This Simple Trick Will Save Your Mind When Decluttering Your Studio

I have a super simple trick that will help you when you are overwhelmed with decluttering your art studio, and you are not going to believe how basic it is.

Ready?

Ok. Here it is. When you are plowing through piles of art or craft supplies, trying to decide what should stay or what should go, just…

Delay!

Yes, that’s right. I said it. Put things off. Procrastinate. Save it until next time.

Yes, that's right. I said it. Put things off. Procrastinate. Save it until next time. Click To Tweet

How can that be, you ask? An organization blog telling me not to organize? Well, no, not exactly.

I’m not telling you not to organize.

I’m just advising that if you find yourself completely overwhelmed and underwater, wait a bit until your head is in a better space to actually get it done, instead of staring at piles of stuff and feeling too paralyzed to make a decision.

👆🏽 pin me, please! 👆🏽

The truth is, we all get overwhelmed making decisions, especially if we have to decide a lot of things at once.

Sometimes, the more we push ourselves, the more jumbled up our brains are going to get.

So, I’m giving you permission to walk away for a while.

“The truth is, we all get overwhelmed making decisions, especially if we have to decide a lot of things at once.”

But first, I want you to do the following steps. Trust me, you’ll thank me when you come back to this decluttering project.

1. Gather.  Pull the stuff you want to get through into one, small area. You don’t have to tackle your entire studio (nor should you, in one day). Instead, pick one smaller area, such as a supply shelf.
2. Sort.  Sort items into broad categories without judgment. Don’t try to decide in this moment if you are getting rid of an item. Just put it with other like items (paints, color pencils, paintbrushes, books, collage papers, etc). Then, take sticky notes and label each pile so they are immediately obvious when you come back. I find it feels less like an amorphous mess and more contained if I put each category into its own temporary box for now. An old cardboard box will do, but if you anticipate a long, many-stage decluttering project and want something sturdier, you might consider investing in the bins below. They will also be great after you’ve finished your project, for sorting and regular maintenance.
3. Delay…but with a caveat.  That’s it. For real. You’ve just done some good work. Next time you come back to finish the job, you will have made it so much easier for your brain to look at the various categories, take stock of what you have, and feel more confident in making firm decisions about what stays and what goes. Plus, since you’ve put items into categories, you’ll be able to store those that you choose to keep right away. The caveat? When you finish the sorting from step 2, look at your calendar and pick a time and date to return to the process. That will ensure that you get back to decluttering your creative space in a timely manner, and you’ll be able to put it out of your mind until then.

TIP

Cardboard boxes are fine for a temporary home for your stuff, but if you don’t want to have to search for them every time you begin decluttering an area, consider investing in a few foldable bins for a more sturdy, reusable option.

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