Reclaim Your Space - Maintenance

* This is the final post in a six part series about how I reclaimed my studio spaces.
* See the fifth post "Reclaim Your Space - No Time like the Present".
* See the fourth post "Reclaim Your Space - Containers and Labels".
* See the third post "Reclaim Your Space - Hyperfocus".
* See the second post, "Reclaim Your Space - Enlisting Help".
* See the first post, "Reclaim Your Space - Your Mindset".


I can say with a large degree of pride and relief (and general exhaustion) that the goal to reclaim my spaces was accomplished. Let's look at both rooms again, shall we? :)

    The Warehouse Post Purge

    The Studio Post Purge


You'll notice that when I took the Post Purge photos of the Studio, I still had some work to do. I have to go through some papers and file things away. But Mary the Wonder Organizer left me with a better filing system then I currently have so I'm set there. (The old one will be donated to the Sali Army. See? I can be taught.)

My print table also needs to be sorted but everything up there has a clearly identified home so it doesn't concern me, it will be cleared in the blink of an eye.


I also need to make some fabric decisions. The truth of it is that it was almost 10pm when we finished. We were both tired and worn through and all of the remaining items I am more then capable of completing on my own.


I'll be honest, I'm a little worried it will get messy again, worried I'll end up with a heap that will suck out my creative energy and I'll want to just take it all out to the backyard and watch it go up in flames (that was where I was at at the beginning.)

I told Mary the Wonder Organizer that I was stressing about it. She just smiled, all calm and unfreaked out and said, "So make a schedule to keep up with it."

A schedule. I like schedules. Then I don't have to think about it, I can just work and not worry.  I seem to be a guideline kind of gal when it comes to managing my time. So I went one step farther and made myself my own personal guidelines, ones that felt easy and manageable and that I can easily follow to keep things in line. I give you my "Stash Management Commandment List":

Stash Management Commandment List

1. There is no "I'll try" or "I want to".  I will exhibit the same commitment to continued success as I did to the cleaning up of it.

2. I will not buy anything I already have. And if I get something new, something old has to go out.

3. I will no longer live with items I don't want. I will not hide them away in a closet or the basement or under a table. They go to a friend or The Sali Army. No in between.

4. I will set a schedule in which I will do a sweep every two weeks and put everything away.

5. I will not berate myself or accept any negative comments regarding The Stash. It contains the tools I use to make art and it deserves respect - including mine.

6. No extra baskets allowed in the studio. I will not create piles to sort later that can grow up to be heaps.


It will take work, I know this. Anything worth doing is. But I feel good about it. Mary helped me realize that I have complete control over my environment and I can make it what I want it to be.

And you know how people take photos of themselves when they are overweight so they can always remember how far they have come in their weight loss journey? I'm doing something like that but I'm going to print out this photo to put with my Stash Management Commandment List:

That's the floor beneath my print table. Housing nothing but the trash can, canvases for new work and my fabric organizing boards. Note the floor. Note the lack of piles of boxes. Note the space.

That picture makes me deliriously happy.

Lesson learned: As Mary the Wonder Organizer said, we are all works-in-progress. Nothing is ever truly finished so embrace it, love what you do and keep optimism alive. :)  

If you are struggling with your space as well, I wish you luck and good thoughts and all things positive. Remember, make it what you want it to be. I hope that there was something in these posts that will help you along your way! :)