Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up) by Marie Kondo (PDF)

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The star of the hit Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up helps you visualize your ideal lifestyle.Japanese decluttering guru Marie Kondo has revolutionized homes—and lives—across the world. Now, Kondo presents an illustrated guide to usingher acclaimed KonMari Method to create a joy-filled home that works the way you need it to.Spark Joy features step-by-step folding illustrations for everything from shirts to socks, plus drawings of perfectly organized drawers and closets. Kondo also answers frequently asked questions, such as whether to keep “necessary” items that may not bring you joy. With guidance on specific categories including kitchen tools, cleaning supplies, hobby goods, digital photos, and even building your own personal “power spot” in your home, this comprehensive companion is sure to spark joy in anyone who wants to simplify their life.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐1/29/16- UPDATE No this isn’t to change my stars, if anything I would take one away just because I hate that I wasted the money on both books. That being said, my master bath that I ‘kendoed” after reading the first book is still spotless, tidy, easy to clean, clutter free. I have tried many times over the years to reach that zen, and I have to thank her methods for that.What I really wanted to update were the thoughts I’ve had since reading the book and re-reading my edit, I came to realize I should take my own advice. Although this method is stated as very rigid and needing to be followed to the letter to work, I disagree. I think the author should have provided other options, but at the end of the day you can always make your own. I watched youtube videos of others using this method and I just cannot see myself sitting in the middle of the floor hugging and smelling my clothes to decide if they bring me joy. I’m not a tactile person, I’m more dreamy, as in memories of the things I’ve done in the clothes affect me much more than hugging them. For instance, the gown that I wore to my step-sons wedding I have hanging in my closet. I wore it again on a cruise with my daughter. I will probably never wear it again, but I won’t get rid of it because it means something to me. So in that moment of thinking about that, I completely understood that Spark Joy isn’t about what you throw away, it’s about what you keep. I just don’t need to molest inanimate objects to make that decision.I am now on to my closet, and I came up with an addition to her method that makes sense to me and is saving time as well. I lined up several boxes, one for shirts, one for pants, etc… Since her method suggests starting with socks then moving on to each category, I figured why throw everything in a pile on the floor and sorting at the end when I could sort into categories and knock out a whole step. In addition, you can move the boxes to the side if you don’t finish in a day and it minimizes the messy look. Secondly, while I am being careful not to sort as I am getting everything out of the closet, drawers, and storage, there are some things that I pull out and shake my head, “WTF was I thinking??” So I already know that any joy I may have had with that item is long gone. Those things go straight into the trash bag, I don’t see the sense in prolonging the feeling of “WTF was I thinking” for a second go around.I’ll post pictures of progress, the before ones make me look like I belong on an episode of hoarders (minus the rodents and occasional dead flat animals they find, after all it is just a closet). I will surely be embarrassed to post them, but in the interest of Sparking Joy, or at least a laugh, I will.I just wanted to let those like me who have a different organizational brain that it is okay to vary a bit from her strict rules and have a good outcome and save time in the process!I was prepared to LOVE this book. I read her first book, “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and found it useful, different, reverent, and intriguing. I digress, I found the ideas in it to be all of those things. I enjoyed finding a different method of household organization (or tidying, although as she points out they are two different things.) Her suggestions do not involve three bins marked, “Keep” ‘Toss” “Donate”, or whatever. I enjoyed reading the first book and it made me want to get busy. Then I saw “Spark Joy”, which is touted as an illustrated companion to the first book, and I was eagerly anticipating receiving it.The first thing I noticed about the book was it’s size. Its small. Perhaps 5 x 7. but a bit thick. I guess I had expected more of a notebook size? It is touted as “illustrated”, and showing exactly how to put what you’ve learned into practice. So, despite the size, I eagerly flipped through the pages looking for photos. I found very few “illustrated” pages. The illustrations of how to fold clothes, for instance, consisted of crudely drawn items with arrows showing how to fold them into rectangles for the stand up method of storage which she explains in the first book. I’m not an idiot, I can follow written directions, and she explained how to do this in the first book completely. I was looking for photos of someones dresser, a real picture. Or of a closet with the clothes hung to the right, etc. Flipping further, the illustrations were the same crudely drawn photos of things like how to stack your dishes.Even though the book is small and compact, I have to say that the print isn’t. It is not large print, but I appreciated that I didn’t have to hunt down reading glasses to see the print. Although disappointed in the “illustrations” that my 5 year old granddaughter could have drawn easily, I enjoyed reading the first book so much I thought at least I could look forward to reading this one. I was so disappointed to find that for the most part, it’s the first book reworded. There are a few examples of specific clients, but truthfully I became disinterested after the first chapter and just started flipping to try and find the actual “how-to” sections. Those, to me, weren’t all that informative.I really appreciate the author’s slant on this, and I believe trying this method is very worthwhile. In fact I already did my master bath using her method. After I finished, I was so pleased. But according to the author, you are supposed to sort in categories and go in a specific order. And when you do, you are to get everything in your house that falls into that category (clothes, paper, kimono or junk, etc.) out at one time. Well, for someone that lives in a 12,000 square foot house that just isn’t practical. For someone in an apartment, it’s perfect. So I feel that her methods could use some alternative suggestions to make them more practical. I don’t have small children in my house, but if I did there is no way I could use her method for tidying. I don’t see how you could drag everything in a category into the middle of the floor and chase after a baby or keep the kids out of the pile long enough to sort it. I’m not meaning to put down her method, I guess I’m just trying to say that in her perfect world there is no husband that wants nothing to do with the tidying arriving home at 5 placing lunch dishes and clothing and work papers down as he makes his way into the house. And no kids that you have to get to soccer or ballet. There aren’t any contingencies in her book for the way real life works.I also think that the whole thanking stuff for being useful is a cultural thing. I get the “Spark Joy” message throughout the book, and I appreciate how it ties into deciding what to keep in your house. But after the first few reminders to thank my objects for their service it got a little old. For instance, thank your shoes at the end of the day. Well, if they had walked to my door, knocked, and asked, “May I be of service to you?” I would be very thankful. But I had to either go to a store or to Amazon to get them, and me spending the money I worked for was thanking them in advance.At the end of the day, the “Spark Joy” method, or “Kendoing” is worthwhile and effective. Either of the books are a good read. Buying both is redundant and pointless. Since in my view both pretty much say the same thing, I guess it’s a toss up. I enjoyed reading the first one, this second one not so much, but I think that is due to the fact that it isn’t what I expected, and it’s a rehash.I would have liked to have had a checklist, notebook type of thing. I would have appreciated actual photos of actual clothes in actual drawers and closets to look at, and a comprehensive list of the order in which to apply the method. I would have preferred practical versus another book to tell me how to talk to the items in my home. Having to write my own notes and flip back and forth feels like school work. I really want to try her method, but like I said her rules are pretty strict if you want to do it correctly and only once. So you have to find a way to make her rules work with your lifestyle. Since this is how the author makes her living, going into people’s homes to help get them tidying up, I have a feeling that there are more books in the works and that the lack of specific detail is purposeful. Perhaps she is franchising, and there will be a Kendo consultant in your neighborhood. I fully intend to employ the method in my home, and I’m not sorry I purchased a “Spark Joy” book, just sorry I was suckered into purchasing both of them. In my opinion, the first one was a more enjoyable read than this one. But had I not read it, this one would have been just as enjoyable.Pick one or the other, but purchasing both books is a waste of money. And space.

