Understanding the Mess

Even the most organized creator will find him or herself buried in mess from time to time. I'm sure it will surprise no one when I share that these past few weeks I've had multiple projects running at the same time and evidence lying on the floor and covering the tables and counters in just about every room.

I've asked myself time and again if it would be easier to pare my interests down or if it's time to stop volunteering for so many projects, but I can only conclude that something would feel missing. Is it the product that would never have been completed? Or something deeper: the sense of meaning the finished pieces merely symbolize in the mind of one who has successfully expressed ideas creatively?

However necessary the phase of disorder may be, I find I don't have the space to think or create anymore when every floor is a minefield of half-used craft supplies or when every electronic cable in the room is tangled in a heap on the floor. I've found ways to ease the crazy when it rises to choke my productivity. I frequently use checklists to provide myself with a sense of accomplishment. Perhaps the most simple of solutions has been to challenge myself to put away 100 items around the house and track my progress. Then I can have that bowl of ice cream that initially led me to the messy kitchen.

And then there's digital clutter. I can still remember as a kid how excited I was to receive an email. If I had one new message waiting in my inbox, it was a pretty awesome day. Now I receive so many emails I don't have time to read more than the subject line of most. Of course, keeping up with social media notifications consumes even more time. Again, I ask the question. Is it too much? Sometimes it probably is. But consider it this way (because I know I'm not alone in this struggle) - a little mess is part of the process.

I may not ever get to try any of the free sewing patterns that collect in my email weekly. Or watch a video a friend shared that's still waiting in my bookmarks. That large stack of colored paper I'm staring at may do little besides occupy a valuable corner of living room carpet. And yet, these things are present. They may be the seed of a great project . . . or not. But it's okay to grant ourselves a little mercy. Understand the reason for the mess, and when it comes time to restore order, you won't be driven by guilt, but rather a new sense of accomplishment.