I blogged back in July about Home Stagers having A.D.D. http://activerain.com/blogsview/585638/Do-Stagers-have-A
- and although I know most of us do not actually have that condition - I did think that Stagers enjoy staging because of the short term gratification element.
Along those same lines - I also believe that those of that have found our life passion with Staging are ADDicted to Staging.
What is an addict? Websters defines it as: A person who cannot resist a habit, especially the use of drugs or alcohol, for physiological or psychological reasons.
OK - let's just remove the drugs and alcohol part - and put in "A person who cannot resist a habit, especially the use of Staging and creativity, for physiological and psychological reasons." - and there you have it!
We that love Home Staging are Staging Addicts!
Does this mean we need our own 12-Step program for support? Having grown up in a 12-step household (so this is not in any way meant to demean the helpful groups that saved my family's life), I can just hear the statements now at the weekly support groups - "SA - Stagers Anonymous."
"Hello, my name is Jennie, and I am a Staging Addict." Group: "Hello, Jennie."
The 12 Steps would be launched with the statement:
1. I am powerless over Staging - and help declutter other houses and my own so their lives and mine will not be unmanageable.
2.. Came to believe that a power greater than myself - Staging - could restore me and my clients' houses to sanity.
Etcetera.
The truth is, like an addict, I CAN feel myself going through withdrawals when I have not had my hands in someone else's house. My husband and kids notice it too - as I begin to "re-Stage" our own house - rearranging things, straightening, and fussing in the house - in order to make something "old new again." It bothers them - they want to be able to leave a blanket on the ground or not put the centerpiece back where it belongs after playing our Wii. To me - I often don't feel complete until my own house is back "in order" and yet I do have clutter - the kind that most families with children would have. Books, papers, collections, displayed school projects, and laundry - lots of laundry. And yet I recognize when I am crossing over to the addiction fix - I become sort of like a whirling dervish - spinning through my house cleaning, straightening, and re-doing displays. Time for a Staging project - FAST!
I do believe we that love Staging are ADDICTED to it - as one of my mentors proudly shared, "It gets in our blood stream - it's addictive." And yet I also know it is one of those "healthy" addictions. We are not harming anyone in the process of Staging (unless we drop a box on our toe), and we do help others to achieve their goals.
Now as I am writing this - I realize that as Home Stagers, we are addicted to Staging spaces and making houses more visually appealing, which is true. But what about the other role we play in this 12-Step world?
Think about it. Are we also codependent as Stagers? Do we do for others what they should do for themselves - but are not able? Yes we do. The decluttering, the proper presentation for the overwhelmed home seller - are all things the seller (or Realtor) are not able to do - and we come in and "save the day" with our plans, our creativity, our inventory, our knowledge.
Hmmm. I had not thought of that before now - but there is a grain of truth. We do help rescue the sale time and time again, offering up our solutions, telling our sellers not to be concerned - we'll take care of it - and allowing them to step aside and pass the responsibility for presentation of the house to us.
I guess we play both roles - we are the proverbial Addict and the Enabler. But the good news is that we are not hurting anyone in the process - we are helping. We are helping feed our own addiction and helping the Client achieve their goal of selling, even if it means we have to do the work ourselves.
Afterall - life should not be all boring - we have to have some FUN to feed our spirit - even if it is an addiction that can drive some of our family and friends crazy! And that is a whole other 12-step program.
SA unite!
Jennie- I absolutely believe that staging is addictive! There have been a couple times in my career when things slowed down so much I had to consider doing something else. I broke out in a cold sweat just thinking about my need to make things look better. Where would that creativity go if I couldn't stage? Would I take on a life of crime, breaking into vacant homes and putting towels in the bathrooms? Would I steal purses, just to organize their contents? Would I start accosting strangers to tie their scarves differently? All I can say is...I hope I never find out!
Totally - I could see myself sneaking into other people's houses or going on "tour" of open houses just to get my "fix." Gladly I hope to never find out . . . even in a tough market, there are ways we can satisfy our Staging cravings without letting it go completely, or crossing over to the illegal side (LOL). - jennie
LOL! Great post!! SA-sign me up. I cannot go long without a fix...I mean job!
