat freak– took the stage for a Q&A with Kondo and presented her with a book, “The Field Guide to Stains.”
“Discarding is not the point. The point is bringing joy and saving only those things that you like to surround yourself with,” Kondo said during her conversation with Curtis, a longtime fan.
When asked if she felt in judgment of people who are messy, Kondo said they just don’t know how to tidy in the right way.
Curtis showed a photograph of Esther Dyson’s cluttered desk and said that some people enjoy working in such an environment.
Kondo, surprisingly, gave her blessing. “If you’re happy and content with your environment, that’s okay. It’s totally up to you. Some people feel more comfortable surrounded by things. You don’t have to discard everything and have an empty space.”
Curtis asked Kondo about the cultural differences between Japan and the U.S.–and people’s stuff. “The amount of stuff is pretty much the same,” Kondo remarked, “but Americans have a lot more children’s toys.”
“Haven’t we all been waiting for the feeling of ‘Spark Joy,’” Curtis exclaimed. “It’s an astonishing phrase. If I got a tattoo, it would say that.”