⭐I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up when it was released in late 2014. I found Marie Kondo’s book both useful and charming. I am a somewhat sloppy person. Neither am I a hoarder, however. I found Ms. Kondo’s advice useful in tidying up both my bedroom closets and kitchen. I was able to toss a number of clothing items which I had kept from a sense of guilt instead of joy. Similarly, I was able to let go of a number of kitchen appliances to which I had sentimental attachments but no use. Ms. Kondo’s childish suggestion to thank my things before letting go was oddly touching and helpful with regard to certain items. I photographed a number of items before releasing them to GoodWill; this gave me an opportunity to acknowledge the memories they generated without retaining the objects themselves (which included a 40 year old blender, some old and hole-ridden t-shirts, and a coffee press which I have not used in over ten years). Ms. Kondo touches on a few of these elements in the introduction of her book as well.Ms. Kondo’s new book, Spark Joy, contains further instructions. For example, she provides detailed diagrams explaining how to fold certain clothing items. These are things I wish I would have had when I read the original book. I also enjoyed pictures of organized spaces. There is something attractive about the spartan simplicity of these arrangements, even if they are not for everyone. In the introduction Ms. Kondo highlights that it is good that this book has come later and serves the purpose for aiding those who are in mid-process, whereas those who are just starting may feel overwhelmed. I understand the rationale for not including as many diagrams in the first book, but, I do wish I had it when I was more invested in the process.In the Kindle version of the book, which I got, the first 900 locations (single page showing) is mostly verbal and revisits many of the aspects from her first book. Following this information, there is a “encyclopedia” section that has a large number of diagrams that are very easy to follow; especially with multiple folding techniques for clothing. There are additional paragraphs about specific items, with some pictures, but then the diagrams become less frequent. The abridged information on each section is useful though, and as Ms. Kondo references in her introduction, one can simply turn to the specific area and see what information Ms. Kondo provides for that specific section.There is also a very lovely section on working with others with regards to them being tidy. Ms. Kondo does a good job of helping an individual understand what they can do to help themselves, but still love others who may not have the same draw to being tidy. There is also, within this particular section, a conversation about working children into the process of learning how to fold, which will help them be tidy as well.Must you accept every one of Ms. Kondo’s recommendations? I do not think so. For example, Ms. Kondo recommends eliminating extra books. But I am not about to whittle my book collection down to thirty volumes. I find myself going back to certain books again and again, or referring to something I had read years before. But I can still cull out certain books. Nor am I going to rid myself of my file cabinet and all its contents. But I do not need to maintain monthly copies of my cable and water bills, nor do I need to maintain handouts from old seminars. However, a year after reading her original book, I still find myself meditating while I fold clothes and tidy up my drawers, which is truly a bit of life-changing magic.This particular book is a nice addition, giving further insight, reminders, and guidance on the process of creating joy while organizing.

