Clutter, Mending & Organizational Systems – per Van Neistat
How to declutter, principals of organization, travel and packing tips, essential tool kits, gifting wisdom, and the importance of sewing and repairing things yourself!
While I may not always agree with Van Neistat's The Spirited Man conjectures and rants, I genuinely appreciate his continuous creativity, filmmaking, storytelling prowess, and especially his systems for decluttering, organization, packing, gifting, repairing, etc. Thought you might find them valuable too. Pull up a chair…
If, like me, you grapple with the demon of sentimental value and find it challenging to part with a card from your 15th birthday (because if I’m honest it's still the funniest card I’ve ever received), then the above video is definitely worth watching.
My favorite take aways:
“Living in tight quarters teaches us the discipline of organization and acquisition resistance. Before acquiring a new item we train ourselves to ask, where will this go?”
“What clutter has been bothering us? Is our clutter a symptom of trouble in our organization systems? Or have me simply overacquired?”
“Box your sentimental items. Label the box with the items/themes. Also, label each box with the date...”
Really appreciate the simplicity of this organizational philosophy:
no stacks/one-handed
kit your shit
find your organizational talismans
learn to build shelves
customize
These other Van videos are worth adding to your watchlist—they definitely vibe with the LivingBetterWithLess ethos:
Hand sew it yourself —*ahem* see last week’s post;)
Repair > Replace
A center console kit is a good idea for all, especially if you love and romanticize driving an old car like me—a proper roadside repair kit is essential.
I enjoy giving thoughtful gifts without burdening loved ones with unnecessary stuff. I pride myself on being a meticulous and thoughtful gift-giver, taking notes throughout the year and ensuring each gift is themed and perfectly suited to the individual. I also find joy in the simplicity of a personalized postcard.
Van’s fundamentals of successful gifting:
all gifts should have an element of surprise
respect the gift-giving holy trinity: nice • made • thoughtful
made gifts should not be bigger than one’s hand
dating/monogramming a gift, gives it extra power
know what flowers your partner likes
take your time with books
a postcard counts!
two days
she (they) will tell you
buy small gifts when you travel
expensive, not costly
for kids - you pick the store, the kid picks the gift
*your goal of gift giving is to make the person cry;)
And last but not least travel—where streamlining and systems is paramount.
My first Substack post way back in 2020 was rewrite of an ol’ tumblr post; How to Pack Light for Travel. Van’s packing philosophy is informed by his life of adventure.
Do you have packing and travel tips you swear by? Please share!