The Spark Joy Bay Area KonMari Method Workshop gathered at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany to introduce a new outlook on life. It proposed an organizational strategy that cleanses people from the inside out.
The KonMari movement has been an ongoing popular idea since 2014, when Marie Kondo’s bestselling book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” was published. Now, 20 million copies have been sold.
Not long after, Kondo released the Netflix series “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo,” establishing a fan-based community inspired by the KonMari Method.
“I had seen the Kondo Method on television, and I was very curious and heard about the event, so of course I wanted to come help,” said Marilyn Moon, an event volunteer.
The Spark Joy Bay Area KonMari Method Workshop was intended to be a fundraiser to produce donations towards the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, which would then go towards benefitting the youth. At the workshop, attendees sat in small groups, listening to the presentation while indulging in small snacks provided by the organization. About 35 people were present, all of which were interested in achieving the same goal.
Kondo has trained many consultants globally to help people tidy their houses using her method. One of those consultants was present at the event.
“I’m the 13th person in the world outside of Japan to be able to teach this method. Today, I’m going to be teaching people in the San Carlos neighborhood about the method and how to do it, and I hope they will be able to go home and try it themselves,” said Jane Grodem, a certified consultant who has been featured in commercials.
Jane Grodem went on to explain how the method works.
“The goal of the method is to surround yourself and your home with only things that spark joy for you. They give you joy instead of having a house full of things that you don’t care about, or that you don’t properly care for,” she said.
With five different categories consisting of clothes, books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and sentimental, the method is proven to be effective in terms of discovering an ideal lifestyle.
“Hold it to your heart and think about whether this thing makes you feel good or bad. Make a decision about letting go of it or discarding it, thanking it for its service, or keeping it with confidence. As you go through life, you’ll be able to do that with all parts of your life,” Jane Grodem said.
At the event, she had multiple displays of examples that personally contributed to her KonMari experiences, such as specific picture frames or pieces of clothing that were either meaningful to her or simply stood as unnecessary.
“I’ve done my clothes and all my stuff. I think it’s fantastic,” said Jon Grodem, the husband of Jane Grodem. “Maybe because I’m a guy, but I see it as we are very good at collecting stuff in our society and culture. Here’s a way to make sure you fully value what you have and what you need and what you value. Make sure that you emphasize what you’ve got.”
By publicizing and opening up the opportunity for people to embark on a journey to simplify and organize their lives, the KonMari Method continues to spread today.
“As a society, we are so good at collecting stuff and a lot of resources are sucked up in that collection. Stop expanding resources and stop with the plastics and packages,” Jon Grodem said. “Stop the kind of wasteful spending that we all do, so we can live more valuable and fruitful lives.”
