I’ve tried time and time again to create an organized, efficient workspace. Tried — and failed, always wondering why my diligent efforts toward simplifying the space weren’t paying off. I’ve always been taught that the key to having an orderly workspace is changing my space to fit the way I work. I know how to organize supplies and file papers — and I’m good at it! So why can’t I find organizational success?

A clue came unexpectedly one day while talking to my math teacher of a husband. I unknowingly misused a mathematical term and, naturally, got thoroughly schooled on the jargon of improper fractions, mixed numbers, and simplifying. In the end I learned two things:

1. Avoid using mathematical terminology around my math teacher of a husband.

2. Turning an improper fraction, like 4/3, into a mixed number, like 1 1/3, is not simplifying. It’s just plain turning an improper fraction into a mixed number: you’re doing a lot of work to make it look different, but in the end it’s still a complicated mess.

It occurred to me, after my eyes rolled forward again, that my workspace “simplifying” endeavors have always been gilded with the same kind of illusion; ultimately, rethinking where I work without addressing the way I work is just like turning an improper fraction into a mixed number. Any effort to resolve workspace issues will be fruitless if the workflow isn’t efficient.

As a result, I’ve thought long and hard* and have narrowed down a few key habits that are keeping me from being the organized, productive art-making machine that I aspire to be:

• Beginning projects, but never finishing. It’s a chronic issue that certainly must come from having way too many fantastic ideas and not enough time to work on them. Certainly. Must. Getting bored or distracted too easily during breaks in the process — like waiting for glue to dry — contributes, too. Possible solution: notebooks for recording ideas as they come, along with a master list of ideas to choose from when I’m ready for a new project. Also, a little self-control.
• Shirking cleanup duties. It’s the dirty work, the unfun side of creating. I can’t think of any easy solution to this one, except to remember that by cleaning up after a project, getting to work will be faster and easier next time.
• Putting off documentation. I can think of a dozen examples where diligently labeling supplies, identifying works in progress, and making notes about each process would make it easier to repeat processes later on. Possible solution: personal assistant. Realistic solution: a fun and simple system for storing works in progress, keeping track of supplies, and taking photos and notes while making stuff.

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* Bonus! A mini book review. Or a book mini-review.

I recently ordered a copy of Secrets of Simplicity by Mary Carlomagno — which I had saved in my online cart for well over a year, since Holly mentioned it on Decor8 — and started reading. And yes, it did feel a bit perverse, buying a book about simplifying. To my surprise, I found it insightful and enlightening — even without bothering to do the written exercises.

Instead of touting her own brand of simplicity, Carlomagno guides you through the process of figuring out (a) what simplicity means to you and (b) how to make it work for you. She offers the framework, but you do the work. Ultimately, what this means is that I’ve gotten a firm shove in my own direction, and since it doesn’t require conforming to a prescribed “plan,” it’s a path I’m more likely to stay on. With these lessons in mind, I should be well on my way to successfully changing those unsatisfactory work habits.

And here’s a major plus: Secrets of Simplicity is spiral bound and the brief chapters are tabbed, so that I can quickly find the section I want and don’t even have to hold it open to read while I eat lunch, vacuum, write a blog post, and check my e-mail.

It’s probably safe to say that the need for a neat, organized, and attractive workspace is universal. But with restrictions on time and energy, lack of motivation or direction, or just sheer laziness, making (and keeping!) a tidy workspace can be an effort to say the least; for some of us, it’s an insurmountable task.

My perfect space would be a 400 square-foot room, with lots of built in furniture and storage, a wash basin for washing hands and rinsing out screens and brushes, and a freestanding worktable in the center. A nice tall ceiling. Lots of windows. Unfortunately, the space I have is slightly less than my ideal. About 300 square feet less. So I’ve had to be creative with my use of space; I’ve been brutal about what supplies and materials I really, truly need, and how many books and magazines I keep. And yet, it’s all still hijacking my space.

More brutality, more creativity!
I’m sure there are plenty of other artists, designers, and/or crafters who can relate: we just have a LOT of stuff! A lot of stuff that we need. Whether it’s books, supplies, tools or equipment, everything has to have a place. Maybe that place is in a studio, an office or spare bedroom (like mine), or maybe it’s just a desk or corner of your dining room. Wherever it is, having an orderly, efficient workspace is critical for creativity. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had a great idea, but by the time I find the supplies and carve out the space to work on it, the creative spark is gone. I’ve tried and failed (or lost steam) to solve my workspace problem many times, yet my office/studio is as epic of a disaster as ever it was. The chaos is clearly holding me back.