Hello, My name is Michelle... and I too am a staging addict! Maybe we could start having meetings for this once a week. ;)
Jennie too funny! Love this post!
Too Funny, Jennie!
I always say that Staging is 50% Creativity, and 50% Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. Things have to be 'just right' before the work is done.
How many of you have worked with another Stager only to find that you both keep 'adjusting' the same little things? I know I have... :)
Hello, my name is Leslie and I too, am a staging addict!
I can't stop!
I mean, if I go to church, I want to move the floral centerpiece or add another flower.
If I go to the grocery sotre, I am fiddling with the gum packages that are in the wrong display box.
If I am at Marshall's Home Goods, I move things to make a display so they'll sell better!
If I go to the bank, I straighten all the brochures and deposit slips if they are messy.
If I go to a friend's or new acquaintance's house, I am moving their furniture and accessories around in my head.
Gheesh!
What's wrong with me???
~Leslie
I know what you all mean! If I am not actually staging the outside, I am staging in my head - it's always with me! In fact we have this game we play when we are driving - nothing is exempt from our Staging commentary. The way cars look, the landscaping, what someone is wearing - we always say, If they just put this there, or used that color instead, or if they just tried this - it would look better." You know the "Priceline Negotiator" - we point our fingers like him - when we go to "That place" where we realize we are in the OCD Addictive Stager place. And we laugh. We call ourselves "Judgmental Stagers" - because in the OCD Addictive world of SA - nothing is off limits to our Staging opinions - and of course our ideas ALWAYS improve upon whatever we are Staging. (LOL)
The world literally is our Stage - we can stage anything, and we do - in our heads, for real, with permission and sometimes without. While we stand in line, when we are visiting someone, etc. It IS addictive - and it's a part of me I hope I never lose! - Jennie
Hi Jennie,
I think you've hit bottom when you find yourself breaking into a strangers house to re-arrange their furniture.
Dear Jennie-
I knew I had a problem when I was asked to leave a good friend's house for Staging the throw pillows on her sofa so that the contrasting patterns/colors stood out and the lead pillow's zipper enclosure was redirected towards the seat cushion. As I "chopped" into the middle of the misty aqua down-filled, top-stiched, microfiber-suede pillow I heard my friend burst into tears and exclaim that I needed help. On the way out, I made a last ditch effort to scoot the accessories on the entry table into a setup in the "power of three" while my friend called my Parents to set up an intervention.
I surrender to the higher power and know that there may be Staging salvation- but I do not want the help and have not admitted my addiction to Staging. I can go without wine any day, (let's pretend here...) but a day without Staging is excruciating!
Signed,
"Pillow Chopping Charlie"
Dear Pillow Chopping Charlie,
You are in good company in our 12-Step Staging Program. We will hold your hand - and help you with giving you a "sponsor" - that is just 12-Step Speak for a person that has your same addiction and has just been at it longer!
Too funny! You made me smile, Kevin!
- Jennie
Jennie you are too funny! But yes -- I need that fix of the transformation -- the awe of the WOW! It truly is a "high" when realtors or owners are blown away by what we do!
I do the same thing! All of the above. I finally have found a career that allows me to let it all out at some one else's place. My family has had their fill.
I can't go to bed at night if the shoes are out in the hallway entrance instead of the hall closet. Everyone laughs at me!
The joke is on them though, When my daughter went away to university and shared a townhome with 4 others, she was the one that was arranging all the shoes at the front door. Oh no! It's contagious!
Jennie,
I might as well face it I'M ADDICTED TO STAGING!!!!
Jennie I couldn't stop laughing...probably because I saw myself all throughout your post.
I'm always trying to rearrange friends houses. I start out by saying "you know you should try this-it would look great this way"...the next thing I know I physically doing it. It's compulsive and addictive!!!
When and where did you say the first meeting would be? Sign me up!!!