Messy is Good
I would have loved to have met Erma Bombeck, and Albert Einstein. How could I put two very different legendary people together? They understood the value of messy to a creative mind.
I’ll tell you right now, I don’t trust people with a squeaky clean house or a sparkling desk. As a creative, I like discovery, and there’s not much to discover in emptiness.
To be clear, I am not a slob! Most times, I pick up my food plates and cups. That would be gross if I didn’t. It’s true what my family says, my mess does tend to spread. I do have multiple thinking spots around the house. There are things mixed together that shouldn’t be. But Erma Bombeck would understand.
Perspective: to quote June Silvna “It’s hard for a person with ADD to keep things in order because their brain doesn’t function in an orderly manner… piles are their favorite method of organizing… visible items are easier to remember”. Ms. Silvna has a deep understanding of the workings of a ADD/ADHD brain and has a fascinating way of connecting dots from brain to behavior.
Cited: https://www.addrc.org/20-things-to-remember-if-you-love-a-person-with-add/
Table of Contents
Cluttered desks
In Einstein’s famous words, “If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is an empty desk a sign of?” I invite you to slip off for a minute and brain tour the messy desks/workspaces of people you’re familiar with, or maybe yourself.
What is your reaction? How do you feel? Are you disgusted or intrigued? I feel my brain tingling, definitely intrigued and curious. It feels like there is a great story lying behind it all. I want to get to know more about the owner of the mess, they must be so very interesting. I want to know the way they think and tick. What are they working on? What is occupying their minds?
Of course, that’s me – and you too, I am guessing. If you are looking for validation of your messy ways, you have it. We all know that the next orderly person will walk in and be appalled at the mess. Hey, sometimes I’m even appalled.
That’s why the public areas of your house should maintain some control. Nobody gets to dictate my private space nor will I ever concede to prioritize a tidy space above my brain’s creative needs.
Messy house
Erma Bombeck’s witty comments defend parents with a less-than-perfect house. She values the realness of raising a family over appearances. She points out that a messy house means that the parents are interacting with their children, spending time together, and making memories.
I urge young parents to read Erma’s evergreen wisdom. In the age of social media that glorifies unrealistic lives, we need to drop unattainble standards. And that’s for everyone, not just the hopelessly disorganized.
I remember my mom, waiting until the last minute to clean up for a party. It was quite the scene as her five kids shuffled boxes and piles out of site, always a mad, 2-hour dash. Now, I am the adult, and I get it. I understand better how her brain was wired.
She was always distracted, maybe even procrastinating. She was a social butterfly. I can see her brain pulling her off into other directions, instead of getting the house ready while we were at school.
I have seen my mom clean, and take pride in her personal appearance. She was quite capable of having a clean house. That is the difference between a slob and a person with a disorganized mind. If you fall into the slob category, you’ve got other issues to deal with.
Messy beds
A few years ago, there was quite the hub bub about the book “Make Your Bed” released by Admiral William H. McRaven. The admiral urged readers to start the day with an accomplishment. Making your bed each morning is one small step to building good habits and being more self-disciplined. McRaven breaks down 10 lessons within the read — by making the effort to do small things, you can achieve more.
Admittedly, I have not read the book. I will have to do that for my book reviews, from the perspective of a life-long disorganized person. Instinctively, I know that the personality of a United States admiral and my own is eons apart. Forgive me for being judgmental, but I don’t think that book will do much for me.
Renee’s Rabbit Hole supports persons that naturally struggle against structure in their life. I focus on solutions that work with unique brains, not against them. To be fair, I promise you I will read the book. This wouldn’t be a very unbiased article if I didn’t.
Creative people don’t have a mess, we have creative ideas lying around everywhere.
Full disclosure, it’s hit and miss for me if I make my bed in the morning. I make no apologies. A made bed directly correlates with what I have going on at the time. I’m a person who jumps out of bed in the morning, hitting the ground running.
I get up super early to have delicious alone brain time. It has been an all-out battle to set boundaries with life and family to find this time. I’m desperate to make the most of it, and making a bed would cut into that freedom.
After a few a.m. chores, I’m getting dressed for my day job and off to work. My messy bed is not about being lazy, it’s about setting priorities. Do I stop and make a bed, or start my morning giving it all to the world? What’s your excuse?
Conclusion
I don’t want to leave you feeling that I live in a complete dump, lacking self-control and cleaning skills. The dance between my brain in action and being oblivious to my environment is how I work. That, I don’t have control over. The shackles of pausing to tidy interferes with my creative flow.
Albert would understand.
