This Sparks Joy

Before and after photos of a child’s bedroom tidied using the KonMari method taken by Elizabeth Player from Energetic Organizing.

The KonMari method is more than a meme, but a way of life This Sparks Joy

Marie Kondo’s client observed the two sweatshirts in her closet. The first sweatshirt was a well-known brand, the brightest color on the market and the highest price ever known to man. The second sweatshirt was one from her college days. Which one would she keep? Which one sparked joy within her?

The first sweatshirt was made of soft and heavy material. It was comfortable and durable, as expected from the hefty price tag. It insulated her from the cold moderately well and had deep pockets where she could store her phone. It felt luxurious underneath her fingertips. Her only complaint was that it smelled like factory plastic.

“Surely,” she thought, “this is joy.”

However, when she caressed the threads of her worn college sweatshirt, she remembered late night ice cream runs to the supermarket, spilled popcorn over theatre chairs, a girl’s night in, an all-nighter for a big exam and a particularly comfy cuddle session with her boyfriend. “This,” she decided, “sparks joy.”

According to the official KonMari website, “the KonMari method “encourages tidying by category — not by location — beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service — then let them go.”

Carol Clark, a 36 year-old KonMari consultant, further elaborated on the method. “To me, the KonMari method is something anyone can apply to anything, whether that be in their homes, spaces, or as another philosophy.”

“Some people use the terms Marie Kondo and KonMari method interchangeably,” Clark explained. “Like, ‘I Marie Kondo-ed my house.’”

Clark became a KonMari practitioner and consultant after many years of fighting the “too much stuff, not enough space” battle many people, especially college students, struggle with.

To Clark, joy can come from something as simple as a pair of kitchen scissors. “I’ve had it for a long time. It opens all the packages, it’s still sharp, and I’ve never cut myself on it,” Clark said. Despite the scissors being a potentially harmful weapon, Clark insists that the scissors are reliable and protect her from cutting herself on mail packaging. “Defeat the plastic.”

Elizabeth Player, also a KonMari Consultant, finds joy in many things, such as her home, her pets, and her business. However, her ultimate joy is “having more time to spend doing the things I love to do,” such as yoga, watching a favorite show or spending time with family and friends.

The KonMari method is relatively well known within the Asian American community, especially among college students. However, not all practitioners know it by name.

Vanessa Lau, a 19-year-old plant science major at Cornell University, tried the method after it became popular. “It’s putting into words something most people already do.”

“I didn’t know it was called the KonMari method,” said Slynia Shi, a 20-year-old biochemistry major at the University of Florida. “It’s a smart and efficient method to quickly clear out some space.”

Shi explained the aspects of the method that helped her. “The process and advice she suggests are good ideas because I personally will put off tidying a place for so long that everything else becomes messy again.” “The question ‘Does this spark joy?’ is something I ask when I’m getting something new,” Shi said. “If I see a dress I like, I think about whether or not it could spark joy.”

To me, the KonMari method is something anyone can apply to anything, whether that be in their homes, spaces, or as another philosophy.

— Carol Clark

Contrary to popular belief, KonMari is not minimalism. “It’s true that many minimalists embrace KonMari, but ultimately, KonMari is about living with what you love,” said Emi Louie, certified KonMari Consultant. “It could technically be more than what you started out with.”

The official KonMari website reinforces this. “Minimalism champions living with less, but Marie’s tidying method encourages living with items you truly cherish.”

Player shared her take on the topic. “Many people have equated the KonMari tidying method with minimalism, but it’s different.”

“One of the reasons the KonMari method is compared to minimalism is because many people discover while tidying that they’ve been living with items they no Clark explained that the misconception detracted from the KonMari method and clarified the differences. “The KonMari method is all about no matter how much of an item you want, it doesn’t matter. You can have a storehouse full of shoes, the only rule is they need to spark joy. There is no limit, no requirement, aside from sparking joy.”

The KonMari method is not about streamlined aesthetics. Clark shares that her home “looks exactly like two kids and a KonMari Consultant live there,” but it still follows the guidelines of the KonMari method because all of their belongings spark joy.

Even Clark’s 4-year-old child is into the idea of sparking joy. “My son gets to choose as many toys as he wants,” Clark said. “But if he is neglecting the item, failing to bring it honor or failing to respect the item, we need to reevaluate. Do I want to keep it?”

It is clear that the KonMari method is not just a way of tidying up the house, but a mindset that can integrate itself in many aspects of one’s daily life. It is important for KonMari practitioners to examine not only the physical item itself, but the aura it brings to the environment around it.

Ask if your belongings spark joy. As Clark would say, “Joy checked. It only takes a few minutes of looking around.”