I’ve been organizing!

For a few months now I’ve felt the need to update and organize my apartment…especially the upstairs loft area. I was being overrun by my equipment and craft supplies…not to mention paperwork, etc. I actually didn’t update much because I had a pretty good system going since I moved in. But I had to tweak it to accommodate changes in my life…namely the start of a new business. Check out the pictures below.

I needed to clear off desk space so I opted for those cubbies and shelves. The large cubby has two index card books…one has some poses I’ve seen online or in magazines that I wanted to remember. The other has some notes on Photoshop techniques that I think are interesting or cool. I use these for inspiration when I’m sitting there thinking about how I want to pose someone or how I want to style the image later.

The smaller cubby has a stack of my business cards so I can grab them quickly to replenish my card holder in my handbag.

The blue filer on the desk has three divisions which I use to keep track of my business workflow. The rain stick is just for when I’m stressed or need a break. 🙂 The stack of folders and books on the right…the large black book is a new idea I’m going to implement – a storyboarding book. Basically whenever I have an idea or when I collaborate with other artists, I want to keep storyboard the idea and keep it all in one place. Below that is my business plan. I want that on my desk so I can keep myself going in the direction I laid out for myself. Recently I’ve decided on a few changes and need to refine my plan a little. Oh and the “Follow your Bliss” poster: a birthday gift from some supportive and loving friends. When I feel overwhelmed or unsure, it reminds me to just follow my bliss.

The keyboard drawer below currently houses my many hard drives for now…a keyboard soon hopefully. The top shelf on the side has software cds, pens, pencils, highlighters, pushpins, etc. I need a better way to deal with those wires though, huh? :)The second shelf holds art papers, scrapbook papers and art supplies.

Ok I saw this on another blog post a while back…can’t remember who though. Basically, she uses this to keep her organized with blog posts…so I adapted it so it isn’t for just blog posts. The idea is that you can write the things you need to get done on a post it and stick it under the day of the week you need to get it done. The great part is if you need to rearrange your to do list, you can just rearrange the post its.

I cleared out one whole shelf from the cabinet so I can put in a few other items. For now, it has extra printer paper (the printers are above the cabinet) and some camera accessories. Oh and my polaroids! On the bottom there is a filing cabinet with two rows of files.

I have two small bookshelves right next to each other. It holds books and magazines, as well as older files that no longer belong in that media/file cabinet. The fabric boxes keep other items organized. Up top I used some new empty paint canisters to hold onto cd and dvd spindles, my many many markers, etc. The plastic organizers on the right hold smaller items plus some cool tag shaped punches.

And finally:

This last bookshelf holds a box for my personal receipts and my business receipts. In one of the green boxes, I have some light clamps and extension cords. The other green box holds prayer rugs and beads for myself and friends that visit. On the shelf I have some pictures of nieces and nephews and a few other sentimental pieces.

I feel a lot better now that everything has a place…everything feels more streamlined. What’s even better is that I’ve tried to design and organize a space that works hand in hand with the workflow I have for my business, beginning to end. I’d love to hear from other photographers or creative individuals who’ve used other systems or ideas, especially those working from home. How do you have your workspace set up?