After three months in Mexico with a minimalist office setup, my home office feels suffocating. There is absolutely too much stuff (and too much paper), and I spend far too much time here when I would be happier in the studio. To be perfectly blunt, it feels like a major time suck.
My home office on a good day
It seems absolutely crazy not to love my office. It’s a big, beautiful space with plenty of light. A sit down desk for writing. A stand-up technology desk complete with oversize monitors. It’s not crowded by any means. There are lots of beautiful quilts on the wall. It’s everything I wanted when we built our home five years ago.
What my desk really looks like
Of course, it would be nicer if my desk actually looked like that first photo every day. In reality, I’m not a “tidy office” person. Not by a long shot. Today, my desk is occupied by far too much stuff that is cluttering up my brain and making it difficult to work.
The “officina” in El Castillo
So… what was different in Chapala?
To start with, I didn’t want to change anything about the house during our first stay. That meant dealing with a truly minimalist office arrangement. The “officina” is tucked under the curved staircase. It’s a third of the size of my home office.
The most interesting part of the experiment was the lack of equipment and office supplies. For three solid months, I had no printer, no scanner, no label maker, no 10 key. Not even a tape dispenser or stapler. I worked on my (very old) laptop computer, and somehow managed just fine.
In case you are wondering, there was only one time (in three months) that I absolutely had to print and sign a document. I walked 3 blocks to the internet cafe and printed the document for a whopping two pesos.
Plenty of room for Silhouette experiments
I’ll be the first to say that my little office was not always tidy. As usual, I’m capable of creating piles – even without a printer. But… without a bunch of equipment to clutter the desk, I had plenty of room to set up the Silhouette Cameo for class samples and my personal experiments.
Less Office, Less Time in the Office
The big upside to my minimalist office experiment was this: I Spent Less Time in the Office. I got my work done. I taught a class. I kept up with the Email and the business. But I spent far less time in front of the computer – and far more time with my husband, my friends and my art.
So what’s with that? At least that’s what my brain is asking!
It hit me over the weekend that my home office is simply too comfortable. (Yes, it’s a big, huge time suck!)
It’s easy to hang out here because I like the space. I have plenty of distractions and plenty of toys. Not to mention an endless supply of papers to push around when I want to procrastinate. I think it’s time for a Minimalist Office to go with that Slimmed-down Studio.
Your Turn
Do you have a secret to keeping your office under control? I’d love to hear your ideas!
Move your office, permanently, to the one under the stairs. Don’t change anything about it, even if you do renovations. Don’t add a printer. Don’t add a scanner. Go home. Enjoy the time it gives you with your sweetheart, enjoy the leisurely pace that gives you so much more time every day, and delight in the new and unexpected ways it takes your creative, artsy self.
I may do exactly that, Marlene. I’m not sure I can totally live without a printer, but it’s sure worth a try. And no worries about “rennovating the office space in Chapala. The castle is exactly what it is – and it’s not changing. You can’t just “add on” to a stone building. 🙂
Other than my creative spaces (cutting table & a long table for machine, light box & painting), I have one small table without drawers or attachments and my printer is set up in a different room on top of an old trunk set on it’s end. At least 3 times a year I declutter my small table, and reorganize the stuff that I must keep there, determining each time EXACTLY what activities that I will do there, and keep the minimum amount of stuff to do those tasks…computer, day planner (I love paper because it keeps me from “wandering around” on the computer after I do my must do items), a small Ott-Lite lamp, phone, journal a light strip, a pen & mechanical pencil, a pad of post-its , a small notepad, and a spool of thread with my tiny pincushion in the top with a few pins. Everything else I might need is either in one of my bookshelves or in a small plastic drawer storage on my long work table. My surfaces tend to get messy and full of stuff when I’m working on something, but I clear and clean the mess at the end of the work session or when changing projects, depending on how crazy it’s making me to have the mess! lol It helps me to clear my head of the project and move to another, as it feels SO good to have a clean, open, and tidy space to start working in!
That’s great, Mary. Less space allocated to “office” stuff is exactly what I need. When we moved into this house, I was moving my business office from a separate building. So… of course I brought lots of furniture, lateral files, bookcases and supplies because I already had them. The really positive side of my 3-month experiment was understanding that I don’t NEED all that stuff to do the things I really want to do. Of course this “slimming down” process is not a simple task. But I’m looking forward to the end result.
You’ll feel so good when you get through all of the stuff!! When I was growing up I lived with a hoarder grandma and my mom is one also. I was always taught that you should hang on to every possible resource in case you need to use it and can’t obtain it again, because they lived through the 30’s and WWII when things were rationed and times were tough.
Parting with things the first time, like with your furnishings and supplies from moving your office location, was very difficult for me. But at some point in the past few years I’ve looked at things with an eye toward not only a smaller space, but also saw that a lot of things were there because I thought “what if I need it…”.
If I hadn’t used it in a very long time, or even EVER, it went. It’s been about 18 months and the only thing that I needed or missed out of those things was 3 buttons…and my best friend gave me what I needed from her “never used button stash”. Now it’s far easier to be decisive and make those decisions.
You’re going to do great at your decluttering and re-organizing!
Thanks for the encouragement. It’s a chore, but it’s coming along nicely.;-)
Now, I’m inspired to clean the clutter…purge and pitch.
Thank you. Chris Beussink
You’re welcome!
This winter, I moved essentials from my 2nd bedroom – office/fabric, machines and office supply storage to my bedroom for the SOUTHERN EXPOSURE.
This included a small computer – open desk, my laptop, a small unit for printer, paper and 14×14 clear plastic storage units for storing silhouette and design magic assignments plus a 20″x48″ folding table. I used this space for designing, printing and cutting. The small space worked very well. I did put some loose leaf binders – full of my designs on the book shelves in the room.
Now, I have freed up some time, I am tearing the other room apart – TRYING TO DE-CLUTTER!
It is not easy….. but I am slowly getting there.
To make the move to Florida, it is imperative to reduce my possessions by over 50%…….
The winter experiment was helpful…… I can work without all the extra stuff…… that I have accumulated. For me, it is easier to get rid of things when I have NOT been using them for a period of time……Also, I am not actively using the space to create…. no distractions…….
So no creating in the other room – just sorting and cleaning out……. to get it to “bare bones”
this summer…….. Time will tell!
Good luck with your move, Elizabeth. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one in this boat!
It is quite magical. Maybe you can have some custom made furniture . There are the most wonderful furniture artisans in Mexico (I used to live in El Paso a border town) I would walk through the furniture stores in Juarez with wonder. So excited for you.
Thanks, Cindy! You are quite right about the artisan furniture makers in Mexico. I’m sure there are dozens in Guadalajara when I have time to explore. All in due time.