Ideas to organize your studio or workspace

I recently moved my studio from a small bedroom to a much larger bedroom in our basement. It was a lot of work, and many trips up and down stairs.

But definitely worth it.

It gave me a chance to go through all the "stuff" I've been collecting over the years, and I was actually able to purge some things. Decluttering really does help clear the brain too.

It also meant I could get all the stuff better organized. There are lots of ideas out there that can help keep a studio organized, and I thought perhaps I could share with you what has worked for me. So here goes:

- I got all the junk out of large bins and organized by item type into small bins and shoe-boxes, with labels. Some people like to use large mason jars so they can see at a glance. I'm a fan of this idea too. A bit time consuming to get this sorting done, but worth it - saves lots of time later searching for stuff.

- My magazines are now organized by type. I kept seeing recommendations to simply tear out pages and ideas that I'm attracted to, then toss the rest of the magazine.  But I don't like to follow that suggestion as I believe that tastes can change and something that I didn't look at today may catch my attention tomorrow. So I decided to keep my magazines intact, but at least sorted by type.

- Organize your space by need. I now have actual workstations. Where before I had only a small space for making cards AND painting AND using my computer, now I have a separate space for each. It's far less distracting, and I don't have to do nearly as much cleaning and tidying up just to make space.  This suggestion does depend on the size of space you have available, and a bit of creativity at times to get it all to fit.

- I'm considering painting part of one wall with chalkboard paint. I have far too many post-its and little notes. My thinking is that it would be easier to jot down reminders and ideas on a chalkboard. Besides, post-its sometimes fall off the wall, never to be found again.

- Paint your room in a colour that you can work in. My studio is teal - a colour chosen by my step-daughter when this used to be her bedroom, but it works for me. I find it soothing and inspiring at the same time, not overwhel

I hope these are of some help. More ideas to come in future blogs.....