Organization Fosters Creativity? Really?

I go through phases of obsessive compulsive tidiness. A funk hits me that insists my creativity and productivity would benefit from straightening up my desk and dusting the room.

Mostly I keep my office and workspace organized. Mostly. But, when unopened mail piles up, no more bank statements fit in the filing cabinet, and things three months on my desk still await a true home (the trash) I get to work organizing.

Organization brings a sense of accomplishment. I look at the results and go, “Well now, isn’t that better? I’ve exposed at least one more square foot of desktop.” That sense of accomplishment opens the door to unfettered creativity.

Organization eliminates obstacles to creativity.

Organization’s true benefit is eliminating the excuse of organizing before I can write. Maintaining a constant level of organization (for me) keeps writing higher on the day’s to-do list. By getting rid of obstacles organization fosters creativity.

Many creatives thrive in chaos and clutter. They like piles. They like the treasure hunt of discovering their laptop beneath a leaning stack of unknown papers. And they like decorating their space with Post-It notes of every size and color. Most of those folks own cats. Pretty sure cats equal clutter. I read it somewhere.

Ten years of my life were spent in the Army. I grew up in a military household. I have a dog. “A place for every thing and everything in its place” is drilled into my bones. For me, organization fosters creativity.

If you’re a piles and stacks kind of creative, good on you. BUT, if you’re struggling because you can’t find what you worked on yesterday or where that outline went (or the electric bill), maybe take a day to put your house in order. You just might find your creativity and productivity getting a boost.