Would you like to go straight to the New York Times article featuring The Art of Doing Stuff? Click right here.
I used to rip the heads off of my dolls. It was kind of my calling card as a 6 year old. That was back in the day when kids played with super-cool things like dolls, firecrackers, and potatoes. I didn't like dolls. Me? I wanted to build stuff. I wanted to hammer stuff, open it, take it apart, fix it, and recreate it.
Which in the landscape of the mid-1970's pretty much meant I wanted to be a boy, much to the chagrin of my doll loving mother.
But this isn't the story of a little girl who became a boy, even though that story would probably make a lot more money and guarantee at least a 13 episode run on TLC, it's the story of a little girl who grew up to be a woman who got featured in ...
And here's how it happened.
I grew up in a two-story house on a suburban street in a small town in Ontario, Canada. Growing up, summer vacation was the same all across town. Kids were sent out to play as soon as they drank the last bit of pink milk from their bowl of Frankenberries, and 12 hours later, the street lights would come on and they would scatter like cockroaches. It was during those impossibly long summer days that I found my fun. It wasn't dragging around a doll or dreaming about getting married; my fun was found in the garage.
I spent my summers building forts, go-carts, bird traps and little mounds of nothing that were nailed together. It's what I was born to do and nothing was ever going to change me. Until something did. It all ended in the summer of 1977. The winter prior, my parents had vacationed in Mexico, and they’d brought home a marble bull, a chess set, and one Mexican marionette with a straw hat named Pablo. JUST like that I hung up my hammer and became an entertainer. Pablo and I had a 2-month run on my front porch with daily shows that summer for the neighbourhood kids. It's like a drug, being able to entertain people. It's addictive. And there isn't a rehab in the world that can control it.
So as it turns out I was wrong, and my mom was right. I did like dolls. I just needed a few strings attached.
As I got older I realized being a puppeteer maybe wasn't a viable career option so I did what every person who doesn't know what to do with their life does. I went to university and studied Sociology.
Which, as it often does, led to a 15 year long career as a television host and writer.
Shows came and went and series got picked up and cancelled. I hosted lifestyle shows, DIY shows, competition shows but mostly I did a lot of commentary. Just talking about whatever I happened to want to talk about that day. It was a great way to make a living until I got sick of it. Instead of complaining about how sick of it I was I quit it all and started a blob.
That's what my mom called it anyway.
In 2010 The Art of Doing Stuff was born.
The very first post I published was about how I snapped one day, threw out, gave away or sold everything I owned and became a self proclaimed minimalist.
A year later I wrote a post titled "Hey! Minimalism! I'm sick of you." Looking back on it now, the post features horrible photos, with some questionable accessory choices but ... the sentiment was sincere.
I tried to be a minimalist. I failed. I like stuff. I like surrounding myself with memories and things and life.
It just so happens that a month or so ago a journalist named Jacoba Urist was browsing the Internet researching a story she was writing for The New York Times about whether or not minimalism is all it's cracked up to be. She stumbled onto my post.
She read a few more of my posts. She saw my dining room with the built in bookcases (that everyone told me I shouldn't do) and then she sent me an email.
"Hi Karen,
I'm a New York based journalist who covers art and culture- and am working on a longer form story about why minimalism (as a design ethos and lifestyle) can be overrated- why people can get bored or over it- how life is a journey for many of us and why sometimes, we get sick of minimalism. Anyway- I saw your post- and couldn't think of a better voice honestly for the story- to share your thoughts and your journey- as voiced in this post."
I responded with a single paragraph-long sentence that contained exactly 42 swear words. But the ultimate answer was YES. Yes, I would like to be featured in The New York Times. Thanks for asking.
We exchanged a few more emails and conducted the interview over the phone a week later. That interview was followed up by several, many, copious fact checking emails (because it takes a lot of research to get the news wrong #fakenews) and photographer Donna Griffith coming out to take pictures of my house.
