Organizing for Creative People

People who work in arts and crafts legitimately need to have lots of supplies, tools and resource materials on hand for making projects. But to be able to actually carry out your intentions and do those projects, as well as living in an environment that promotes creativity (i.e., is harmonious, supportive, and organized) requires some art all of its own. How can you have everything you need readily at hand and still be organized so that things are findable and usable, while having a living space that lets you have a life? Try these steps:

1. Embrace the New York principle – build upwards. Every wall needs to become a place for cabinets and shelves

2. Containers – you need lots, ideally ones that relate to your art projects and are appropriately sized for the items to be held

If you have lots of tiny things, such as buttons, screws, or jewelry findings, you urgently need small, multi-drawer sorting cabinets; if the fronts of these are not transparent, taping a sample of the items stored in the drawer to the front will be better than a label
Storage boxes for larger items
Large glass jars are great for storing lots of related trinkets that are intended to be incorporated into some larger project or for holding supplies

3. Use every inch of space effectively; here are some examples:

corners – a great place for corner shelves; tall, heavy objects; hanging objects
windows – you can hang mobiles made with future project materials; shelves can improve security (only do this if the window is not a fire escape)
book shelves – organizing books by size within categories allows using the space above the books for other items; laying books of a similar size down flat may allow more books to be put on the shelf
above shelves – the tops of shelf systems and cabinets can be used for storing light-weight items such as fabric, yarns, or patterns (putting these items in pretty baskets that can be secured is a plus)
under cabinets – the area under cabinets can often be used for shallow shelves, for jars or hooks to hang utensils or tools, or for appliances
under beds – this is a good spot for heavy items that you don’t want to have flying around in an earthquake
areas above entries can sometimes be turned into mini-attics by building a platform above the entryway and covering the opening with fabric or a mini-door

4. Consider using the materials for your projects as art objects while they are being stored; some examples of this include

Colored yarns, thread, fabrics can be put in large, clear glass jars or transparent plastic boxes will show them off well while keeping them accessible
Wood pieces can be attached to each other or a wall or ceiling as a sort of temporary sculpture while they are waiting to be transformed into something else to get them out of the way and create beauty
Sturdy storage boxes for art supplies can be turned into creative seating, shelving, or supports for a work surface

5. Arrange for sufficient and appropriate storage:

If you have drawings, it is hard to escape the need for a flat file to hold them
If you are a writer and need to keep articles for source or research material, good file cabinets are essential to being able to keep these documents organized so they can be used
If storage containers do not occupy the full space they are in (with appropriate allowance for ease of taking in and out), what are the options for stacking multiples of such containers? Only getting storage containers that do stack well will help keep things in order.

Finally, striving for completions in your projects helps you identify what is and is not realistic, fun or worthwhile. If you find you are not finishing a started project, it may help you to ask yourself why. Do you still want to do it? Will you or whoever it is intended for actually be able to use it? Can you afford the cost of any remaining materials needed to finish it? Do you have time to do it and how does the time required to complete match up with your other life priorities? Materials that are sitting around waiting for you to get to them may be making more mental demands on your life than they are worth, and being free of those demands may be a greater pleasure than keeping or even completing the project would be.

Nothing will save you from the need to get rid of things that really are excess, i.e., you have not used them and the prospects for using them are dim. Everything that is not really needed will only create an impediment to being able to get at the things you do need and will block your ability to actually carry out the marvelous projects dancing around in your brain. The trick is to differentiate between what really is and is not needed. ‘I might need it’ is a dead giveaway that you do not need it; ‘I do need it’ is a better criterion.

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