My name is Raven and I am a Declutter Maven. I didn't always know that, and fire that ripped through my neighborhood shook me awake. I was at work and spent the entire day and night trying to not think about my 'things' and being grateful for being alive with amazing friends and community support. Luckily, my home was spared but the questions were still there. What would I miss if my house burned
down? How would I prove what I owned and what it is worth? How do I replace my secret book of passwords?! Who will know what grandma's quilt looked like? That's when I made a serious effort to take an inventory of my home. As I looked around, I realized there was a lot of stuff that mattered less to me now than before the fire. Excess yarn and crochet hooks, clothes, electronics, kitchen dishes, books, and paper! Why do I still have my tax returns from 2010? After the decluttering (which is always ongoing) I set up an organization and maintenance system. From there, the inventory process is straight-forward, starting with bigger items like appliances and electronics, to more detailed things like tool sets and book collections. It just takes a lot of time to do it well. After spending the past two years researching, studying, and practicing on myself, friends, family, and employers, I was inspired to merge my entire life's experience into a professional career where I am my own boss. I have a M.A. in Anthropology, have worked academic libraries for over 20 years, and have always been good at doing what a Professional Organizer does (at least for other people 😂). Whether its physical things, digital things, or information about physical or digital things, I can help to overcome common decluttering, organizing, and maintenance obstacles. More important than just skills and experience, I innately respect that each home is a sacred space and that every persons things are theirs to decide on. Each person, household, space, and situation is unique. My role is to provide advice, a plan of action, and hands on implementation to get the job done. I don't care what people want to keep, just that it makes them happy if they do. I am excited for this new venture and look forward to connecting with local residents and small business owners that would benefit from my experience. Not sure if I can go virtual this early in the game, but it's always an option.
