How to use clutter to inspire creativity, while cleaning up.
A 10-Minute Art Quest (See what I did there)
Assignment: Treasure Hunting in ‘Clutter Town’
Equipment required:
Pencil
Paper
Timer
Instructions:
Prepare a pencil and paper to take notes of ideas
Set a target to organize at least one surface (A shelf, that chair, or a drawer), as you organize take note of ideas that pop up and write them down.
Set a timer for 10 minutes (it’s okay to go over)
GO! Come back and read the rest of this when you’re done.
No seriously, do the steps first!
10 Minutes Later.
I cleaned the messiest shelf in the studio.
I organized paper into a set of trays I had. One for writing, one for drawing, and one with printed material on it. I made a note to get a basket for unprocessed notes. I found 2 sketches that I forgot I made that are actually useful now
The lack of clutter gives me a bit more peace of mind and focus.
So in 10-Minutes, I Unlocked the following:
Easy access to paper I need
An idea for organizing notes
2 sketches that would save me a ton of time
Extra focus.
Clutter builds up and it often feels like a drag to deal with.
But if you approach it as a search for creative treasure you might start to see your clutter as a gold mind. Tidying up becomes mining for gold. And a chore has now become a creative exercise.
Share some of the gems you found in your own tidying session in the comments, these could be ideas, lost objects or anything else.
I went through a similar process on Monday. I found a bunch of little sketches I'd made just doodling, some pastels I forgot I had, and some references I also forgot I had.
I just simply hate cleaning and with 2 kids it's a massive chore, especially when they were very tiny.. so everytime I cleaned up to make it tolerable I always drew before and after.. the reward let me get through the cleaning