Organization is my special sauce.
I separate my closet hangers with a 2 finger distance apart from each other for my visual delight. I arrange my perfumes in alphabetical order, well, cuz I can’t help myself. I accommodate my book library by theme bundles + arrange it by size for kicks + spins. I color coordinate my supply closet because I think it looks oh so pretty. I keep my party props inside a vintage Pepsi box that’s precious to me because I secretly believe they (and by “they” I mean the party props of course) feel very very important inside. Hence, the neat freak title. I think it suits me well actually.
Now, I don’t intend to convert you to OCDism (Obsessive Compulsive Disorderism, this word doesn’t exist right?). What I would like to do is bring more harmony into your life. Would you like that? To have less noise + less chaos + less clutter + less fuzz + less additives + less preservatives. Would you like to have more space + more clarity + more wiggle room to, well, be YOU + your world domination contribution? I thought so too.
That’s why I whipped up this Neat Freaks Illustrated Guide to Less Clutter, which I’m sure is the world’s shortest (and cutest) shortcut to organizing your life + reclaiming your space, cuz seriously though, who has time for the Almanac version?
So here you go, the Speedy Gonzalez organizational manual:
By “eliminate” I not only mean getting rid of the trash, although that’s part of it, of course. Eliminating is about removing anything + everything that no longer serves you in order to make room for your splendid life + your brilliant ideas too. Throw away supplies you haven’t used for 5 years + return borrowed items + toss expired artifacts + recycle whenever possible + discard all that causes you discomfort + give away what you have to spare.
Taxonomies are the lifeblood of an organized system. Knowing at a glance what you’re dealing with gives you great understanding. With understanding comes power. In your kitchen, for example, you might chose to group all your spices alphabetically in the same cabinet for easy access. Your studio desk is no different. You can choose to sort your supplies into categories like height + type or color to streamline your workflow + save you time.
Organizing your categorized items so that your finished projects look oh so beautiful is the ultimate mission. An organized life will make you more productive + save time + give you back your space. With the congestion gone you can use your work surface to do just that, work. An organized life will increase your productivity. As clutter disappears you’ll find that you can think more clearly. Clutter has a type of noise to it, doesn’t it? And when that noise is silenced you are free to devote your energies to what you need to accomplish + what you were put on this world to achieve. An organized life will save money + resources + the trees of the world will be grateful. It’s a win-win-win for all.
1. 2. 3. Boom everything’s neat + you’re not a freak.
See? Anytime you’re confronted by dusty villains + chaotic gremlins just whip out these 3 step guide + you’ll be equipped to combat the messiest of monsters (wink).
xo,
Mayi Carles
Mayi – you even helped me + I am totally disorganized! Now I can work+create+send quicker & the teeny tiny empire doesn’t have piles of clutter! You are a fairy dust sprinkled GENIUS!!!
Kim: Awww it can’t be that bad, I’ve seen pictures of your space + both + it looks divine… hehehehe. Then again the back of the camera is always were the messy monsters are hiding (wink).
By the way. LOVE your banner on the sidebar. WORK IT GIRL!
I love this! The graphics are too cute!
I recently “eliminated” a large number of items from my gift wrap closet. I recycle as much as I can (gift bags, tissue paper etc) but I had more than I would EVER use.
I couldn’t bear to throw everything away so I posted on FREECYCLE and a lovely lady who WANTED all of my gift wrap supplies took them off my hands! It was win-win!
Can you please come to NJ and organize my room for me?!!
Awesome post……love it and love you!
Alison: OMG, what a fantastic idea! Brilliant. Bundling things up + putting a price tag. LOVE IT. Thanks for sharing! I need to add that to my ideas for what to do to eliminate 🙂
I have OCDism too!!!!! Wanna label and alphabetize things sometime? Lol…. I need to start a second business as a clutter buster {ruthless clutter buster here, ruthless…}
Love it!
This is the MOST useful post i have read in a long time. I love love the illustrations – way too adorable, Mayi !
Im quite tyrannical when I go into organizational mode.
Esp my kids toys- trashing broken toys, giving away to charity, give away to other families and my biggest secret tip (weapon!) is hide toys that they dont play with for a while. When I get the toys out after a few weeks, they welcome it like its new 😉
It helps me to keep the place clean too !
I really love this! I am an inner neat freak, but that doesn’t always translate to my outer world. If only I had more storage… Plus, my studio is also my bedroom, so that always makes for less space!! I am now inspired to do another declutter today. What you said about outer clutter making for inner clutter is true. Thanks for the motivation!
Love this post and heart the illustrations. I am such a mess freak that it is not funny. Currently doing a lot of decluttering and packing because I am moving house soon. Will definitely mark this post for tips when I start organising my new work space
Loving all the Mayi adoration going on here in the comments! I think it is too sweet how you write that you just “whipped this up”. You are insanely talented! (and I just loves you). We’ve been in the midst of transition here for months, renovating a house while homeschooling two kids-NOT recommended if you like things neat. My house is currently Mayi hell-open invitation to come rescue me still stands:)
What a great blogpost this is!
Just only the look and sound of it, makes me want to clean up the mess in my house.
Thanks for the 123 give-it-a-go steps!
Mayi, you make it sound so easy and dare I say, fun! I guess there is only one way to find out! Thank you , I really do need this:)
Love this: “And when that noise is silenced you are free to devote your energies to what you need to accomplish + what you were put on this world to achieve.”
Mayi, meant to tell you sooner how much I really like this post. After reading it, I also printed out the fantastic “Action Kills Thought” and posted it above my computer. Thinking of printing it out on nice paper and getting it framed.
Thank you!!
This is going to be really helpful as I get my apartment organized. It’s been a slow process, but I’m really pushing to have it done soon!