What good is an organized, clean, pretty studio with all your prized supplies right where you need them, if you can’t find your reference material? We all have reference material. If it is exemplars, guidelines, photos, photos of photos, poetry, thumbnails, we have them. But the big question is how we find what we are looking for without taking up half of the day, working ourselves into frenzy, loosing the urge to create and creating a need to have a snack by the time we’re done.
Today we are working our way through a quick search system. You can be as elaborate with it as you need to or as simple as you want it to be. However you decide to organize, this method should be able to grow and expand as needed.
The techno age has affected all of us and whether you are a serious technophile or prefer the sharpened No. 2 pencils, you would follow the same principles as you would when you created the physical filing system back in the day. Or as my son calls it, “the black and white days.”
Personally, I think in color. Let’s start with file folders. As much as I depend on my computer, there is no way around it, I still have a mess of paper to deal with in my studio and I use trusty old file folders. Categorize by color. Try to pick colors that have meaning for easier association; i.e., green can mean health, payroll, or nature; red can mean urgent, bills, or favorite; pink and blue can be children, etc. your choice. Use file folders or file holders in the appropriate color and/or use color dots or dab some color on your file so you know what category it goes in to refile at a glance. Use colored labels on the files in the appropriate category as well and file them accordingly. Think of it as a book (category), and the files are chapters in your book (category). You can have as many categories (books) and files (chapters) as you need and you can edit as needed.
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| Color coded files |
What if you can’t remember all your colors? Color code an index card or paper and file it with your master file or pin it to your magnetic board for quick reference to remind you what colors mean until you get the hang of it.
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| Color Code Key |
Clipping file or box. Try a clipping file or box. Every time you come across something you would like to keep for reference, clip it out and place it in a clipping file or box. Make a notation on the clipping as to what attracted you to the reference to begin with. When you go to retrieve it, think about why you needed it at this time, and then you can give it a new home and file it into its’ appropriate category. Sometimes you may run across something that no longer meets your needs or you can’t remember why you were keeping it, throw it away. No sense keeping it thinking it will come back to you later. There will be other things that will work just as well later. Be brave, and learn to let go. You can also use this system if you are working with multiple on-going projects and need to keep them straight. Use the same method. You can have as many files or boxes as you need; i.e., one for card making, homework, projects, and clients, etc. Label and color code your work in process in files or boxes as well.
Anyway we look at it; the computer is here to stay. Set up your documents and pics the same way. The only difference is that your folders may all be yellow, but within that little yellow folder, you can add as many files as you need and move them around when you find a more appropriate place for them. If you are scanning in a hard copy, keep a master file (just in case). Work/scan/copy as you go to prevent the paper zone from piling up. A word of caution about your computer. . . save, save, save, and backup, frequently.
This is my quick search method that works for me, but by all means, please share your way of searching for your material.
Quote:
"A creative block is the wall we erect to ward off the anxiety we suppose we'll experience if we sit down to work." -Eric Maisel-
Meet me here Thursday. We're visiting a studio on the go.
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