Somewhere between the endless Pintrest ideas, the calendar limits of this time, and the real magic of the season, us creative types give ourselves permission to go a little crazy. “It won’t be out all year, so it’s OK to lay it on thick, right?”
It’s a recipe for madness . . . in more ways than you might realize.
Environment is incredibly powerful. Brain scans reveal how different surroundings affect us—the positive and the negative. If someone living in your home is an introvert, has ADD, or is under significant stress (just a few examples), their brains are even more sensitive to excess sights and sounds.
What does that have to do with Christmas decorating?
It suggests that for all that we add to our homes and work places for Christmas, we might need to also remove some things.
Tip #3: Take Something Away
Maintaining this visual balance keeps our environments from becoming overwhelmed with visual stimuli.
Initially, this means the obvious: removing the everyday decor that is living in the spot your holiday decor replaces–ie. a table’s usual centerpiece is removed for a Christmas one or a chair is relocated to another room so the Christmas tree has a spot to land. (I put displaced items in the holiday boxes I’ve just unloaded. They’re out of the way but ready for reinstatement at the end of the season.)
A step further increases the impact: remove a few things that are now visually or functionally “extra” with your added holiday decor. This year, I removed a few pictures, some floral arrangements, and general “tchotchkes” for visual breathing room. This steps removes distraction and the “more–ness” of it all so that your Christmas elements have room to shine.
If you’re creative, you’re mantra (acknowledged or not) is often “More is more!” While that’s true in a few areas (friends, health, money?), when it comes to things that go “Blinky, blinky!” and “Look at me!” the old adage wins out:
