Chaos or Calm
filed in Nonsensical Ramblings on Jul.12, 2007
How does the level of neatness around you affect your work? Back in college, I could have dirty clothes on my dorm room floor, spiderwebs under my bed, be walking on paintings still wet, and not be able to see more than 10% of any furniture surface area…absolute visual chaos…and yet still get my work done on time, and well.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate a neat desk. My level of efficiency and creativity expands as the clutter and chaos around me contracts.
I just spent the last 10 minutes cleaning up my office and I probably trashed more than 80% of the clutter. Why do we find ourselves holding onto paperwork and old notes and files when we know they’ll be obsolete in a matter of days, or even hours?
It feels nice to have a clean desk. Like starting the day with a clean slate.
July 12th, 2007 on 11:48 am
cluttered space, cluttered mind. that’s my philosophy. I have to have a neat desk before I start working. I also have to make the bed before I lay in it, and straighten up the living room before I sit and watch TV, and clean the kitchen before I start preparing a meal… Sounds a bit OCD, I know.
July 12th, 2007 on 12:01 pm
Perhaps this OCD (and arithmomania) is why we’re designers and not painters? Massimo Vignelli would be proud.