Clutter as Inspiration

I want to write. I really do, but everywhere I look is clutter and a piled mess. Dust covers shelves, and doghair carpets the floor, dirty dishes fill the sink. I can’t think. But I want too. First, I guess I need to clear the clutter; clean up this mess.

Clean the clutter, clean the mind, right?

Organize. I must get organized - again. This time, I’ll keep it up, I promise (fingers crossed.)

My environment wasn’t great before, but I think entering this challenge is where I really lost control:

Here’s my entry:

It has issues, but never having written anything like it, I worked really hard on developing this story.

It’s difficult to think of myself as a writer in any believable sense, when reminded every moment that I am failing also as a Mom and wife, surrounded by so many unfinished tasks. I feel more like a poser as a writer wannabe. To be successful - at anything - you need to believe in yourself enough to take yourself seriously. If you don’t, who else will? Part of taking myself seriously is surrounding myself in a creative environment. Where I sm now is not it. It is the opposite. I do not wish to be a failed writer nor Mom nor spouse. In that vein, I must upgrade my surroundings in order to level up my mind.

I’ll start with the kitchen. The kitchen is my work space. My laptop sits on the table in the midst of clutter; books and useless items piled on the dusty shelves around me; the limited counter space covered in dishes and other things needing attention. I am chronically distracted by the chores I have neglected. It drains my energy. It drains my creativity. It makes me want to close my eyes, or watch television in denial. I think it’s a form of self-sabotage in that focusing on the clutter that needs to be gone, offers a way for my mind to find excuses to not do the work of writing, a way to avoid the possibility of failure. With incorporation of a clean space, I can avoid using chores as an excuse for not writing; confidence in my creative abilities skyrockets, as well as the feeling that I am capable of being a good Mom and wife. Aha!

I have a ton to write. I need to get the words out of my head, but first I must dedicate my time to adjusting my work space. Is that procrastination, excuses, or a fact of life? I can’t keep waiting for the housekeeper to show up. Until my writing makes me and my family rich, that housekeeper is me, no matter how many stories are stuck in my head. They will likely remain stuck until I have a clean environment in which to work. Then the words can flow undistracted. I need to do what it takes now, in order to get to where I want to be later. That takes action. It’s hard.

Another good reason to declutter and organize your work space is to allow you the freedom to achieve a dream. By clearing space of disarray, you open space for making plans. When you know what you want, go after it ravenously. It won’t come to you. You have to put everything into achieving it - that includes keeping your space free of distractions. You need to focus. It’s hard to do that when there are a million little things vying for attention. Soon, our attention gets scattered and we lose our way. You need to create space in order to create life as you want it. I think dreams die in clutter. They lay in the dust. The clutter and dust of apathy.

Maybe the first step, after creating a plan for making my dreams attainable, lies in clearing my workspace.

Thanks for reading! I’m looking for food DIY ideas for a bookshelf. I prefer free-standing, but can possibly make use of a wall-attached one, too. Anything?