Time and Clutter
by Sherry D. Ramsey
They say that a clean desk is the sign of a sick mind. They also say that organized chaos is the sign of a creative mind. While I'm not going to make you take a quiz to determine where on that continuum your own mental state falls, I'm going to make a case for a relatively tidy desk as a conduit for improved creativity.
Whether your writing space is an actual office of your own, a desk in the corner of another room, or a transient space where you park your laptop, it's entirely possible that clutter, both real and virtual, is distracting you away from your full creative potential.
I said there wouldn't be a quiz, but here are some questions to help you determine if clutter is hampering your writing. Later we'll look at ways to deal with these problems.
Can you easily find your keyboard and mouse?
If you have to shift things around on your desk to allow for the most basic of creative tasks, you frankly have a huge problem. "But I know where everything is!" you protest. "I like it like this!"
While it's true that some creatives thrive in an atmosphere of some disarray, it's possible to take that too far. Your desk or writing area should be kept tidy enough to allow you to sit down and begin working immediately. Otherwise you run the risk of falling into creative procrastination traps, such as, "I'll get back to work on that chapter just as soon as I tidy things up a bit."
Do you have files, notes, or papers for more than two projects scattered on your desk at a time?
Most working writers are multi-taskers to some degree—we have to be. We're finishing a novel, writing a short story for a deadline, keeping other pieces in submission, jotting down new ideas...you can make your own list. But because we have to work that way, a little organization becomes a necessary thing, simply to help us keep track of what we're supposed to be doing.
Are there so many "inspirational" things in sight that they're distracting?
Writers (and not only writers, of course) love to decorate their workspaces with beloved items, pictures and other things that they find "inspiring." There's nothing wrong with this. However, it can be taken too far and actually become an impediment to creativity.
Are there too many other distractions?
These things might be virtual or real. Many writers are creative in other ways as well, and we often tend to mingle writing in with our other creative pursuits. We also do many other things, each of which can feel like it's clamouring for attention if it's in your writing space.
If you answered "yes" to some or all of the above questions, your writing might improve if you take some steps to minimize clutter and distractions.
Accessibility
No matter how untidy your desk is, you should take steps to ensure that there's room for you to sit down at any moment and start writing. Never pile papers awaiting filing or anything else on your keyboard. Keep your mouse and nothing else on your mousepad. Don't stack files in front of your monitor or on your chair. It's far too easy, especially if you have any tendency toward procrastination, to spend your precious (for many of us) writing time cleaning up your office instead of writing.
If your desk is already in this state, don't despair. Block off a time to address the problem (that is, cleaning time, not writing time) and do it.
Some things that may help you get organized:
> file folders or hanging folders: these are excellent for coralling story and article notes, drafts, research, and submission tracking sheets. Use one file for each story or article and label it. You can also use colored folders to help you organize further (different colors for fiction, non-fiction, various genres, etc.). If you don't have space or funds to invest in a filing cabinet, cardboard banker's boxes are a great, inexpensive alternative. They'll take hanging folders and are flexible for storing and accessing.
> small notebooks: a much tidier alternative to loose scraps of paper all over your desk. You can dedicate a notebook for a particular project (and keep it in the same file folder) or keep a current project notebook for all your ongoing tasks, separated by sticky notes or flags. If you're addicted to jotting things on sticky notes, stick all those pertaining to the same project in the notebook to keep them accessible and neat. Alternatively, consider software options and try to go paperless.
> containers: dollar stores and craft supply shops are overflowing with cheap containers you can use to corral pens and pencils, USB drives, paper clips and binders, floppy disks (some people still use them!), sticky notes and flags, computer cords, and any other "stuff" that is currently strewn across your desk.
Organization for Multi-taskers
No matter how many projects you're juggling, it's time to recognize one simple truth: you can only work on one at a time. In these days of multi-tasking obsession, I'm willing to bend that to allow you two, but no more. Having folders, notes, printouts, or notebooks on your desk for any more than two projects at a time is a) distracting, b) disheartening, and c) messy.
If you need to pull out a file for just a minute to check something, do that—but put it away again. In short, don't keep it out unless it's what you're working on. It's much easier to work if the papers you are actually consulting are not constantly sliding off the pile of things you're not using at the moment.
Then I hear the argument, "But I'll forget it if I put it away!" Now, please. Keep a small to-do list, either paper or electronic, on your desk or computer desktop. There is no shortage of either option, so that protest just doesn't hold water.
Further, when you set up your to-do list, note the deadline for each item. If an item doesn't have a deadline, give it a self-imposed one. You can always adjust it later if necessary, but having deadlines is a great help in organizing time so that things get finished when they are needed.
Inspiration
There's nothing wrong with wanting to work in a pleasant space, surrounded by things we love and appreciate. But when those things become a distraction, your writing suffers. Remember that no matter where you are writing, it's primarily supposed to be a "work" space.
If there's no room on your desk because of too many of these beloved objects, try some gentle culling. Move something to another space, nearby but off your desk, perhaps onto a shelf, windowsill, or other surface in the same room. Evaluate items and try to pick one or two to live without for a week. Alternatively, try organizing a corner or area of your desk for all these things to reside together, instead of having them encroach on all your work areas.
If any of your inspirational items are also interactive, consider moving them off your desk. When the creative mind is procrastinating, it looks for buttons to push, knobs to twist, pieces to slide around...anything to keep from doing the hard work of writing. Best to keep those temptations out of reach.
Distractions
As far as possible, keep your writing space just for writing, or at least keep other creative projects coralled in their own space. If you're a travelling laptop writer, try to find a space to settle in to work that is removed from your other projects. If that half-finished sewing project or the model you started building last weekend is staring you in the face, it's far too easy to put the laptop aside and go work on something else instead. If you're working at your desk, don't keep the instructions you printed out for a creative project, the personal letter you want to answer later today, or the list of websites for planning your next vacation out in plain sight.
Although we've mostly been discussing physical distractions and clutter, you may also want to think about virtual ones as well. Are the icons to open your favorite games too prominently displayed on your computer desktop? Do email, IM, and Twitter notifications constantly grab your attention away from your writing? Does your quick fact-checking Internet search turn into hours of surfing? All these things can be clutter in your writing space as well, and they're more insidious than the physical type because they're not as obvious. If you suspect they're distracting you too much from your writing, try turning them off during your writing time. They'll all be there when you're done.
Contest: For a chance to win our two email courses, check out the contest page! All it takes to enter is a picture of your writing space (yes, tidy or not!).
Copyright 2010 by Sherry D. Ramsey. All rights reserved.
About the Author: Shery D. Ramsey writes, edits, and publishes speculative fiction, publishes The Scriptorium, and is an all-around internet and writing geek. Visit her at www.sherrydramsey.com.
