Monday, October 19, 2009

In Shambles

Sometimes posts really stick with me. This one written by my blogging friend, T. Anne did. I’m having a gathering at my house tonight. There’s no better way to describe my house than to write it’s in shambles. I’ve given myself one day to clean the entire house. Oh, quit laughing. I know you’ve done it, too. What singes my synapses is that perhaps the state of my house has been influencing my behavior, my writing, and/or my overall sense of order. I remember about a decade ago when Feng Shui became the new way to decorate. People got really into it. From what I understood, the root of the decorating craze existed in that, people crave order.
~~~And here’s where I admit I don’t own a laptop and our only computer is located in THE PLAYROOM. Order, ha! We tackled some of this room yesterday and I have to say sitting here at the computer typing away, I feel more calm and less chaos.


Here’s what I want to know, how much does the order of where you write influence your writing? Do you need order to write well or to live well? I’m beginning to believe I need it more than I thought I did. Not just mental order, but physical order as well.

*photos by flickr
** Congratulations to
T. Anne for receiving honorable mention in Nathan Bransford’s first paragraph contest
***I’m over at Live Beautiful today, once I get the room cleaned up some more

35 comments:

  1. I work better with absolute quiet...but Chaotic environs work well for me too because I write from the thought shambles of the introspective nerd and try to put the shambles together in my mind.

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  2. I kinda like chaos and work well in it both at home and work. Maybe it is just because I am used to it. I miss my kids (now adults) because they were always extra hands in cleaning up. We would have Saturday morning cleaning fests that were actually fun! Each contributed according to his/her size.

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  3. I saw that, too, congrats, T. Anne!

    Yeah, I've had to hurry quick and get the whole house banged out in a day, too. I just wish it would stay that way for more than a day.

    The order of my surroundings affects my day much like my mood can: Sometimes not at all, and others in a way that makes me feel I'm drowning... and of course, all that in between.

    Have a good evening, Wendy!

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  4. I get cranky when my house is dirty. But when it is clean...I'm usually super happy. I can't help it. I crave order and organization. Right now my house is a mess, and although I'm not insanely cranky, I know I will be once I start cleaning :)

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  5. T. Anne you rock!

    I am extremely anal about order. I need to see vacuum lines in the carpet to breathe a sigh a relief. What I am finding as I write is that the time I used for cleaning has been sucked away. Working full-time and working on my off hours has consumed much of my day.

    The disorder of my home is falling more and more to the norm.

    I just haven't found a way to make it all flow. *Sigh*

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  6. I definitely need order, although that's hard to have some days! If my environment is out of order, then I tend to feel disorganized. And same with the mental disorder--if kids are bickering, or if I'm having PMS, then it's harder to focus too!

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  7. Hey, Wendy!

    I definitely work better when things are neat and there's not a lot of clutter. I work best in quiet. Actually, it's all about peace. I work where it's peaceful. If it's not, My creativity is gone. The problem is that I hate cleaning. It's just that the finished result is so great!

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  8. I can't type away unless there isn't mess around me --otherwise I obsess over it!LOL Enjoy your get together tonight! ANd I saw that about T. Anne and was so excited for her!!

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  9. I work on my couch. I have a laptop and it's so much warmer here than in my chilly basement where the computer desk is. I need silence to really write. I can do blogging and Facebook and all that with the TV on...but not actual writing or even editing. As far as chaos...I have a real hard time concentrating or even relaxing for that matter, if the room is scattered with toys or cups or hubby's discarded socks.

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  10. oh yes - I am an order loving person for sure!! I must have organized surroundings to have organized thoughts! I simply cannot write in a chaotic room! It is probably very helpful that both my husband and I are a little but OCD! :P

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  11. I don't know because at any given time I might be taken to a different point of view of what I am doing and why it's important. Having several moment's like this happen where the house is a shambles and truly needs lots of help before I dare let one foot across that threshold I have to stop and ask what if that foot belong to Jesus and would I be willing to turn him away because of the chaos in my house. No probably not because he would understand.. just as the friends that really matter understand when you house isn't perfect or even close they also understand when things are going just right and things are in there proper places. I am a fly baby http://www.flylady.net/. which helps a bit when I am not ill and life isn't going in twenty million directions. But I also look at it this way this is who I am give or take for good or bad. My house is where I live life and trust me my house looks lived in. I still have my little things that save me I always try to have the sink in the kitchen clean, the front rug vacuumed and a Clorox wipe down to the guest sink. I would love to be able to have the house spotless, but even if my house wasn't 3,000sq ft and was only 500 sq ft it would still be just as messy because I have kids and a dog, a husband who loves to cook and teach the kids new things about food, he love to work with things on and around the house. I love to read and believe books should live every where in a child's life, and an adults.. I am working on reading two books right now...figuring out how to blog regularly and doing a home daycare.... all together. I guess really I am just rambling on.. being sick with the flu (stay far way just regular flu but still) Cold and Flu Meds must really get to me. I guess to answer your question is do I need quiet/calm / clean to write no. I can read and write with the walls falling down around me some times depending on the book or the desire to write I do... Then I go back to trying to remember to Make the bed everyday, shine the sink every night and vacuum before daycare parents show up in the morning.

