Over the summer I embarked on the project of refining and organizing the office materials library.  Although conventional entrepreneurial wisdom would say I should delegate this task, I felt drawn to do this myself.  I also wanted to approach it in an unhurried, methodical, and loving way.  So, a few mornings a week, I set a 20-minute timer and made it my first activity of the day.  When the time was up, I would want to keep going, but I moved on with my day and looked forward to the next time.

I started with fabrics, which are hands-down my favorite tool of the Trade.  It was like getting re-acquainted with old friends when I was reminded of special fabrics I’ve collected over the years for future inspiration.  

It feels like a confession when I share that it was like playtime to me.  Could I seriously consider this to be part of my work? But after each 20-minute session (well, sometimes 30 minutes…), I felt energized by the creative sparks, and that feeling of Flow that Mihàly Csíkszentmihályi writes about.

Even though I wasn’t pulling fabrics for a specific project, the process of handling the fabrics prompted endless ideas for combinations that I’ll mentally file away for the future.  And I’ll enjoy the creative buzz right now.

One of my summer reads, Essentialism by Greg McEown, put words to my feeling that this play-like work has value to my business.  When I got to Chapter 7 on ‘Play and Embracing the Wisdom of Your Inner Child,’ I decided to lean into what I previously might have considered my ‘Type A’ tendencies.

Using this slow and steady approach to organizing the library means that I’ll be at it for a while…maybe indefinitely.  I think that is actually a good thing.

If you share my love for fabrics, keep in mind that one of the services we offer is to reimagine your existing upholstered furniture with fresh new fabrics.  If you’d like to talk to me about your interior design project, click the link below to submit an inquiry form and schedule a Discovery Call:

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