The Therapeutic Nature of Sorting Through Paper

**Please note- this post is a little long with many images- so you may need to click expand in your email to read the whole thing!**

Lately, my desk/floor have been covered in piles of paper, sketches, and scribbled notes. A bit chaotic, but really, it’s the makings of my first book!

I’ve been knee-deep in my first draft: sorting, sifting, drawing, writing. While at times overwhelming, the process is rather enjoyable. The “sifting and sorting” in particular has been quite calming.

In a world where so much of life happens on screens, there’s something grounding about being surrounded by tactile things…paper, scraps, folders, notebooks- and focusing on the simple act of sorting through it all. It’s proven to be a surprisingly therapeutic practice.

Even if you’re not working on a book, the act of sifting and tidying up can be useful. Sure, it may be a form of procrastination masquerading as a task- but useful nonetheless. Maybe it’s the pile of mail that’s been building up for weeks, grocery lists you’ve forgotten to toss, or old receipts found in your pockets. And if you’re anything like me, you might even breathe new life into those scraps. One person’s trash… is another curious artist’s collage.

So, with that, I wanted to share a few photos of my work-in-progress and my newly installed book nook- another tempting and inviting place to get lost in thought. A place where I can rearrange the shelves and perhaps even steal a few moments to actually sit down and read.

Here’s to finding beauty in the scraps, calm in the sorting, and a little magic in the making of it all.

Curiously Yours,

Carly