5 Ideas for Sacredly Pruning Your Photos and Your Mind
“The best way to find out what we really need is to get rid of what we don’t.” —Marie Kondo
Lord have mercy! Your faithful author needs to practice what he preaches. Here is a screenshot of my photo library from years back. Zoomed way out, it looks pretty cool. However, when I zoom in, these photos turn into a bunch of happy memories interspersed with a haunted house of past ghosts. Ready to join me for some sacred pruning?
Embracing Sacred Pruning:
Here’s the Scenario
You just fired off your phone’s photo app, searching for certain photos you want to show at a going away party for a coworker. Scrolling and scrolling, you notice your breath is shallow and your body is tense. You take a deep, mindful breath and two things dawn on you. First, your library looks like an episode out of a hoarder reality show. And second, you notice that there are certain photos that provoke bad feelings each time you see them. You want to avoid that bad energy, yet the photos remain, year after year.
What’s So Sacred About Deleting Photos?
Sacred pruning is the mindful photography practice of getting rid of undesirable or excess photos, removing the superfluous. Memories are a powerful thing, and grappling with the memories attached to photos is a sacred and spiritual act. Take heart. After courageously pruning your images, you are going to experience the mindful peace and power that comes with clearing out the old and making space for the new.
Tidying Up Benefits
Researchers have conducted studies on how people perform and feel in tidy versus messy environments. Research suggests that “clean organized environments” benefit people psychologically, from clearer thought processes to increased confidence and abilities. Predictably, research also shows that an untidy environment can negatively impact human health. Mood and stress levels, memory capabilities, and even the ability to process other people’s facial expressions are impacted negatively. When people’s personal space is “de-cluttered,” they are better able to sleep, focus, and hold feelings of life-satisfaction.
I’d say that our photo libraries are about as “personal space” as it gets. Ready for action?
Sacred Pruning
1. Use New Wineskins
Jesus used a story about putting new wine into old, leather wineskins to teach about the pliability of our hearts and minds. New wine would cause used wineskins to burst. To grow, your mind must become like fresh wineskins, where you humbly allow a shift in consciousness to fill you from this point forward. So, as you embark on the ongoing process of “tidying up” your photos, take it easy on yourself. Draw a line and change your habits from here forward, versus trying to clean up a giant library sequentially. You’ll eventually create a system that fits you and gives you the benefits of decluttering your photos. The point isn’t so much to accomplish your photo reorganization, but rather to be present during the process and allow only the best images to remain so you nourish your soul and that of others.
Reflecting on my own journey, I realized the importance of fresh starts. Just as new wineskins are needed for new wine, we need to approach our photo libraries with a fresh perspective. It’s not about holding onto every memory but cherishing the moments that truly matter.
2. Clear the Beaver Dams
Beavers can be pesky neighbors to humans. Their fortified dams are sometimes cleared because they can back up water, killing trees and wreaking havoc in developed areas. In nature, streams can get cut off for many reasons, creating stagnant ponds that were once part of fresh flowing, crystal-clear water.
Metaphorically speaking, if your photo library is jammed full of old, rotten junk, your creative flow will be restricted. Need proof? Reach for your phone and scroll through the last few months’ worth of photos. Switch to “yearly” view and behold your library of 10,000 images, 80% of which you’d never miss if they were miraculously zapped away. Feel the heaviness in your body when you try to wrap your head around this unculled mess. Close your eyes and envision a revamped photo library that you’d be happy to leave behind to your loved ones. Be present with that feeling.
I remember a particular afternoon spent at a local café, attempting to organize my digital photos. The weight of thousands of unnecessary images felt like a beaver dam blocking my creative flow. Once I started clearing the clutter, it was as if a fresh stream of inspiration began to flow through me, revitalizing my spirit.
3. Folders Are Your Friend
During this process, create a simple system of folders where you can mindfully tuck away your sacred memories. For instance, imagine you have a few minutes to spare and you start thumbing through some old photos on your phone. You come across your daughter Maria’s 5th birthday party photos from a few years back—all 57 of them. Minutes later, you’ve fearlessly blessed and deleted all but a half-dozen or so. Tuck your hero shots into a folder named “Maria- 5th birthday.” Imagine you showing these at her wedding in 20 years. Now, do a little body check and notice how this brief practice brought you satisfaction.