⭐If you think this is JUST about a clean closet, you are so wrong. My home already looks “magazine “ ready but I cannot wait to get started. I know when I’m finished I will be so much happier and experience joy every day! Thank you Marie!

⭐Just like her other books, this one is top notch. It has very detailed pages which breaks down the thought process for making decisions at home for things that spark joy for you and things that don’t. I’ve read other reviews stating this book is very similar to the first one. It is similar but also different with additional pointers for tidying your home. I’m glad I decided to buy this book too. I would certainly recommend it for anyone.

⭐As a fan of the first Marie Kondo book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, the most intriguing thing is the reference to folding. This book opens the drawer and the door on folding and organising your things.Spark Joy – the question you ask when you touch or hold your possessions and determine whether you will keep them or not “Does this Spark Joy?” – and the rest flows from this.Once you have your lovely possessions: the ones that warm you with happy memories, or just make you feel good, or make you feel safe, or make you feel whatever it is that is important to you… you store them in a way which also gives pleasure.The folding of your clothes and storing as much as possible vertically means that are visible and accessible. Every clothing item gets a chance to be worn when it’s not hidden behind other things. Arranging clothing from dark to light, from long to short – patterns which delight the eye and soothe the mind. Adorning storage with things you love but can no longer wear. Using attractive storage rather than just any old thing.So far I have organised all my clothes, my bedding, and my kitchen cupboards and shelves.The folding still takes a bit of time, but it’s time well spent when I can grab something from the drawer or shelf and not have to rummage to find what I need. It also means that when it comes to holiday time, packing is brilliant – minimal effort to transfer items from bedroom to suitcase (I will also give a shout out to using packing cubes to ease the pain of packing – utterly brilliant).So, if you have been reading up in the KonMari method, and wanted to see what the end result could look like, this is the book for you.

⭐This book has turned my life around! Be prepared to sort out your stuff!! I gave over half my house to charity and felt so good about it. Marie Kondo is sensational and this book will help you let go of the things in your life that you don’t need (although I was a little surprised to read that one of her clients decluttered so much, she realised she didn’t love her husband and got rid of him!!!!)

⭐Only 3 weeks in and already feeling the difference this is making to my life , I’m only doing it at weekend as I work full time but I’m plugging away and have got rid of so much stuff that I have kept and walked past everyday ~ why ? Looking forward to finishing ,housework becoming easier ,decorating ,enjoying and loving my home ,I wished I had found this method years ago

⭐I loved the cover and handy bookmark, and sweet illustrations. The author is clearly passionate about her subject. Working through her book enables you to reconnect with your home and belongings. Whilst some ideas didn’t work for me (I prefer to hang all my tops as I don’t have time to iron a top every morning), my lingerie drawers were a delightful success. What sounds simple actually works on a deeper level. I found myself looking at our home, belongings, wardrobes and drawers and wanting to make everything look more beautiful. I also got rid of another bag of items that have never filled me with joy. If you have been on autopilot and out of touch with the sacredness of your home and things, or have forgotten to be appreciative of them, then this is the book for you.

⭐You don’t realise there can be a science to tidying until you read this book. It is very clever that marie kondo says that you have to tidy clothes first then books papers komonobthen sentimental items so that when you get to the hardest ultimate category you will be most prepein the skill of knowing what to keep. I personally need clear instructions like this as i find you could tidy up all day but not sort your things. I personally found i have been anxious for years and i think it was because i felt such in a mess wwmy things. I thought id never be able to sort my things out until i read this book. I also found i have a lot in common with Marie Kondo. I’m only interested in tidying and not much else. Glad it’s not just me that this like that.

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