Creative Space

by Suzanne, Organized Space

Last week I presented some basic Feng Shui principles with regard to the energy flow in a room – how ‘inharmonious’ placements and clutter impede the flow of positive energy (also referred to as Chi).

What is only too true is that the same principle applies to our ability to think creatively and to be able to start and finish tasks or projects.

My main point here is that we all have creative impulses, but they can be blocked by clutter. Clearing away a physical impediment can allow you the freedom to bring these creative, energizing impulses to the surface, and, more importantly, to actually bring them to fruition.

Clutter (the accumulation of unused stuff) gets in the way. It is your past preventing you from moving forward or doing new things. Think about it. You get a great idea that you want to implement, but what happens? You can’t find the tools and supplies you need. You don’t have the space available to do the work. All because of clutter. FlyLady says, “You can’t organize clutter.” You have to remove the clutter to allow yourself to move forward.

When I organized my stash, I displaced a significant amount of clutter that I am now working to remove. As I go, I find that not everything is clutter, which is comforting, but now I have to find a place for what I want to keep. What struck me is that this is an on-going process. As I move towards something new and finish with something else, I need to keep assessing what to keep and what to give up. This is why there is no one perfect organizing system - you don't keep doing the same things.

So, you need to prepare your physical space to allow yourself the mental space to be creative.

Go with the Flow

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese discipline involving the proper alignment and use of space, sort of. The most basic tenant of Feng Shui is to align your living space with the earth's flow of energy (trust me, it's more complex than that, but you get the idea). When the energy flow is unimpeded, then there are more positive influences at work.

We all react positively or negatively to the space we are in. Our responses can be based on the size of the space, the dominant coloring, the lighting, the furnishings, the amount of clutter or mess, among other things.

As we saw in the before and after pictures posted for the February challenge, the reduction of clutter and the establishment of order makes you happier and opens the door to your ability to create.

As an interesting experiment, I would like you to go into a room or area of your house and just stand there for a minute. Look around at the way the furniture is arranged, and the colors and textures used in that space, and at the presence or absence of clutter. Then imagine what you would do to improve it. How would you rearrange furniture for easier access to the space, to enhance communication (if more than one person uses the space), and would you change the colors or textures to change the mood of the space?

Enquiring minds need to know...