Practical quick tips for more order in the atelier or studio 

If you're an artist, your studio can quickly become a chaotic mess. Often, you just want to get started, but you're searching for the right clean brushes, canvases, or other supplies. If this chaos gets out of hand, it can lead to frustration and hinder your creative process.

With a few simple changes and measures, you can bring order to your studio without losing your creative freedom. 

Why order helps every artist work

An organized space gives you peace of mind. You don't have to search for things, so you can channel your energy directly into painting, drawing, or sculpting . Here, you'll often read about how essential an inspiring environment is for artistic processes. And that includes a certain basic order, which can extend your day by several hours because you no longer have to search for things.

Simply put : The less you have to search for things in your daily work, the more time you have to accomplish. Furthermore, you remain relaxed and avoid getting frustrated when you want to implement your ideas.

In many studios, the situation is further complicated by the fact that available space is severely limited. Here, it is particularly crucial to establish clever storage solutions that make the available space truly usable and accessible. A sturdy shelving unit for your storage is just one of many solutions that no studio should be without.

Make good use of storage space in the studio

Consider which materials you use frequently and which you use less often. Keep frequently used items within easy reach, while everything else can be stored further back. Shelves with many compartments are particularly practical for storing materials. A shelving unit with multiple shelves is ideal due to its sturdiness, and these storage solutions can be adapted to any room layout. 

• Make use of the height: Floor-to-ceiling shelves save space.
• Labeling is worthwhile: This way you can quickly find even small things again.
• Transparent boxes: order without losing track of things.

Essential in studios: paints, brushes, sketches, tools—every material needs its own organization. Acrylic or oil paints are best stored in a cool place, and brushes should be able to dry lying down. Hang up a pegboard or magnetic strip: this way, you have essential tools within easy reach and can label the corresponding spots to put everything back in its place.

Tip : If you work with paper, archiving systems like those used by libraries can be helpful. The German National Library offers a comprehensive overview and publishes tips on handling sensitive materials.

Tips from established artists

Balzer Designs ' organization and decluttering video , where the artist openly shows the accumulated supplies and art materials that pile up on every surface in her studio. She tries to clean everything once a month and restore it to its pristine, original state. She doesn't mind working in a bit of chaos, but eventually it all becomes too much.

Illustrator Kat Young of KatArtIllustrations provides helpful insights into the tidying-up work in her studio.

The painter Elizabeth St. Hilaire tends to postpone tidying up for as long as possible. She has shallow drawers for pencils, boxes with lids for various supplies, drawers for paper scraps, markers, and chocolate. Tidying up a small room will always be a work in progress.

Small daily routines – with a big impact 

Take five minutes at the end of the day to roughly organize your workspace. This will help you start the next day more motivated and find everything immediately. If you regularly declutter and ensure every tool has its designated place, you'll notice how much more relaxed your work becomes.

The end result is a space that inspires you, supports your ideas, and where you simply feel comfortable.

This routine can be repeated throughout the day, for example, while other processes require you to wait. While the first layers of paint on a painting are drying, you can wash, clean, and lay out your brushes to dry.

Joachim Rodriguez y Romero

Owner and Managing Director of Kunstplaza . Publicist, editor, and passionate blogger in the fields of art, design, and creativity since 2011. Graduated with a degree in web design from university (2008). Further developed creative techniques through courses in freehand drawing, expressive painting, and theatre/acting. Profound knowledge of the art market gained through years of journalistic research and numerous collaborations with key players and institutions in the arts and culture sector.

www.kunstplaza.de

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Storage options for artists: Self-storage as an extension of the studio. So important: Regular decluttering in the studio . Unleashing creativity: Financing spaces for artists. How artists in urban spaces can reduce studio costs with solar panels: A guide for studio owners. Creative spaces in Hamburg: Orientation for artists searching for a studio in the Hanseatic city.