Tidy desk, tidy mind?

After I had finished writing my post about clutter and hoarding behaviors being more than just untidiness, I realized that there must be many more people who fall into the central ‘mildly untidy’ range of the neatnik/pathologically untidy spectrum, than dwell at the more psychologically complex ends. Given that for most of us keeping our homes and work areas tidy is an ongoing issue, it made me wonder whether such untidiness is a reflection of what is – or isn’t – going on in our minds as well?

I like to think of myself as being artsy and free-spirited, however yesterday I realized I really wanted to tidy away beads and jewelry making supplies that were on my work table. I had laid them out three weeks ago when I got home from a bead exhibition, and at first had been rearranging them and deciding just how I might want to combine the different elements. Somewhere in the past three weeks my ‘beads laid out for creative activity’ had moved onto ‘things that just need to be put away’.

At some point the creative moment had passed, and I now need to work on another project instead. Today my table looks clean and expectant, ready for whatever comes next. More importantly, I feel liberated – mentally and physically – the implicit demand to create beautiful items has been lifted from my shoulders, and with the beads put away am now mentally free to work on something different. I know myself well enough that I know I’ll go back and use the beads, but that moment isn’t right now.

The sensation is a lot like that after cleaning out a closet or drawer; there is a burst of smug self-satisfaction, followed by a sense of lightened responsibility. In an odd way, that sense of release is more likely to bring out my creative muse than materials poised ready and waiting for use. Maybe it is the old adage about nature abhorring a vacuum that means that an empty workspace holds more potential than any amount of art supplies? Maybe it is that once the I’ve stopped having to see the mess my mind revs back up to full speed, having been using energy simply to ignore the mess?

Whatever the explanation, I do work better and feel happier when I’m in tidy surroundings. For me a tidy desk does more than just create a tidy mind – it frees up my mind to go off in new directions, to consider new possibilities – and is no longer fettered by the sight of things I don’t currently need to think about. How about you?

other blog entries from »