This weekend, in the Sunday edition of the New York Times that piece will be published.
My name and home and stuff will be in The New York Times.
All because I didn't listen to a society that thought I should play with dolls.
All because I didn't stay in a job I was starting to hate.
All because I didn't worry when other people didn't like my choices.
All because I chose not to be the puppet in my life.
I chose to be the puppeteer. And so can you.
Have a good weekend!
update: the article is now up and online right here.
Ev Wilcox
"Good for you"! and "Well done"! do not say it all. Proud of you and ever so happy, Karen! You inspire many people in many ways, and we thank you!
SueSchneid22
Karen- yours is the only blog I read because I love your attitude, your writing and your willingness and desire to help your readers do things- and do them better!
You deserve every bit of attention you get and the NYTimes should be grateful that YOU agreed to the feature piece!
Now, all that said, please don't get tired of blogging!
Lavada
Bravo! Well done and well deserved.
Linda in Illinois
So Cool Karen !!
Karin
Beautiful, funny and heartfelt post. Now I have to go wipe my runny mascara so thanks for that. Excited to read the Times article and for a new audience who gets to discover that you are the shit!
Melissa Stinson
Just so incredibly proud of all your accomplishments. You are a true inspiration to those who know and want to do something they love, but are afraid to take that first step. You show us that making that leap has huge rewards in the end.
So, thank you. I'm so glad that I too stumbled across your blog one night in search of encouragement. I know you've helped others, but I thank you for helping me too. We've all learned so much, from chickens to gardening, building and decorating, we've all learned to take that first step...and realize it's not so scary after all.
Cheers and congratulations to your success!
Teddee Grace
Congrats! So many comments. I can see I'm not the only one happy for you.
Elen G
Woot! You go, girl!
Brian Evans
Wow !! And I can say I read you Before NYT !! ;-)
Lianne Raymond
LOVE LOVE LOVE this. Go Karen!!!! Can't wait to read the article.
Go every girl who ever built a fort and stepped on a rusty nail and had to be taken to emergency! (that wasn't just me, right?)
What a great story - and the way you found to merge the entertaining and the doing stuff and the be the puppeteer, not the puppet - that just warms the cockles of a life coach's heart.
p. s. - I did my own little rant about minimalism back in the day - so with you on this. (http://www.lianneraymond.com/weblog/2010/10/2/red-winkle-picker-regret-and-the-dark-side-of-decluttering.html)
Lynne A Burns
Whoa..... So cool! I live in Pennslyvania and pay a zillion dollars a year to have the Sunday Times delivered... For just these moments... Can't wait to read it and then clip it out and send to my friend in Australia that introduced me to your fabulous writing..... Congratulations and keep up the awesome work
Jenifer
You rock!!!
Jackie Cameron
That is so great, Karen. I'm so happy for you.
Kim
This is just fantastic...for them, for us and for you!
Congratulations 🥇
Mary Casper
Well I've always known you were cool since I started reading your blog. You're actually more badass than me, and I'm pretty cool. Congratulations! I actually subscribe to the Times even though I live in Minnesota- probably because I'm too cool for MN. How exciting for you and great bragging rights!
Cathy McCoy
Congratulations Karen! I'm having pancakes for breakfast in celebration of your success! 😉
Sherri
Congratulations, Karen! You are the reason I KNOW that rabble-rousers can come out on top. Keep challenging the norm, sistah!
Westcoast Nan
That is awesome Karen, but then so are you. Very happy for you and I'm sure Betty is so proud!
Brenda
Karen - it's been a tough couple of years for me. You should know how much THIS post hit home today, in a very good way. Thank you for your humor and honesty and a big congrats on the upcoming article!
Karen
Thanks Brenda! And we really can get through just about anything. It's shocking really. It all goes much more smoothly when we realize we are the only ones really in charge of pulling the strings. ~ karen!
Melissa
(deep happy inhale) <3 <3 <3
Congratulations! You rock!