Organization for the Creatively Minded

Posted by Guest on 7/25/10   |   Categorized as For Sellers,How To

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Organization for the Creatively Minded | By: Bean’s Blog

For the past two years I have run a small business in my pajamas from the corner of my bedroom. The Internet has made this possible. As I woke up yet again to see a growing stack of plastic containers filled with yarn, fabric and products, I started to feel totally overwhelmed. A major freakout was brewing.

I love containers. Baskets, Tupperware, tiny glass bottles with little stoppers – these are all major turn-ons. I’m an organized person, but I’m also guilty of getting so into a project that lots of stuff ends up strewn about all over my work surface.  Is it possible to be creative and a very organized businessperson? Who has the time? Is it important to have a creative space and a separate living space? These are questions that I have been striving to answer for years. This month I finally set goals for my business and – eureka – actually did something about it! I thought I would reflect on this experience since so many of my friends, readers and customers are also wonderfully creative people striving to figure out a way to resolve this same conundrum.


1. Space. Your creative business deserves a space to call it’s own. My husband and I live in a tiny shoebox of a house and it was a huge production that involved putting up drywall in order for me to finally have a studio, but it is absolutely worth it. Physical space gives you mental space. Mental space is good.

2. Throw it away. I save bits. I sorted through all those bits and found some things I  a) forgot I had and will now use b) don’t use and needed to donate or throw away and c)were just straight up trash that was leading me down a road to being on the show Hoarders.


3. Everything has a place. It seems simple enough, but just designating an actual home for all of my materials made a huge difference. Even things I use every day have a place to be put away. I now take five minutes at the end of my working day to stack, sort and leave myself an organized surface for the following morning. It’s a really nice ritual and it gives me that lovely feeling of control over it all.

I made these great cork covered containers from a Design Sponge tutorial via Papernstitch.
Do you have some great tips for getting your creative business organized? I’d love to hear about them and have you share some links and photos.

  • http://www.yourethatgirldesigns.etsy.com Lesley Fields

    What a great post!! I can't say how many times I've organized only to have it in chaos the next day. This is truly something that is a constant battle. Being creative, most of us are considered left brained and need to have the chaos to create but it can make you mad. Thanks for sharing. Glad I'm not alone!

  • http://twitter.com/ZaftigDelights @ZaftigDelights

    She sounds exactly like me! I had to go through the same process of organizing my work/studio space

  • http://www.doublebrush.etsy.com Double Brush

    Yup, every time I organize my space, I find craft materials I forgot about! Sometimes I will make something new from it or put it back…but I never seem to be able to throw things out ;)

  • Char

    What I find, with all of the jewelry "parts & beads" I have (and I have a lot!) is that putting all of them away in containers makes it very organized but over time I forget what I have. So, every once in a while I have to take time to go through all the stored stuff, straighten it up, take somethig out put something in, etc. This also keeps me from reordering items I may already have on hand.

    I don't usually throw anything out–it either gets upcycled, dropped at Sal. Army or sold as supplies or vintage.

  • http://gilstrapdesigns.etsy.com Debra

    That is so true I have been working for the past two years out of my dinning room but now that we are moving into a house. My studio space now will be the garage and I am so excited about that I do always have my stuff in clear containers but sometimes I would forget what all I have. If I don't see it I forget about it.. I'm just so excited about having my own designated space.

  • http://www.orsinimedici1951.etsy.com Elsie Collins

    I love to be organized, and knowing your inventory saves money in that you don't end up buying stuff you already have! HOWEVER, like Einsteins' messy desk, he always knew where everything was! The minute I move things from my system of organized chaos, I CAN'T find anything!! LOLOLOL!!!!

  • http://www.beantownhandmade.com Anne

    Thanks for all the great responses and feedback – you are giving me the encouragement I need to now KEEP my office this way! – Anne Burton, Bean's Blog

  • http://creativeapples.wordpress.com/2010/07/27/crafty-connections-july-27th/ Crafty Connections- July 27th « creativeapples fine art prints and photo greeting cards

    [...] for the Creatively Minded http://www.handmadespark.com/blog/organization-for-the-creatively-minded/ oh, if only… think I can pay someone to organize for [...]

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000675363703 Marla Kellman

    I totally relate to your situation and I've been doing something myself: kicked hubby out of the office to his music room. Removed furniture and donated stuff to Goodwill. Next, started prepping the walls (cleaning, filling holes, sanding and priming) and by now, I'm getting ready to give the walls their second coat of paint. And yes, it is important (for sanity sake!) to have a separated creative space away from the living space. That all said, I love what you've done! Simple and functional!

  • http://twitter.com/rockandpurl Ruth Garcia-Alcantud

    Great article. I’m looking at remodelling my current studio and need all the help I can find!

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