Still, every time I’ve gone through and re-organized the same space I’ve discovered more books, supplies, and tools that I can easily do without. There’s always something I trick myself into keeping. But I don’t think the key is simply to cut it all down to just a few items — this space serves many purposes (which I’ll elaborate on later) and, like I said, artists need a lot of stuff; rather, by eliminating the excess and managing the rest, mine could be a useful, harmonious environment that — instead of quashing creative urges — serves as a nursery for creativity.

So! This summer, I’m determined to resume the fight against the haphazard office, and I’m determined to win. Whatever it takes. Do you hear me? WHATEVER it takes. I aim to be a ruthless (but just) warrior fighting to free my beloved workspace from the autocratic tyranny of disorder.

The plan
I’ve already spent some time evaluating how I like to work, what functional spaces/needs I require, and I’ve got a few ideas for how to keep my various tasks organized and on track. This isn’t meant to be a typical Sarah-style one day purgeandorganizefest. Instead, this will be a longer project that is more focused, planned, and meticulous — because I’m in it for the long haul.

What I want to do is share my process, inspirations, and progress with you. And if you see or think of something that might help me, or if you’ve embarked on a similar journey, I hope you’ll share, too!

In the meantime, let’s start by visualizing the end result — and all the blissful, tidy possibilities – with a handful of links to inspirational workspace before and afters:

Hooked on Houses — A small room with “issues” makes a well-appointed office. Oh, cabinetry…

Jessica Claire — While LA photographer Jessica Claire’s studio (here, in progress) is much cooler than anything I would probably do in my own home, the Awesome Wall? is one awesome wall. (I could use an awesome wall.)

The Crochet Dude — Simple, but remarkable what a little cash ($300), a lot of elbow grease (50 hours), and someone who knows what he’s doing can accomplish.

From Single to Married — “Some people collect stamps, others collect coins.  I collect paper products.” Enough said.

Centsational Girl — My office will never look this glamorous, but I admire the creative vision and hard work that went in to achieving this much tidiness and style with precious few resources. (I really dig the scales — maybe it’s a Libra thing?)

Design*Sponge “Sneak Peak Best Of: Offices” (parts one and two) — How timely! Not before and afters, but still an excellent round-up of 20 home offices with plenty of practicality and personality.

My favorite thing about watching the Olympics is that I always come away from it feeling indomitable – like even my most lofty goals are attainable with focus, determination and imagination.

So that’s what’s been on my mind lately: setting goals, making plans, imagining new directions. Since I’m in the middle of seriously reorganizing my office, I set up shop at the dining room table this weekend to concentrate on refining the business end of Oomphasis, designing new products, and otherwise crossing lots of items off my Teux Deux list.

One of the first major goals is to introduce a few products from the spring/summer collection sometime between the first day of spring and the end of March.

Some of those new product designs may possibly might maybe include some fiberlicious goods. This weekend saw me through the design stage and the start of pattern writing and prototyping, while savoring the end of the Winter Olympics. I’m sad to see the games end, but as the snow melts and the crocuses start to bloom, I find that I’m finally looking forward to the spring full of warm sunshine and golden possibility.

ASIDE: I also updated WordPress this weekend and am having some trouble restoring some of the theme elements. Like the header. I’ve put in a request with the Live-in Tech Support and am hopeful that he’ll help get everything back to normal soon. Sorry for the glitches!

Eventually, I figure, it will come. I will discover the secret to just making stuff up and designing it and planning out the production. Jen will get more phone calls or e-mails from me begging to borrow her love of repetitive, tedious projects. And Oomphasis will churn out lots of stuff. To go in the shop, which is incredibly fun to say. Eventually, every few weekends will be like last weekend, when we sat down for a few short hours and made Valentines. (Which will be in the shop as soon as I remember to photograph them by the daylight.)

If you’re thinking that it looks like something designed under the intense pressure of a loyal helper’s eagerness to get crafty, spontaneously, within about five minutes, well then that’s because it was designed spontaneously, within about five minutes, under the intense pressure of my loyal helper’s eagerness to get crafty.

I had a pile of eucalyptus leaves left over from some flower arranging I had done earlier. Eucalyptus leaves are a bit pointy at the ends, and fairly round otherwise. As it turns out, they make excellent little hearts, which, naturally, make excellent, un-red, un-pink, Valentine cards. I like it that way: un-red and such.

I was cutting the stem end off. Jen cut them from the other side and we ended up with a bunch of little leaf heart “balloons.” Silly me; as everyone knows, stems make for far more endearing leaf hearts.

