It’s a old funny thing... mess!
On the one hand, it can drive us crazy operating in a state of disorder, but by the same token, it can often be credited with the greatest creative epiphanies!!
As far as efficiency goes, there is something to be said for having a place for everything, and everything in its place.
According to research, however, having just the right amount of mess on your desk can actually help improve creativity and productivity.
The findings are surprising, given that organization has always been pegged as a key to success, and mess a hallmark of laziness.
The line is a fine one, though, between organised chaos and, well.... chaos. If the mess feels in control, and can be operated through, you’re onto a winner. Too minimalist, and you risk killing creativity and removing any semblance of self from your work space. Too much... and productivity can nosedive!
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It’s important to note that even the most random collection of stuff can be methodical to the person who’s stuff it is, and it is this that jumpstarts ideas by invigorating the mind, and allowing the brain to wander enough to make the connections required for creativity.
If you’re wanting to up your creative thinking, the advice is not to deliberately create mess as a way of gaining insight. This especially won’t work if you’re a naturally tidy person. It is all about embracing what helps you creatively, but being aware of when it begins to stifle your productivity.
As Albert Einstein once said “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, then what are we to think of an empty desk?”
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