Wednesday, May 16, 2012

From Mess to Marvelous!



 I realized a few years ago that there was no way I could keep all the magazines that were accumulating in the studio.  And then there were the stacks of computer printouts, workshop instructions, yada-yada-yada.



 So at first, I put loose items in three ring binders, then I went through many of the magazines and clipped out the articles that I wanted to keep(leftovers went into the collage pile or recycling) and these went into the binders as well.


  But of course,over time, when I would come up with more articles or printouts, they just got shoved into the nearest notebook and you guessed it - pretty soon I had a whole new kind of chaos!


One of my projects this spring was to tame this particular paper tiger. First I amassed all the binders, all the  loose pages and all the magazines that were waiting to be clipped.


Then, duh, I actually came up with all the categories I needed and,"duh 2", made labels for the outsides of the binders so I now know what's in each one.  I know it sounds so simple, you'd think a college graduate, not to mention a librarian, would have done this the first time around.  But better late than never.



Now if I'm looking for that article on "art journaling" I can just go right to the binder that says Art Journaling, if I want info on shops and flea markets - there's a  labeled binder!


Sometimes it's the little simple things that make us so happy!


4 comments:

  1. This is admirable organization. Knowing what to call the category so material can be retrieved and then, well, actually doing it (the part where I fall behind)...I think being a librarian and someone comfortable with order does help. A great system. xo

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  2. Marylinn - I've often been accused of being a "left-brained" artist - but it does come in handy for all the organizing, record-keeping and scheduling part of the artistic life. My guilty secret? - I love organizing things!
    Erin

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  3. WHAT? This cannot be done. I realize you have photographic evidence, but seriously. You posit the impossible, woman.

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  4. Chris - It can only be done because I have the "organizing sickness"!
    Erin

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