[WORKSHOP] creating a table of contents. gangstah.

today we had the utmost pleasure to provide a "free" workshop on organizing files and papers for artists in exchange for a piece of their art! we donated our own time and filing materials for the artists "for the cause."

what was the most fun about the workshop is being able to really get folks to see that clutter is not REALLY about clutter...but delayed decisions...and really it was about getting them to have better habits of decision-making and knowing what they truly want for themselves! what a concept!

something that we were reminded of was that artistic inspiration is EVERYWHERE and we don't always need an "object" to remind of that inspiration. that's what one of our artists realized. they were gathering and keeping way too many things from their daily life, or simply pulled off the street, because they wanted to write about it. well guess what? you don't need those things as a security blanket for your artistry. your ability to find inspiration around you is INSIDE you. unlike an object, it can never be taken away. (or at least, just keep a log of your inspiration ideas, right?) that was the lesson WE took away from this particular artist. *sigh* yes. teaching, boys and girls. it's a two-way street.

we had such a great time that there is a wee possibility that we could do another one, if there is enough interest. interested? email jenny at organizedbyjenny at gmail dot com.

P.S. sincerest thanks to the asian pacific american dispute resolution center for lending us their meeting space!!!

[WORKSHOP] 9/12/09 - "free" paper filing workshop for artists!

organized. by jenny is superbly stoked to be putting on a "free" paper filing workshop in the los angeles area for local artists. it's presented by blacklava.net (great place to get artists work and political tees) and we'll be running the first in a series of workshop for artists called "a piece of art for peace of mind." basic filing supplies will be sponsored for the workshop participants by organized. by jenny and blacklava.net.

the workshops are free to artists in exchange for a piece of their art. that art will be donated to support the tuesday nite cafe project (http://www.tnkat.org). both blacklava and tuesday nite cafe are stalwarts in the asian pacific american community, nurturing artists, causes and community for more than a decade each.

check out the link to the workshop on the logo for "a piece of art for peace of mind." and register http://www.apieceofartforpeaceofmind.com. please spread the word!

[How To Organize] The Kids Room: sticky notes as kid's room drawer labels

from the "why didn't *I* think of that" files: organized. by jenny spied some of these cute semi-temporary ideas for labelling the contents of the dressers of the little ones...cute sticky notes!

with just a nice decorative pad of notes in the designer color of your choice, and some clean penmanship, you TOO can have your children's dresser drawers EXTREMELY clear about what should REALLY go in there.

"no sweetie, the socks need to go where the socks are."

I love it. Maybe a little too informal or "dorm roomie" for your average mature adult, but for the kid's room...genius! Saves time, money AND teaches organization skills.

see the overall effect here.

out with the old. in with the new.

life's transitions either delayed, unexpected or desired are especially important times to reassess if your things and your space are serving YOU! (rather than the other way around...uh. you know what I mean.)

a current project is a perfect example of this. our clients are interested providing more space to grow their business and their art...and perhaps a little bundle of joy. but a quick look around the house reveals a space that is FAR from conducive to achieve these goals.

other than the master bedroom, the two other rooms have been functioning as storage (to the brim) and a kitty litter/playground (they quite nobly rescue cats and dogs). ORGANIZED. BY JENNY IS ON THE JOB!

as you can see from the photos, just one snippet of our many sessions shows what a difference we can make by just sorting and purging a bunch of bulky bed/house linens! real bang for the buck for the organizing time. it frees up all the space we never thought we had! (especially when too much stuff for too little storage space forces us to adapt and shove things into nooks and crannies all over the house!) we brought all the linens together, put like with like, and figured out what EXACTLY were the ways that we need the stuff for! what's the function? (I love that question.) then we got rid of old stuff or duplicates and only kept a set or more of what we needed! big labels of piles helps us as we sort (see first photo) and the result is about a THIRD of the linens are going to be donated (see second photo) and a clear hall closet to boot! (see third photo)

our goal is to have the place in tip top shape in time for a fun Halloween Party! I love scheduling parties as excuses to get our butts in gear and organize our space!

stay tuned for the results.