Friday, August 27, 2010

Organizing the Work Table

I'm going out of order on listing items from Bruce Mau's Incomplete Manifesto of Growth. I decided I'd read down until I found one that fit my day and then use it. Since I'm still working on the studio, organization seemed to be the theme.

30. Organization = Liberty.

As I reorganize, I've been thinking about issues with my work space that I'd like to correct. One annoying thing that happens regularly to me is that I lose critical tools on my work table. The needle tool that was just there isn't. The correct playing card set is missing from the stack. I've been trying to place things back in a specific place so that I'll be able to find them again, but still I have trouble. Tonight I wandered through Pier 1 in search of dishes, baskets or boxes to help me delineate homes for all my regular tools.

I came home with a collection of kitchenware to repurpose for the studio.



Small white trays to corral the cards and most often used tools.
Tiny square plates to catch the drips from my olive oil and water bottles.
A collection of square bowls for sorting the small greenware components that have been filling the upper left corner of my glass worktop.
And flared glasses to hold tools, somehow more alluring than the metal pencil containers I used before.

Will it work? Only time will tell. Looks almost ready to go. I only wish it would stay nice and neat forever.