Spring Cleaning Time
June 27th, 2006 . by mattIt’s that time again. My girlfriend has moved back to the big city, my room mate is about to move to Syracuse, and my house is a bloody wreck. Truly a nightmare of disorganization. Two years ago, around this time, I completely overhauled my life, and at the same time discovered the supreme pleasures of how an organized living space and life really did entitle you to sit and drink sake and watch hours and hours of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
I’m excited about a new overhaul, but it’s a daunting project. I’m calling upon all the tools I have at my disposal: I’m sure that it isn’t a surprise to many that geek out hard core on the internet that I’ve succumed to the near-religion that is “GTD”, or “Getting Things Done”, a productivity philosophy captured in a book by David Allen. Allen’s guide to effortless workflow is loosely based on his love of the martial arts. The basic idea is that there is no way to truly relax as a human being if your brain is jam-packed with thoughts of what you need to do, and the best way to feel more on top of things is to organize these random thoughts in a more effiicent way, dividing your “to-dos” into their proper projects and contexts. It’s a real reaction to today’s over-stimulated, always-on type of living, that pertains not only to the fast-paced businessman living in Tokyo and New York, but also schlubs like me that dabbles in freelance computer work… and has to keep his creative projects organized, too. I’ve found that now, more than ever, I have to govern my own time to the minute, because no one is telling me any more what time to be “in the van”, “at the club”, and when “show time” and “load-out” is.
We just got back from a ten-day “paid vacation” in Asheville, performing for Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance. It was a magical time, from start to finish… Cary Ann and I shared a small apartment donated by a board member of the group, right in the middle of town, and had the freedom to walk anywhere we wanted to. Once again I was reminded how nice and simple life could be when you 1. are in the process of doing something that is utterly fulfilling and productive and 2. you have all the time you need to focus on this lifestyle. And the end of a day was a completion of a hard day’s work, and not just another time to start a to-do list for the next day.
It’s not until I have to squeeze all sorts of different, conflicting lifestyles into one day or week that I become stressed. After a week in Asheville I am reminded again how ridiculously expensive it is to live here in Charleston; how much one has to work to make ends meet. But… all the reason more to find a way to stay on top of things and try to regain equillibrium via organization. It’s highly possible that I’ll either move to a new home come August, or even a new city. Nothing definite, nothing drastic, but a little time to get some things straightened out would be nice, no matter what happens. I welcome any tips!
Here’s a tip- merge Terpsicorps with Kiki Inc. Incorporate a print studio in Chicago, a record label in NYC and open a school of the arts in California. Eventually become the largest artist collective in the country, then planet. Relocate all constutuents to an island in the pacific where we will create our own independend nation and pay no tax. We will all retire at the age of 65 and live out our days as an idyllic, perfect society because, let’s face it, by that time the world will be in the midst of utterly destroying itself. We will then watch the glowing dusk of the final apocalyptic day sipping on margaritas and playing bocce.
Cool. I’m ready. Let’s go!
Let me know if/when you need a decorating and/or shopping partner. I LOVE it.
teach me your secrets to organizing! I’m in the midst of my summer project which is to purge my apartment of all the crap that is cluttering my life and I’m finding myself utterly disappointed, frustrated, and distracted! I get overwhelmed when i look at it all and have no idea where to start.
I completely relate to what you said about not being able to relax while the brain is too busy trying to focus on all the stuff that needs to be done! That is my life lately! It’s not healthy and I so want to improve.
Oh, and I want to live on the island too. Need a secretary or music teacher? hahaha
A friend of mine and I drove up from Atlanta to see the performance in Asheville, and we were completely blown away. Kudos to you and all the cast members for a night of unforgettable joy and laughter. Really, congratulations are due to you and your brother. I haven’t had a chance to see either of you since Jump played in Athens last year, and seeing you both again was an incredible treat.
As a fellow artist, I could recommend the theater scene in Atlanta. Performance is an area really coming into its own here. There are several dance companies, amazing venues, and the option of several arts friendly cities nearby such as Augusta, Savannah, and Athens.
I, also, just had the extreme pleasure of having a paid vacation in the country: I worked for three weeks at a nice summer stock theatre on a lake in rural Minnesota. It was idyllic, and I agree with this:
“Once again I was reminded how nice and simple life could be when you 1. are in the process of doing something that is utterly fulfilling and productive and 2. you have all the time you need to focus on this lifestyle. And the end of a day was a completion of a hard day’s work, and not just another time to start a to-do list for the next day.”
I’ve only been home for one full day and I have a mile-long to-do list in my head.
amen ash.
That sounds like a book I should buy. But, as a procrastinator of ridiculous proportions, I’d probably never get around to actually reading it, so what’s the point?
Good luck with organizing! Tips? Hmmmm. Sign up at 101-reminders.com to send yourself e-mail reminders. It’s a lifesaver, especially if you’re like me and have a profound allergy to datebooks.
You should read the book The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp. Very relevent to what you have to say in this entry.