"Organizing Your Studio or Shop"

by Kathy Gulrich
 

Truth is, many artists really like working in a chaotic space, and some find their most creative ideas in the midst of disorganization and mess. How about you?  The more you understand how a messy studio works for you, the easier it'll be to move past the clutter, and get things organized where and when it really counts.  This article will show you how.
 

Look around your studio right now.  If everything's neatly stored and stacked and tucked away, turn to the next article. For those of you who are still here (most, I'd bet), look around once more.  You're probably seeing a lot of things you should put away, re-organize, move to the basement or storeroom or simply clean up.  Why haven't you done it? 

Chances are, there's something about the clutter that really works for you. That's where we'll start. 
 

1 - THERE'S COMFORT IN CLUTTER

Many of my happiest moments in the studio were early in the morning, getting ready to carve my greenware bowls.  I'd hang my coat and bag, then grab my banding wheel off the shelf and bring it to the work table. Of course, I'd have to move magazines, notes, unfinished pots, and lost tools out of the way.  Then I'd over-fill the space with all of my tools, sketchbooks, underglazes and brushes. 

How I moved them, set them out, placed them perfectly within reach, was almost a ritual.  If someone else had come in early and set up my workspace for me, I know my carving wouldn't have been nearly as beautiful, or fulfilling.  It may be a bit weird, but I can tell you that my de-cluttering, and then re-cluttering, the space was a really important part of my creative process.

Think about how or where clutter works for you.  Maybe you, too, enjoy being in the midst of chaos when you create.  Maybe you get a charge out of seeing how many weeks you can wait before the bisque shelves absolutely must be cleared. Maybe you like the challenge of seeing whether you can hold out longer than your studio partner to empty the kiln. Or maybe you just enjoy sitting there looking at a really messy area, and deciding not to do anything about it. 

Appreciate the comfort, or energy, that you get from the disorganization around you.  Decide, right now, to keep the clutter that's working for you.  And enjoy it.
 

2 - WHAT'S DRIVING YOU CRAZY? 

Not all clutter makes us feel good.  For example,  I still have a bruise on my leg from the corner of a wooden box I simply refused to move out of the way for weeks.

Which area of your studio or store bugs you the most?  How would you describe it right now:  too crowded, too inaccessible, or too disorganized?  All three?  When you're working in the studio, is it usually the little things that get under your skin (the pen that never seems to be near the phone, or the clay that constantly clogs the drain), or are you more frustrated by clutter in general?  Look around and, if you can, walk around and get a realistic picture of the problem. 

On a scale of 1 to 10, how disorganized is your studio? 

If you scored between 1 and 5, chances are you can set things straight with just a bit of effort.  If you scored closer to 10, though, there's probably a part of your studio that's so out of control, you don't even know where to start to get it organized again. Don't get discouraged.  It can be done, and it's probably much easier than you think. 
 

3 - FIRST THINGS FIRST

There's absolutely no excuse for clutter that's creating a safety hazard.  So if there's anything jeopardizing your safety or the safety of your employees, students, or customers, take care of it now.  Your solution doesn't need to be well organized, pretty, or even permanent; it just needs to be safe.

Next, look to eliminate clutter or chaos that's affecting the financial health of your business.  Are you losing students because the studio is disorganized or uninviting?  Are class materials easy to access?  Protected from breakage or loss?  Is your shop inventory well displayed?  Does your shop attract customers, or turn them off?  Even if you work best in the midst of clutter, be sure to put your most well-organized foot forward to the public.
 

4 - WHERE TO FROM HERE?

Organizing your studio may seem to be a daunting or even impossible task, but it's not.  The secret is that there's absolutely no reason to organize everything.  Yes, you must take care of  safety.  And it wouldn't be very smart to ignore areas that affect the students or customers who support your business.  But after that, how, where, when, or if you organize is totally up to you.

My suggestion?  Go back to Section 1 and choose an area or two that you'd like to keep cluttered and disorganized.  You'll be amazed at how much better that area feels once you've decided it's okay exactly as it is. 

Then, choose the area from Section 2 that bugs you the most, and make a commitment to change it.  Do something to organize it every day (or every week) until it no longer bugs you at all.  Take a breather, then choose another area from Section 2 that you'd like to tackle, and make it work better for you.  When you're ready, tackle another area, and another, and another.  You'll find that small changes can make a really big difference.

Remember, the best studio is one that reflects you, your passion, your art, and your personality. Figure out what makes you tick, then organize from the inside out.
 
 
 

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