Sometimes Neat, Sometimes Not by Bob Krech

I do most of my writing in an extra bedroom upstairs in our house. My computer sits on a kidney bean shaped piece of wood rescued from a dumpster. Two file cabinets underneath act as pillars. There are printers, computers, and a fax machine on top, along with files, books, paper, a phone, notebooks and anything else I deem necessary to have at hand (ie; Cheetos). There is an old teacher's desk (very appropriate since I am an old teacher!) where I do non-creative things like paying bills. On the opposite wall are bookcases full of books and magazines. A pullout couch gives me a space to sprawl and edit away from the computer and also helps the room double as a guest room.

The space swings from neat to horribly messy. The photos here document the h-messy stage, which to be honest, is the usual condition. Sometimes I feel the urge to eliminate all clutter and I'll spend a day cleaning, straightening, and throwing things out. Usually at the beginning of a project.  I'm not sure if that is a convenient excuse not to attend to the writing that day, or whether somehow cleaning everything up really helps me focus and begin. Other times I can create and maintain "the cocoon of concentration" in the middle of the mess, and it wouldn't matter at all how the surroundings looked. Neat or not though, it's nice to have a space.