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I hope you enjoy my new blog, with fluffy love and quacks, Mother Duck xxxx

Friday 10 May 2013

But my Muse likes the mess

My workroom is in CHAOS!
Indeed it is getting out of hand; so yesterday I decided to tackle it, to put everything back in boxes and onto shelves - a big mistake. I started to discover some beautiful items which in turn sparked ideas which I just had to get down on paper; then of course I had to try some of the ideas which generated more chaos.


When in total chaos I do find that it winds me up and screams at me BUT this is whilst I am creating orders and stock. I don't like the clinical look of a perfectly clean and immaculately tidy workspace but I can no longer work scrabbling for a tiny bit of clear table space. It would be nice to be able to work at my desk without feeling claustrophobic from the piles of paperwork on each side and often obscuring the computer.

So I have pushed some papers, beads, ribbons, glues and other wonderful crafty goodies aside and started to create. I cannot see the desk top. I cannot see either work table. I cannot see most of the floor. I am not proud of myself but I cannot switch off my muse when it strikes.

I have some AMAZING shelves in the workroom AND most of the contents of the workroom do fit into boxes and onto the shelves.

BUT when I am creating I tend to take different bits from different boxes and stack the boxes on the floor next to me as I work. After I have knocked the boxes flying a few times I try and put all but the most essential ones back on the shelves BUT then they come out again because you can guarantee there is something I really need that I put back on the shelves.

It is a vicious circle.
I need taking in hand, I need an assistant, not in any real role just a wee person to sit on my shoulder reminding me to clear away as I move from job to job. To encourage me to tackle it without giving in to the temptation to create something new from treasures I find during the process.

Every so often I take a few days off and clear the workroom, until it looks terribly clean and organised. Massive work spaces uncovered, recycling dealt with, rubbish dealt with; all surfaces cleared and cleaned. Once this is done I then really struggle to become enthusiastic about being creative, almost scared to move anything, accompanied by a total creative block. My muse seems to leave home whenever I tidy the workspace completely and yet I don't see the point in doing half the job. I am sure it would be easier if I only did one type of crafting but I don't, I have so many irons in the fire (not all for the business) that it really is the problem. Yesterday somebody suggested that I tidy it in sections over the space of a week but I can't afford to take a week away from orders and creating stock.





My son took this picture of me, when we could see some of the work table ... he says I am wearing my halo BUT I am too ashamed to take a pix of what it looks like now!

In my past lives in office admin and teaching I had to be organised and tidy; often running several diaries for different people, working on lesson plans, marking etc etc BUT since I have let my creative muse take charge things have gone to chaos! The organised me exited stage left as my muse entered stage right.

How do you work?
Are you a super tidy workspace person of happy in chaos person?
Do you have any hints and tips you can share that might help organise this disorganised old duck?

love & fluffy hugs from a frustrated organised soul turned crafter
Mother Duck x




12 comments:

  1. Well it looks tidy in the photos. Periodically I tidy my fabric but then I get stressed about pulling bits out again. So it has to be really bad for me to do anything about it. I haven't got to worry about the business side 'cos I haven't taken the plunge yet. Like you I was a fairly tidy teacher.
    Having having up one Christmas though I did manage to end up in hospital on Christmas eve having a rogue needle extracted from my foot.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. the pix are from a tidier time; today you cannot see the table I am sat at in that pix and I can't see the computer or desk just now either!

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  2. I got brave and posted a couple of pictures last year of my work bench and one of the storage walls. I would never show my desk! It stays in constant chaos. I have a pile of work to do, a pile of work to go through later, a pile that I went through and don't know what to do with!!
    I love a tidy workspace, but like you, I do several crafts, sewing, quilting, jewelry, scrapbooking. I also make Fairy wings, Tutus and head garlands. It gets a bit crazy around the house just before I do a festival.If I do a wedding (I used to be a florist) I have flowers and tulle everywhere.
    My son takes it in stride, but my daughter hates the house when it is filled with fabric, glitter, paint, and flowers.
    I do try to clean up after I've finished, but sometimes I am at a dead run to get things finished and off and I will not get things put away for a long while, maybe a week or two even.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think these pix show it when it is at its best, just enough stuff around to feel comfortable BUT not too messy that I can't work!

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  3. I tend to work in 2 places, one is the kitchen table and the other is my corner of the sofa in the front room, at both is a pile of partial creations (when I had to work something out of my brain before it hurt) and partial balls of yarn. The only time either of these tends to get tidied is when a pile of stuff falls over/off the arm of the chair (front room) or there isn't room to eat at the table (kitchen) I can normally get around this by making the table piles higher but then run the risk of the moggies knocking it over in a night time spat.
    At any one time I can lay my hand or know exactly where something is in the chaos...but if I tidy away can I find anything....no!
    Can understand your predicament entirely, but afraid I have no answer, x

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  4. Hi Mother Duck, just to let you know you are not talking to yourself! the tidy pics look great, I just have a corner of the kitchen table so I have to tidy up for meals every day.
    Josie x ( aka Jo - sykesssillysite from facebook)

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  5. I am as bad as you Mother Duck, every so often I have a good tidy & am usually left sitting at a clear desk wondering what the heck to do. I then give myself a good talking to, telling myself to tidy each evening before I finish up my day, but that doesn't work either. So, I have learn't to make compromise by never letting it turn into a total tip, but never having it completely tidy eithr, hey it works for me :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have that same talking to EVERY TIME I TIDY IT!
      Every time I promise myself I will keep better control on it then I get creating and WHOOPS I am back at square one full of guilt and worrying about the state of the workroom.

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  6. It is reassuring to know every crafter is the same hehe! Perhaps it's just us crafting addicts who try several crafts...we need a room per craft?! Ahh I need to get myself away from the dining table & back into my crafting room. Perhaps a blog with a few photos of a tidy Scavenger HQ will encourage me!:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. there is a challenge ... posting pix of a tidy workspace!
      Give the dining table back to meal times and get back in the work room!

      Delete
  7. Mine is tidied every day at the end of work. I have to keep it tidy and organised as I dont have a lot of space to create. But then I also like my workplace to be tidy so I can find everything I need withoiut thinking, its been a habit I've had all my working life not something I am like at home lol! I like order, but home, well, its ermmm 'lived in'! xx

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  8. MD, I have to work in total chaos too. Whenever I tidy I can never find what I'm looking for so you are not alone :-)
    Sam x

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