For me, the value of clear space cannot be overstated. I need clear space both inside my head and outside in my living space in order to be creative. I have considered before the times in my life when I was most productive as a modeler, and I had thought that the productivity was the result of living with imposed limitations. For example, during a move I took a tub of kits, tools and supplies to work on in my temporary quarters until we could settle into a more permanent dwelling.
But I'm beginning to wonder if it wasn't as much a factor of the limited projects, but a result of keeping the work space clear. Life certainly was busy and stressful and there was much to occupy my mind and my time. Limiting the projects in number and scope may have helped some, but that can't explain the extraordinary output produced at the same time. I believe the greater factor is this: in a shared, temporary space, I had to put away the project in process after a work session. Each time I sat down to work it was at a clear space.
You can see the video of my recent workbench cleaning following a project completion, in last month's post. Here is a picture of a recently de-cluttered space next to that workbench:
Perhaps this looks cluttered to you, but trust me, it is a massive improvement; it looks pretty close to the way I want it to look, and functions well too. The upside-down Badger Air Brush box lid is a stand-in for a basket to hold remote controls (and chocolate). I'm not sure I'll keep the little stack of scratch paper in the back, but I do use it from time to time. Up on deck is a coaster for beverages, a tissue box and a little candle holder my wife made before we met.
Everything that lives in your space is either a Tool, a Supply, Reference material or a Decoration, or it is a project in process. I choose to keep limited but meaningful decorations in my space. For too long I've had way too many knick-knacks, bits and pieces laying around that really didn't mean much. Now, it must be useful or beautiful in order to take up valuable horizontal space. That space is valuable because it allows the mind to relax and the creative juices to flow unhindered.
And so to the title of this post - the Clutter Putter. This little table is the beachhead in my assault on train room clutter (and world domination). My wife and kids can't mess it up since they're rarely working in this space (next to my workbench). If it is to remain clutter-free, it is up to me. So from now on, I am making intentional de-cluttering a part of my puttering routine. A little time each day puttering in the train room will create clear space. The goal is less puttering (cleaning and straightening, putting projects away and generally dreaming*) and more modeling.
*A note on dreaming - Yes, dreaming is part of the creative process. But dreaming alone, without the space to realize those dreams, is futility and leads to frustration. "I'd love to _____, but first I have to clean up all this junk..." As George Carlin put it, "Junk is the stuff we get rid of, and stuff is the junk we keep".
This may sound weird, but I found Marie Kondo’s ideas on keeping space tidy to be useful. She’s written a book called “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up”. Ok, the title is over-the-top, and it does focus on organizing clothing and household space, but the general principles are different and interesting. There’s a youtube video of her giving a talk at Google: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1-HMMX_NR8 Maybe in the next edition of her book she needs an appendix of special procedures for model railroaders :-)
ReplyDeleteShe's cute in an energetic sort of way, and seems very excited about her method. The whole 'dump the clothes on the floor' idea is very similar to David Allen's GTD brain dump or inbox gather. EVERYTHING that doesn't belong in the space or still has an unfinished action attached to it gets put in an inbox, whether that box is cardboard or multiple baskets, whatever, as long as it all goes in and leaves the surrounding surfaces clear. The difference is the criteria for discerning what goes back into the space. GTD is a bit more methodical, using lists to track actions and folders for items, vs. the 'spark of joy' idea.
ReplyDeleteI think it is worth considering whether or not an item gives us joy. How many modelers have stuff that no longer brings joy? And how much joy is it giving stored away in boxes in the garage?
I think there are items that simply bring joy every time we look at them or touch them or interact with them, just because the items themselves are deemed worthwhile in our estimation. There are models I've built that will probably always give me that feeling. If they ever cease to give me joy, then I know it is time to take up stamp collecting.