organize Archives – PassionatelyArtistic

If you’ve been hard at your craft hobby for awhile, you’ll know all about getting things in a mess. I recently decided to turn our spare bedroom into arts an crafts room so that I could have a cubby hole away from the main living area. Dedicating a room to artistic pursuits was one of the best things I did.

I’ve been hard at work organizing things, and I’m finally getting on top of everything now. Even having a dedicated room for arts and crafts need some thought so that things don’t get out of hand. So, before your crafts space or room grows out of control, I’d suggest taking stock and getting yourself organized first.

After all, a clean space leaves a clear mind for more creativity.

Here are some suggestions:

#1 Get extra storage space

Getting an additional cabinet or other types of storage – if the size of your room or space allows – will free up your workspace from the clutter. Don’t allow your work table to become a dumping zone for junk.

#2 Get rid of anything you don’t need

Be ruthless when you go through your craft supplies and items. After a few years you’ll probably accumulate a ton of stuff, you’ll never use. Chuck everything out that you don’t need or donate it to your local school. You’ll feel a lot better for it.

#3 Take stock and be ruthless

Ask yourself what you need to store and think about the types of zones or areas do you need to create. A useful tip is to group your stuff into similar piles to store together. For example, craft supplies by type, fabric, and sewing, etc.

#4 Create work zones

Create work zones within the room dedicating one zone for each project. That way you’ll be able to leave them all set up on your workbench as I move through the steps. Sometimes, when you experience a creativity block on one project, moving to another one might free up the creative flow.

#5 Get what you need

Don’t skimp on organization tools like cupboards, bins and drawers. You’ll be surprised how good it makes you feel to be organized and how productive you’ll actually become.

#6 Put things away

My favorite organizers for my craft room are relatively inexpensive and easy to get. The problem is making sure you use them! I use cube organizers to create my work desk and to store fabrics.

#7 Have a chance of scenery

Sometimes, working somewhere else is great, such as moving to the dining room table for a change, or setting up a spare table in the garden can be good for the soul.

We’re all so busy these days. There’s so much to do and so little time to do it all. Especially if you have kids (honestly, it was such a shock going from not having kids to being a mom!) . If you’re finding it difficult to find the time to pursue your artistic passions, you need to sit back and think about why. We all have the same number of hours in the day, it’s just that some of us a better at organizing our time than others.

Believe me, I’m the worse when it comes to time organization but I’ve learned that you do need to pay attention to this area of your life. Here are some of my tips on how I got organized and was able to free up my time to pursue my artistic passions.

How to organize your home

#1 Technology is your friend

Don’t be afraid of trying new technologies that can save you time, especially if the item can be used to do chores that you dislike or find a waste of your precious hours. You don’t need to be a techno whizz to take advantage though. Yes, you can buy lots of new and shiny things like a Google Smart Speaker or a fridge that has more computing power that the first computer you ever had but you may not need that. There’s a ton of smart home devices you can use these days. But if you’re a techno klutz like I am, think about the simple things that take up your time. Do you spend hours vacuuming the house? There are new robotic vacuums now that will do the job for you. Do you have a pool that needs cleaning? How about investing in an automatic pool cleaner (take a tip: the best pool cleaner is one that can do the job without you having to lift a finer!). Using technology to work for you will enable you to spend more time on the things you love doing.

#2 Spring cleaning day

Put aside one day a month to spring clean your home, living and work spaces. You’d be surprised at how your stuff can pile up and your home can very quickly become untidy. Same with your work room or work space. Keeping on top of things is so important as once things get out of hand, you’ll feel overwhelmed and demotivated to do anything.

#3 Spring cleaning month

Besides a regular monthly cleaning, I try and allocate a whole month to getting my home (and self) in order. I usually find that December is a great month to do it. I start with a big spring clean of my wardrobe where I fold and put away any clothes I haven’t worn for a year. After a year, if I find that I haven’t used them again I take them to the charity bin! Then, I go through all my drawers and cupboards and organize things ruthlessly. I feel so much better after doing that. It’s such great therapy.

#4 Keep a notebook of everything you need to do

If you’re like me and keep forgetting what needs to be done. It’s a great idea to keep a notebook by your bedside and write down all your thoughts. That way, you get everything that’s worrying you out of your mind. It’s also a great habit to get into when you travel, as creative ideas can occur randomly.

#5 Do what you don’t want to do first

It’s so easy to procrastinate and leave the undesirable tasks till last. Then, they often don’t get done. Make it a habit to do them first, that way, you can reward yourself for doing the things you hate with the things you love!