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Creativity and clutter

hayeske

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Polyacik

New member
I think it's pretty situation dependent. Do you craft just for fun or is this your profession? Do you have a lot of craft supplies because you really truly need and use all of those supplies on a regular basis? I have this problem too... I sew, knit/crochet, do Cricut-type craft projects, and do some other random crafty type stuff. Since having kids, I just don't have to do most of these things but I'm holding onto them. What I should do is get rid of the vast majority of the stuff and focus my creative efforts of a few select projects. Easier said than done, but I think I really would be happier if I had less supplies. I'm in the middle of a move currently and the amount of stuff I have is just exhausting. Have you read Marie Kondo's book?
 
If you work from home, then it's absolutely necessary that you clean your workspace, at least in my humble opinion. Because if you don't you won't be able to concentrate on your work.
 

tyleralecia

New member
I find myself torn between whether or not I'm a neat or messy person. I feel like I often start out very clean then as time goes on sometimes I just get stuck in my daily routines, loose the time to clean, and boom I'm a cluttered mess. However, when I'm itching to be creative, I do feel like I need to at least start in a clean environment. This is mostly because I'm an aesthetic person so if everything around me looks nice and to my liking, I'm able to concentrate better. I think the best way to declutter and stick with it is to put on your favorite music or tv show and spend all the time you need decluttering as best as you can, making the room absolutely spotless. Then after that, put in a little bit of effort to keep it clean. All in all, I suggest having one big clean spree then cleaning little by little as time goes on.
 

hayeske

New member
I think it's pretty situation dependent. Do you craft just for fun or is this your profession? Do you have a lot of craft supplies because you really truly need and use all of those supplies on a regular basis? I have this problem too... I sew, knit/crochet, do Cricut-type craft projects, and do some other random crafty type stuff. Since having kids, I just don't have to do most of these things but I'm holding onto them. What I should do is get rid of the vast majority of the stuff and focus my creative efforts of a few select projects. Easier said than done, but I think I really would be happier if I had less supplies. I'm in the middle of a move currently and the amount of stuff I have is just exhausting. Have you read Marie Kondo's book?
No, I haven't read her book. Thank you for that suggestion!

My crafting is just for fun, but, you're right, I do work from home; I'm a freelance writer. Often I find myself writing sitting on the bed because the desk is so uninviting. I'm starting to wonder if I need to pare down on my hobbies at least for a while. :/
 

hayeske

New member
I find myself torn between whether or not I'm a neat or messy person. I feel like I often start out very clean then as time goes on sometimes I just get stuck in my daily routines, loose the time to clean, and boom I'm a cluttered mess. However, when I'm itching to be creative, I do feel like I need to at least start in a clean environment. This is mostly because I'm an aesthetic person so if everything around me looks nice and to my liking, I'm able to concentrate better. I think the best way to declutter and stick with it is to put on your favorite music or tv show and spend all the time you need decluttering as best as you can, making the room absolutely spotless. Then after that, put in a little bit of effort to keep it clean. All in all, I suggest having one big clean spree then cleaning little by little as time goes on.
I feel like this is my habit, too. I'll do a deep clean once a month, and then for a couple of weeks everything is tidy. But then I'm on deadline so I just shove a half-finished project aside to make room. Or I have plans I'm late for, and the glue gun has to cool before I put it away, so it winds up sitting out for days as I get busy.

I don't know why I can keep my kitchen clean, but my desk is always in shambles.
 

natjacobsmeier

New member
There are so many people to go both sides of this discussion I feel! Many say messiness leads to creativity & others will say that a clear area leads to a clear mind, in turn leading to creativity. Honestly I think it isn’t preference and how each persons mind works. Many have no problem working in a messy area and do indeed do some of their best work. Decluttering can be frustrating in itself, but once you’re organized from there on out should run smoothly I believe.
Although that would be nice to not have an ocd-like mind & just to do the work, I am one of those who does love a clean work area to get stuff done. Neat and organized is helpful to me!
 

FarmerJennie

New member
I've been reading all of these blogs about how a cluttered workspace can dampen creativity. (I've linked a couple of them below.) So I tried to clean up a bit, but I have a lot of craft supplies, and I wound up more frustrated than clear-headed.

Has anyone else run into frustration with decluttering? If I keep doing it, does it get easier?

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-declutter-studio-maximum-creativity-marie-kondo
https://www.mysimplerlife.com/decluttering-to-creativity
I definitely have this problem, and one thing that helped was to go to the Container Store and get a few organizing containers. When everything had a specific place it could be put away, it’s easier to tidy up. Another thing that helped me downsize (after reading Kondo’s book!) was to choose one cubed-sized container that everything needs to fit in. I was forced to make choices and get rid of things until I could fit it all in that one box.
 

Phil

New member
Hayeske,

Welcome to the club of the perfectly imperfect. According to several personality and skills tests I have completed, I have strong analytical and organizational skills. This is a blessing and a curse. The good part of these skills is that I can often think outside the box or see things in a different perspective. However, the drawback is that sometimes, I second-guess myself. Relatively, when I try to organize, I also sometimes find myself flirting with frustration because I want things to be perfect. I recommend organizing the organizing. I know it may sound funny at first. What I mean is you could try listing all of the craft items and about how much you have of each item. Afterward, you could draw a layout of what you want to store your items in (like, a plastic organizer. This way, you can develop a more clear vision of how you prefer to store your items.

In the pic below, I used a coat hanger to show scale. I am a mechanic, so I like having certain small parts on hand. I organized common automotive bulbs into the container below. I used index cards to label in case I decide to relocate certain bulbs to another section of the container.

I hope this helps!

Yours,

Phil, Organization Club, proud member.
 

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mctking

New member
Hi Hayeske,

I don't know if this applies to you, but my clutter almost always derives from having more stuff than is needed. I'm a little bit of a hoarder because I get attached to things that are frankly useless, or are not so important as to be in my personal space at all times. Making sweeps (of my room, for example) to evaluate what is important and what is clutter and then giving what I want to keep its own special place has helped me de-clutter tremendously. Yes, I am still messy, but the mess is much more manageable when my space isn't overflowing to begin with and everything has its place to return to.

Granted, I doubt you'll want to get rid of your craft suplies. But maybe there is material you use less often? That could go in a bin that you store elsewhere for when you need it, so that your work space is always where you keep essentials.

Just a thought
 

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