The stereotypical image of a creative person is often one who is surrounded by tools and art supplies – paper, paints, canvases, bits of wood and metal, and all sorts of half-finished inventions. However, over time, clutter may inhibit creativity and innovation. Remember that old saying, “Let’s start with a clean slate”? That’s why I was happy to speak with Doreen Jung of Abbotsford Today to talk about organizing for creative people in an article entitled, Making Room for Inspiration.
Tips to Make Room for Inspiration
Feel free to keep whatever you want – provided you have space for it, and you can find it in a reasonable amount of time and with as little stress as possible.
Use the acronym S.P.A.C.E as your plan of action. Julie Morgenstern originally developed the S.P.A.C.E. principle in her book Organizing from the Inside Out.
- Sort through your items. Identifying what you have and group them into categories.
- Purge what you no longer need or want.
- Assign a storage area to each category.
- Contain groups of items into boxes, bins, or bags, so they are easy to find and access.
- Equalize – meaning every so often, sort, purge, assign and contain your items again. Evaluate your storage system if your space gets cluttered too quickly.
Instead, consider my “15 Minute Sort, 15 Second Touch” approach to create momentum. Set your timer for 15 minutes. Touch everything in your disorganized room and within 15 seconds, make a decision as to which category or action this item belongs to (the decision might be as simple as Keep, Toss, or Donate). After your alarm signals 15 minutes, stop and reward yourself. Just don’t reward yourself by going out and buying more stuff.
Access is everything. If you cannot find something when you need it, what’s the point in keeping it in the first place?
If you are an artistic and inventive person and need to make room for inspiration in your creative space, contact Out of Chaos.