And if you’re thinking that it looks like I still haven’t taken down my Christmas tree, here, over a month past Christmas, I implore you to look again.

Because a Valentine tree might look uncannily similar to a Christmas tree at first glance, but as everyone knows, they’re completely different.

I’ve been quietly and steadily working on some new print designs for a few weeks now. Today I pulled the first proof! I put it behind a black mat to get a better idea of what the finished print might look like.

The idea came from wanting to play with the quality of light linocuts create — how the black ink on white paper causes the light areas to almost glow. Somehow my brainstorming led me to the halos I see in the car at night when I’m being blinded by headlights, and so the whole series is based the patterns of line that appear when I squint directly into various sources of light. I’m not sure I’ve quite gotten what I wanted, but that’s why we do proofs first.

I pulled a two-color proof of the Oh Snap block I started months ago, which gave me the opportunity to test out the metallic ink I picked up recently. And then, well…

I suppose I could say I got bored and started playing with the leftover ink, but instead I’ll say I got creative and we’ll just leave it at that.

I’m down to the last month or so of my master’s thesis project, and so until my semester ends on May 3, there’s nothing, nothing I tell you, coming out of this lady’s studio. But I did get something new.

It’s a small etching press: a Blick Econo Etch Model II. Nothing fancy, nothing fancy at all, but it should enable me to pull prints faster and more consistently. Plus this style of press is so fun to use. It’s cathartic. I’m itching to use it, but have yet to make the time.

I’m also itching to finish a block I started around Christmastime. It’s been on my dining room table — linoleum shavings and all — for months now. MONTHS! If all goes well, I’ll have it done in time to make this year’s Christmas cards — and mail them out! It would be a first. A Christmas miracle.

And see? I even shed blood while carving it.

So remember, when you receive that little piece of Christmas cheer in your mailbox this December, remember the pain and sacrifice I endured. It required two Bob the Tomato band-aids.*

What am I DOING thinking about Christmas?! I want to think about warmer weather. I want to think about May 4.

May 4, please hurry. I have printing to do.

——–

* Note: Regular band-aids are not conducive to doing anything when taped over your index finger like this; liquid band-aid is far more convenient. Just remember that when you see the kind labeled “NON-STINGING!” it may be more expensive, but it’s labeled that way for a reason. A very good reason. (Yowch.)

I’ve been working on it for some time. I’ve even alluded to it briefly here. But now it’s finished. Well, finished enough to go live. Behold, my Digifolio.

Custom design is a good challenge, but it takes up a lot of time. I think most artists agree that commissions tend to take the fun out of the process. Even though you love the work, it becomes just that — work — and it gets tough to be excited about it when there’s half a dozen other projects you want to work on.

I once thought I might enjoy doing custom invitations, announcements, etc. full time. And although I think I would certainly prefer it over my current employment, could I handle it 24-7? I don’t know. One of the things I like least about design is the need — nay, the requirement to try to make everyone happy. This is despite the fact that I am naturally inclined to want to please people; I tend to gauge my self-worth based on my perception of others’ satisfaction with me. So, ironically, that problem-solving aspect of intuiting many points of view and making them all work is also the thing that draws me in. Mind reader + diplomat + magician. That’s me.

So we’ll see. I’d love to take time to build up a body of current work, enter some shows, get into some galleries. Unfortunately I don’t see any time for it in the near future: I’m working on A&R’s wedding through the end of August, marathon training through October, plus I’m hoping to start the last of my grad studies classes this fall and finish my master’s thesis project in the spring. I’ll then probably allow myself to be a bit lazy for, like, a month after that, which brings me until right about this time next year before I’ll be free to do whatever the heck I want with my spare time.

That said I’d rather design invitations until my mouse bleeds than be a bridesmaid. Un-bridesmaid? Anyway…

On the WAAAAY UP side I finished A&R’s invitations, as one of several accomplishments and/or significant strides achieved over the long weekend. We even saw WALL-E. I feel very productive.

So I’ll get to take a very short break from A&R’s wedding, after delivering 65 invitations — printed, trimmed, wrapped and tied — yesterday afternoon. Between cutouts, linoleum and crochet, I almost don’t know what to do. Really, I should just get working on a design for the programs.

This rare photo of me is brought to you courtesy of Keith, who was kind enough to visit my messy, messy studio and play with my camera while I was cutting lengths of cord. He is suffering from DSLR withdrawl while ours is being serviced. I should clean. I should also get to the gym. Look at that. Can’t even tell she’s training for a marathon. Yeesh.

