How to get my apartment organized?

Question

For me, getting things organized in my apartment

is no biggie, however, when it comes to staying that way, I'm at a loss.

I write,paint, sew and sculpt, for a living,

and the evidence is all over my apartment.

I'm easily overwhelmed by the clutter that I accumulate. I'm aware of my hoarding issue (I neglect to throw things in fear of the off-chance that I'll need this extra coat button or those scraps of fabric)

I've decided, grudgingly, to shed my excess bric-a-brac before I head off to college.

Any tips on how to get organized and stay that way?

Answer 1

Honestly, it might not be worth it for you to go too crazy with organizing.  You sound like a creative person and maybe find inspiration from things around you.  "Organizing in 15 minutes day!" or "clean sweep de-cluttering" might just be a distraction.

That said, you could find ways to be more tidy instead.  I have a friend who's a painter and his loft/studio looks great.  He keeps all of his supplies in clear boxes or bags, canvas' in a cupboard and books/magazines in holders on a shelf.  Maybe this approach will work for you?

Clear bins, boxes and other containers for your fabrics, art supplies, writing material are inexpensive.  And if they are put away (or even stacked) and labeled, it gives the impression of being organized.  Maybe, then, when you see a cool button, you can snip it off right away to add to the appropriate box.  I think the trick is making room for these things by pairing down things that don't immediately grab you.  You'll just have to get in the habit of putting the items in their place.  The hardest part is starting.  Once you do it, it gets much easier very quickly.

(eesh, sorry for the long answer!)

Answer 2

Wanting to get organized and stay that way means you're more than half-way there.  

Here are a few tips that might work for you:

1)  Start by sorting everything into the categories you mentioned above.  All writing stuff: together.  All painting supplies: together.  All sewing materials: together.  And so on.  You will want to apply this principle to all other aspects of your life as well.  Clothing: like items together.  Kitchen items: either like items together, or organize centers depending on the activity (baking, food preparation, washing up etc.)  And so on.

2)  If possible, decide on a location in your apartment for each activity.  Ideally, that will be the same location for both the doing of the activity and the storage of items related to that activity.  Then you'll need to be diligent about not letting things wander from the home you've assigned them to -- that's going to be the hard part!  When you do one of your activities, you'll need to train yourself not to just walk away, but to always leave the location tidy.

3)  Containerize everything.  A messy pile of papers can be magically transformed into something that at least looks organized if all the papers are squared up and put inside a container.  No need to find closets or drawers to stash things in.  Containers themselves out in the open can be part of your decor.  Use attractive plastic or paper boxes, baskets, whatever appeals to you.  If contents are not visible, you may want to label the containers as well.

4)  Whenever you bring anything into your apartment, find a home for it right away -- even if that "home" is the garbage can!  Mail and newspapers are usually the biggest clutter culprits, so get into the habit of handling these things once.  Read the paper and put it in the recycle bin right away.  Open your mail near the wastebasket and toss anything that doesn't need further attention.  This will include most envelopes and certainly all junk mail.

There are a number of excellent websites that will give you even more tips:

http://www.flylady.net/  (an excellent resource!)

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/home-...

http://www.thecleanteam.com/Rules-Clutte...

http://www.mindoverclutter.com/

http://www.lifeorganizers.com/?source=go...

http://www.getorganizednow.com/

http://personalorganizing.about.com/od/o...

http://www.organizetips.com/

One final tip: don't beat yourself up about the clutter.  Most homes don't look like the pictures in the decorating magazines because they are used for living!  What's more, it may just be that your style of organization, as a creative person, is a little different from that of the average neat freak.  If you can put your hands on something right away, even if it's in the middle of that towering pile of papers on your desk, then you can't be called disorganized.  

Best of luck in your very worthy goal!