Creating folders can be a game-changer. On one of my mindful photography hikes, I captured dozens of breathtaking shots of a mountain stream. By the time I got home, I had forgotten the exact details of each image. Organizing these photos into specific folders allowed me to relive the experience with clarity and joy, enhancing my connection to each moment.
4. Have a God Box
Suppose you are smiling away, being present while organizing delightful photo memories, and deleting less-interesting shots. In an instant, your mood shifts. That darned shot is staring at you yet again. It may be a photo of your father during a challenging time in your relationship. It might be of someone lost to you now, reminding you of how much healing you still need. Or, it may be a dream that you gave up on, but revisiting it now is just too painful.
When you come across images like this, take a quick minute of action. Simply export them to a folder on your drive and delete them from your photo library. Name the folder “God Box.” They are in a sacred place now, always accessible if you choose to “go there,” but where they are not is in your face, disturbing you over and over again for years each time you scroll past them.
Can you feel the lightness that comes from intentionally dealing with something that robs you of peace? And who knows? Perhaps years from now you’ll peek into your God Box and you’ll realize many photos inside now represent something different, or have lost their negative charge entirely.
The concept of a “God Box” became a personal sanctuary for me. It’s a space where I placed emotionally charged photos, giving myself permission to revisit them when I felt ready. This practice not only lightened my digital load but also provided a profound sense of peace and control over my emotional well-being.
5. Kill Some Dreams
“Killing dreams” sounds downright sacrilegious, doesn’t it? “You’re telling me to kill dreams? My dreams are all I’m hanging on to. Sometimes they feel like the only things keeping me alive!”
As you peruse your photos, take inventory of your past dreams. You may come across a scanned image of an old print showing you in a firefighter outfit. You’re not a firefighter now, but you do love your current career. Are you a failure because you aren’t a firefighter? Of course not. That childhood dream is no longer relevant in your life.
Many “dreams” may in fact be holding you back, making you feel like a failure. Imagine being a child brought up in a well-to-do family. Dad’s vision of success involved lots of expensive hobbies, each with its own set of toys. You took a different path. You serve and bless people by being a teacher, or a police officer, or an artist. You truly found your calling. How sad would it be if, despite your successes in your field, you continually compared yourself to your childhood benchmark for success: material wealth.
It’s time to let those old dreams die a dignified death. They served a purpose once, but now they rob you of your peace. Back to your photo library, you come across that iconic family photo of you and your family in front of your parents’ vacation home. How many times have you looked at that photo enviously? Pause. Zoom in on that image. Bless each person in that photo. Zoom back out to the entire scene as you thank your Higher Power for your life and the unique path you have been allowed to walk in this life.
Reflecting on old dreams, I realized that clinging to outdated aspirations was hindering my progress. One evening, I stumbled upon a photo of myself as a child, dreaming of becoming an astronaut. While I never made it to space, I’ve discovered other passions that bring me fulfillment. Letting go of that childhood dream allowed me to embrace my current journey fully.
Take Responsibility for Your Unpruned Garden
Especially for those of us who are highly sensitive people, if we are to actively participate in our own well-being, we must take responsibility for the environment around us that we have control over. Darnit, if I’ve been to my dirty toilet twice today already, it’s time to get the chemicals out and clean that thing shinier than a prison cell hooch tub.
Tossing out and tidying up is intensely mindful. You can do it during a long session at the computer, or in a quick 30 seconds in the grocery store line.
Bless It, Then Empty the Trash
Whatever you choose to part with, ceremoniously blow it a wish, then dump it. Be ruthless. Empty the trash. The more mediocre junk you get rid of in your life, the more space God has to work with to fill you up with blessings and experiences you never thought possible.
For more extensive details on the practice of Sacred Pruning and more Mindful Photography practices, grab a copy of The Mindful Photography Field Guide: 15 Smartphone Photography Practices for Inner Peace.
Need a little support? Find my mindful photography vlogs, coaching, and helpful resources at JoeVanWyk.com and MindfulPhotography.org.
Shine Your Light,
Joe
PS:
If you found this post helpful, you'll love my book, The Mindful Photography Field Guide: 15 Smartphone Photography Practices for Inner Peace. It’s packed with practical tips and inspiring stories. Ready to dive deeper? I also offer one-on-one mindful photography training to help you master skills that lead to inner peace. Reach out to me via my contact form and let’s connect.