Listening to Lily Allen right now via Pandora. Her music never fails to put me in a sarcastically upbeat mood. Writing this intermittently as I’m trying to find an unobtrusive spot in my ever-evolving home studio for the newest electro-mechanical device to be inducted into my service.

The benefit of being forced to turn my workstation/closet inside-out to make room for printer is that I can maybe probably finally figure out what organizational tools, exactly, I need to–well–organize my crap. Dude! Ace of Base totally just started playing–”Don’t Turn Around,” to be specific. It almost brings me back to my twelfth year of life, seventh grade. And The Sign was, like, the first CD I ever owned. Still have it, in fact. Not really feeling the need to use first-person subject pronouns.

Back to my crap: I have lots of it, and despite my natural inclination toward neatly containing stuff, it is all simply stacked and stashed in makeshift organizational tools, like a disused dish drainer and one of those monitor-elevating/ CDs-and-other-crap-holding/ keyboard-stashing devices, turned upside down–for what reason I chose to turn it upside-down, I cannot say.

Anyway, making room for Neville–as I have christened my brand-spankin’ new printer–is just the thing I have been needing to do for a long time, but would prefer to avoid, as it will inevitably mean having to go out and purchase folders, and sorters and boxes, which means going into the section with all the organizational thingies. This is generally bad for my pocketbook and very boring for Keith, who usually gets dragged along, because–being a neurotic perfectionist–I am a little obsessed with organizational thingies, and tend to shop the organizational thingies aisle the same way I shop the ice cream aisle: First, I’ll walk up and down the entire section, taking quick mental inventory of the size and scope of the stock. I usually have an idea of what I’m looking for, so I’ll check out what’s available that will suit my specific momentary need. And then I’ll scan everything again, more carefully, just in case there’s something else that might work better. Or might be useful in the future. Or looks delicious. And, as I say, it always takes too long and costs too much. But it feels sooooo gooooood.

That’s what came out of my closet. Amazing, right?! And yet there’s still more. I think I might need help. Or a hip 30′ x 20′ attic studio.

So, while we’re waiting for Neville’s drivers to finish installing, why don’t we take a look at what other pretty things arrived at my doorstep today?!

First, I received these awesome screen printed napkins by Michelle Brusegaard, which I purchased from her Etsy shop. I wish I could screen print. Well, okay, I have all the tools to screen print, or at least to get started–silk screen, ink, drawing fluid, diazo, squeegee, et cetera; I’m just too chicken to do it. Can’t explain why. I was planning to give the green set away as a gift (the yellow ones are MINE ALL MINE), although when I took them out of the envelope I was inevitably seduced and thought about keeping them, but thought I’d be good anyway and give them as I’d originally intended. But then Keith saw them and was also seduced and demanded that we keep them for ourselves. And then The Lord chased the man and woman out of the garden.

She also included her super-cool business card, which I’m going to keep forever and ever and ever in my inspiration file. Because I dig that design element in the top right corner. And I’m really, really into yellow and gray right now. And yellow/beige/brown/black. Who else out there puts together color schemes for fun and enjoyment? Please? Anyone?

I also received this Stockholm Floral Apron from Anthropologie, which I’ve been coveting for a while, and since I was ordering a wedding gift from them anyway… It looks good on me, non?

And though he may shake his head at my semi-impulsiveness and weak justification, I’m certain Keith will attest to the fact that I seriously need the apron. And not just to ease my insatiable lust for all things beautiful, or yellow, or beautiful *and* yellow. I need it because I’m like a flour magnet in the kitchen, particularly when I have the misfortune of wearing a black sweater or jeans. And if I’m wearing both black sweater and jeans, pfff, just go ahead and dump the bag over my head. In reality, I really probably need something with a bit more coverage, like this:

But the apron’ll do for now. (I also wear an apron, albeit not as pretty–but wait ’til I bust out with the serigraphy–when I’m printing because, yes, I make a mess of myself doing that, too. And painting.)
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Another busy weekend ahead, and unfortunately–once again–none of it involves anything paperlicious, although it does involve driving to Baltimore and back twice (gasalicious), crocheting a blanket (yarnalicious), a 50th birthday (birthdaylicious), Father’s Day (dadtastic), and a 5K run for the American Red Cross (runalicious). They call it the “Out for Blood” run. Which has nothing to do with why I signed up. Nothing. at. all.

Looks like Neville’s all set with his software and registration and all. Ahh, Norah Jones duetting with Ray Charles. What a lovely way to finish. I’ll start hazing Neville tomorrow morning perhaps, you know, testing his mettle before officially inducting him into the studio. A printer’s gotta earn his place.

And with that, I bid you adieu.