I am NOT untidy....its Creative Mess !
July 30, 2015
I have always been a messy person (ask my sister she shared a bedroom with me when we were growing up !). In recent years I have insisted that, "no I am not untidy its creative mess", because in my mind it is. I look past the huge amounts of clutter, fluffballs, reams of spindling thread lying aimlessly on the floor like miniature meandering coloured rivers going nowhere, and all I see is my latest creation floating in my mind about to come into form.
I feel I am not alone.
Creative people either fall into the category of messy beyond belief, so that they have to move paints and brushes before you can even sit down through to "neataholics " who colour code their craft ribbon and must have all their jewellery clasps facing one way in the third box on the left so they know exactly where everything is.
Having just had a mini tidy up (as I had material in a 360 degree route all around my sewing machine piled high and not a spec of the table underneath in sight) I realised I do like a tidy space to sew in, but I never seem to do the tidying up part!
My late father who was a builder for over 40 years, always cleaned out his cement mixer meticulously and put his tools away so they were ready for use next time. If only I could carry that concept over to my sewing machine. I have a fear that if everything is too tidy and organised I won't want to make anything. Plus to pack away everything everytime I use it would leave me less time to make things and maybe there is the crux of the matter. I am so excited to get down to the project I want my things right there ready and I am so keen to continue with something I want to pick it up exactly where I left off, whereas if its packed away I have to look for it and may not even know I have it to use thus losing my "flow".
Chaotic or not it seems to be the only way I can work in the same way that "neaties" could not relax in my environment. That and a major tidy up about once a year with a reminder in my new years resolutions to be neater!
Whatever way you create as long as the things you make are beautiful that's ok with me (that and the fact that pics of my workspace won't be on my facebook page very often !!)
I feel I am not alone.
Creative people either fall into the category of messy beyond belief, so that they have to move paints and brushes before you can even sit down through to "neataholics " who colour code their craft ribbon and must have all their jewellery clasps facing one way in the third box on the left so they know exactly where everything is.
Having just had a mini tidy up (as I had material in a 360 degree route all around my sewing machine piled high and not a spec of the table underneath in sight) I realised I do like a tidy space to sew in, but I never seem to do the tidying up part!
My late father who was a builder for over 40 years, always cleaned out his cement mixer meticulously and put his tools away so they were ready for use next time. If only I could carry that concept over to my sewing machine. I have a fear that if everything is too tidy and organised I won't want to make anything. Plus to pack away everything everytime I use it would leave me less time to make things and maybe there is the crux of the matter. I am so excited to get down to the project I want my things right there ready and I am so keen to continue with something I want to pick it up exactly where I left off, whereas if its packed away I have to look for it and may not even know I have it to use thus losing my "flow".
Chaotic or not it seems to be the only way I can work in the same way that "neaties" could not relax in my environment. That and a major tidy up about once a year with a reminder in my new years resolutions to be neater!
Whatever way you create as long as the things you make are beautiful that's ok with me (that and the fact that pics of my workspace won't be on my facebook page very often !!)
Posted by Julie Porter.
