Minimalist Living: Decluttering for Joy, Health, and Creativity by Genevieve Parker Hill Read Free Book Online

less a work of art than the subject matter. It is the container, the birthplace, the medium through which other things happen. The subconscious sometimes allows clutter to develop so that creativity cannot be attempted, out of fear of failure, or through a lack of genuine interest in being creative. Being free of clutter is probably most important during the phase when decisions over creative objectives are being made.”
    “I can't start anything productive without first clearing away the clutter in my work space, living area, and mind.”
    “I cannot think clearly when a space is cluttered. I need a blank exterior environment so I can hear my interior world.”
    “Clutter, for me, is like creative block because if it’s not tidy , that sits in the back of my mind as a stressor and hinders my progress. I often find an outside source for creative outlet but would prefer my home.”
    “[Clutter makes me feel] irritable and therefore unable to be productive and creative.”
    “I have trouble concentrating on my writing when the house is cluttered - I keep thinking, ‘I should be working on this mess...’”
    Clearly , for many, clutter is an obstacle to creativity.
    This may not be the case for you, however. When decluttering your space think first about what you want out of an ideal workspace. I interviewed writer-poet Austin Kleon regarding his workspace, clutter, and organization, and he had this to say:
    I like a lot of light, which is easy to come by in Texas. I like to have a lot of books around and I like to have walls where I can pin up pieces of inspiration. I've worked in the same environment for over half a decade now — I have a little office at the landing of the stairs in our townhouse. There's no door, so it can sometimes be hard to concentrate and create boundaries between living and working, but then again, since I watch my son part time, there really isn't much boundary between my life and work right now anyways. The minute my son goes down for a nap, I'm back at the desk working.
    […]  
    One thing I talk about in Steal Like An Artist is having separate analog and digital desks. The analog desk is a distraction-free zone where you keep pens and paper. The digital desk is where everything electronic goes. I've found this breakdown has really helped me get into different modes with my work — the analog desk is where I get raw ideas and experiment and play, and the digital desk is where I do a lot of the executing of ideas — scanning artwork, Photoshopping, typing, sending emails, etc. The other day my wife sent me the Wikipedia link for "mise en place" which is a French cooking term that roughly translates to "everything in its right place." In professional kitchens, they'll have all the ingredients prepared and ready to go before they do the cooking. As messy as my office is, there are paths cleared to the work space, and everything's ready to go — I keep my drawing desk clear with a healthy supply of newspapers and markers, and I keep my laptop ready and waiting for me to sit down and immediately start writing.
                  In addition to the creative souls who feel stymied, distracted, or irritated by clutter, there are those who find being surrounded by diverse visual stimuli (AKA clutter) creatively inspiring.
                  Survey respondents who felt this way about clutter said things like:
    “[Clutter] doesn't bother me very much. I make connections between materials that otherwise would not be available to me when I see a lot of things on my desk.”
    “[Clutter makes me feel like] a bit of a cliché, free, chaotic. This is good.”
    Kleon says regarding his “messy” work space, “While my work is subtractive, my studio space is additive – when I'm really deep into a project like I am right now, I like to really surround myself with inspiration and piles of junk. I like to have everything out where I can see it while I'm working. There's a great line