Clutter: Creativity at Work?

 I am not a HUGE packrat...but when it comes to my office you might beg to differ. My office does look cluttered to the casual observer, but there is a method to my madness. Yes, there are piles of papers, books and random folders, but organized in such a way that at least I know where to find stuff.  I am also a huge fan of post-it notes. They are always ready at hand and I utilize them profusely to keep my projects organized. If I had everything put away and not so readily visible many of my inspirations would become buried.  I side with Einstein, in defending my workspace, when he asked: "If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?”

There are multiple reasons why I choose to write a blog about clutter and creativity, but first and foremost my husband and our cousin, both incredible woodworkers, are drawing up plans to design and build a new desk for me! I am thrilled with the prospect but it brings up all kinds of usage questions. Do you want cubby holes and how many? How many file drawers do you need?  Do you want  a pencil drawer and how wide? Do you want a space for the printer? It makes me think that perhaps some of the habits I have developed with this old desk need to be streamlined. Perhaps.  I can make whatever is here work, just so I have an ample supply of Post-It notes.

Post-It notes, pens, books at my computer desk:
where the creativity happens!

 So  my husband has already made two large bookshelves for my office, and I try to work within those confines. True Confessions: sometimes there is an overflow of books and papers to the floor. Whenever I purchase new books, I try to wean myself of some old ones, but it's tough to give up old favorites. It's the same with articles that I have printed from various sources...I printed them for a reason: very interesting and worthy of note. Who knows, someday I might write a piece on that given topic.

When it comes to books, some are just purely keepsakes.  Some people say: Are you ever going to read it again? If not donate it. That's easier said than done, because some of my items are saved are for purely sentimental reasons, not reference.  I have several different hymnals from various churches I attended. The churches were getting rid of them and I can't bear to see my old favorites hymns in the compost heap. It's neat to think how many versions of Amazing Grace I own-warms my heart. Also I have a copy of my Dad's Bible.  It's very worn and tattered, but it's my Dad's and I would never give it up.  

I also possess several books I acquired when researching and writing my National Park book. There is the Dear Bob & Sue series....stories from a couple who visited ALL our National Parks. They are just too interesting and entertaining for me to give them up.  Of course I also have several copies of the book I wrote itself...it you need a copy...let me know.  Also numerous copies of the three other books I wrote. It's hard to discard your own material.

Yup, there's creative clutter in my office...but the clutter concept carries over to my sewing and scrapbooking room. I try to organize projects and "bag & tag" them so after the inspiration hits and the sewing begins I can remember what I was going to do with that beautiful fabric. My Quilt Guild has a wonderful "Incentive program" to help all of us tackle growing piles of projects.  It is called your UFO list: Unfinished Objects.  I think it is great because it helps my "cluttered" mind focus on the projects I would really like to complete.  I am working on my list now for 2027 and I do have some fun projects, but some of them are quite ambitious. I'm happy to report I completed all my 2026 projects except one....so perhaps that will carry over to 2027.

As with photos, I divide them up, specify the event and date them so when I get around to scrapbooking them I will remember. This has helped me quite a bit instead of relying completely on my memory. 

Like many human characteristics, clutter is in the eye of the beholder.  I am sure there are some people that have more clutter than me, and some that are much more organized and tidy than me.  When I think about how I organize my office and how I organize my craft room...somehow miraculously it works for me.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  

                                                        Julie Etta Smith