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  12. Oh Wendy, I absolutely cannot THINK when my house is in chaos. With a family and a busy life, I have to realistically let go of my "need" for a perfectly organized home. I still ADORE a clean, crisp home, with everything in its place, and that's my aim. I just don't always get what I want. :(

    My office, however, is a whole 'nother story. I MUST keep it tidy, or I'm so overwhelmed by the mess I cannot write. So it stays fairly tidy, (unless I'm on some crazy deadlines).

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  13. It is surprising to see so many voicing the same feeling. Can we sum it up by saying cleanliness instills creativity. It certainly does for me. At my house a chaotic mess seems to scream back at me and fight for my attention. When everything is in its' place, inner peace takes over and the ideas gently surrender and float on to the page.
    Wishing you much success at your get together tonight.

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  14. This is a timely post for me. I'm trying to return my house to a state of order today as well. I always thought the mess didn't bother me, but it really has been getting to me. I find that I can't focus on writing when I have cleaning in the back of my mind. I'm tackling it today, so I'm hoping to write tomorrow.

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  15. I work better in a clean space. Today's going to be a cleaning day for me too. My house isn't completely out of control but I haven't dusted or cleaned bathrooms for a few weeks and it's getting a little gross.

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  16. Wendy, You are so sweet!!!!!! Thank you.

    At my house, the dust never leaves. The instant I dust it appears within moments. I've even tried to scrub down my furniture with bounce. The only thing I can conclude is that here is southern Cal we have power dust. It's simply the superhero of household contaminentes (sp) and it exists happily at my house. Also, I have almost given up on the window wars. I have thre huge sliders which equals lots of hand prints. No sooner do I wash them down, than they have a freshly applied coat of finger prints and dog paws on them.

    And since I've got my ranting mojo going... why does blogger bother to tell me I've misspelt a word if it has no intention of telling me how to correct it? ;)

    God's still on the throne... all is good.

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  17. No matter how hard I try (and maybe I need to try harder!) I am a fanatic about neatness and organization. And it affects my writing a lot. I find myself self editing at the end of every paragraph...over and over. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever write something new! I'm working on letting go of lots of things, to do lists and passing the white glove clean house. Once I start writing I forget about all those things and can accomplish lots more.

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  18. Oh how I laughed when I read some of these comments, because I completely saw myself in them. Vacuum cleaner lines on the carpet? Beautiful! Cleanliness is next to happiness ... a place for everything, and everything in its place, and then my words fall into place :)

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  19. I posted on this same subject awhile back. http://binaspace.blogspot.com/2009/08/dust-bunnies-and-praise-music.html
    I realize that I also leave the house cleaning to the last day, but that is because I know that I work best under pressure...I tackle it to perfection if I know that HAVE to have it done by a certain time. When I try to spread it out, my ADHD kicks into gear and I get nothing accomplished...
    Praying for calm in the heart and a completion in time for this evening's gathering!

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  20. Oh, Wendy, I feel your pain. I am there with you. I try to keep up but it doesn't happen. The only time I kept my house clean was when I wasn't working. Too many fun, lovely, creative activities beg me to come along.

    I will pray for you...

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  21. I don't have to complete order but I do need to know that I've finished my mental tasklist for the day. :-)
    I've def. cleaned in one day. LOL Have fun!

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  22. Just thought I'd let you all know I'm still cleaning. :O(
    But, am I gaining order? Hmmmmm.

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  23. I totally need order. A messy area messes my head and then I can't think.

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  24. I need order. But getting to that state can drive a gal nuts. In fact, I just dropped off half a van load of outgrown clothes to Goodwill this morning. Feels pretty good!

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  25. I'm hoping you made more progress! With a husband having just had knee surgery, cleaning is...well, non-existent at the moment!

    I have to have some order when I'm writing. If my house is too chaotic, I usually will go to Starbucks or Barnes and Noble to properly ignore it :)

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  26. I like order, but when I'm working on a big project or several at a time, everything is all out in the open, visible. That way I can see what I need, what I have.... I can write with the TV on, music, but not people. I share the computer with my hubbie who works at home right now, so it's rather chaotic at the moment....sigh... But I would LOVE clean and order.

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  27. I am familiar with shambles. :-) I've also given myself a day to clean it up before, too. Yes, it's harder for me to write in the shambles, but I've had to become accustomed to it! If I had to wait until my house was clean to write, no writing would occur.

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  28. yes everything has to be in its place or i cannot write.

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  29. I absolutely LOATHE cleaning, but I must do it, because there reaches a point where I get so incredibly stressed out, and this post has a high positive correlation with the state of my house. The messier my house, the messier my mood. The cleaner my house, the happier my mood. And happy mood = much more productive.

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  30. For me in general, order brings peace. That and quiet time seems to find joy in my head and heart. :O)

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  31. I work better, and live better with a reasonable amount of order around me. Isn't always there but I try.
    Diane

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  32. So...inquiring minds want to know... How did it all go??? :)

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  33. I need order! It keeps me sane and unfortunately, I'm pretty much a wreck right now. Still getting things done at the new place and it just doesn't get done fast enough. Soon... very soon!

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  34. I feel better when the house is in order. But with our chaotic lifestyle, sometimes I let things go. Hubby and kids cringe when I've had enough because we have a cleaning surge to catch up.

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  35. I feel like when my house is in order things run much more smoothly (obviously!) But when it comes to writing, I just need a quiet corner in the midst of my usual mess to get going.

    This month though I've really been challenging myself to make sure everything has a place and not let things pile up.

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