3 Things Every Creative Workspace Actually Needs

Real life, real clutter, and what actually matters in a creative space.

Hi friends, right now, if you walked into my studio, you’d see boxes everywhere. Half-full boxes that are eventually going to the garage, piles of things that belong in those boxes, and exactly zero clean surfaces.

All of this started when the baby’s room took over my old storage space. My shop inventory, shipping materials, Awesome Ladies Live supplies, and a bunch of “once in a while” stuff all got displaced—and it all landed in here.

So today we’re talking about what actually matters in a functional creative space, especially in a messy, transitional season.

Because big changes happen in our lives, and sometimes that means our creative spaces become disaster zones for a while. That doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It just means you’re in the middle of figuring out what works now.

Here’s what we’ll cover in this email:

• Why “functional” doesn’t mean “perfectly organized”

• The three essentials I’m focusing on in my own studio

• A simple weekend homework assignment to make your space easier to create in

Ready to make your space work for you (not some hypothetical person on Instagram)? Let’s go.

What a functional creative space doesn’t mean

When I say “functional creative space,” here’s what I don’t mean:

• I don’t mean perfectly clean.

• I don’t mean everything has a matching container and a label.

• I don’t mean there’s nothing out on your desk.

Right now, every surface in my studio has stuff on it. Some of it is purposeful and some of it is “I didn’t know where else to put this.” I’ve definitely had moments of, “Cool, I can’t even see my standing desk, let alone use it.”

But there have been wins too.
I’ve got boxes of good supplies ready to:

• go into destash boxes,

• get saved for Jeff’s classroom,

• or get used at next year’s Awesome Ladies Live.

Those things are organized and put away for Future Me to pull out when I actually need them. That feels really good.

For me, functional right now means:

I can walk into my studio, come to my desk, grab what I want, and make a page—without worrying I’m going to knock over six different precarious piles.

That’s it. That’s the bar.

I want you to feel seen and not alone in this: real people have real clutter. Perfection isn’t real. The goal isn’t “perfect studio.” The goal is “easy enough to make something.”

How my definition of “functional” has changed

Five years ago, a functional creative space for me meant:

• lots of projects going at once,

• lots of supplies visible,

• lots of options.

Now? I’m in a totally different season.

I know I’m going to have less time for projects and fewer projects on my list. I’m not going to be juggling 5–6 different albums and classrooms and experiments at the same time. I’m narrowing things down to three main creative projects for 2026 (we’ll talk more about those in a future newsletter).

That means:
I genuinely do not need as much stuff around as I used to.

So my priorities for a functional creative space right now are simple:

1. Adequate storage (for what I’m actually using)

2. A usable work surface

3. Organizational tools that I’ll actually keep up with

Let’s break those down.

Priority #1: Adequate storage (for right now and later)

When I say “adequate storage,” I’m talking about using the big pieces I already have:

• My big standing desk

  • 3 big drawers (see above)

  • 2 full shelves underneath

  • Perfect for half-crates and long containers I can pull out and actually see into.

• My 4×4 Kallax from IKEA

  • Some 12×12 paper storage

  • Four cubes with 2-drawer inserts

  • Lots of space for boxes and bins.

• A metal rack on the other side of the desk

  • Right now it’s holding overflow shop inventory-type things.

  • It’s…fine. Not ideal. It’s on the “we’ll fix that later” list since it’s not actively in my way.

What absolutely needs a dedicated home for my brain to feel calm?

• Paper scraps.
  They are everywhere. I need them sorted by size and stored in a way where I can easily pull them out and use them instead of losing them in random piles.

A few storage things I still swear by:

• Half-crates on the desk shelves

  • One for adhesives

  • One for paints

  • One for finished Daily Pages books (which probably need to move off the prime real estate soon).

• Clear drawers for small embellishments and die cuts

  • Sorted by color.

  • I can grab “yellow/orange” or “neutrals” and just flip through until I find the right sentiment/shape.

  • They look good and they’re functional.

• A kitchen countertop organizer on my desk

  • Four divided sections

  • Cutting tools, pens/pencils, paintbrushes, and other random tools.

  • Everything I might need during Daily Pages is within arm’s reach.

And then there’s the stuff that used to be front and center and just isn’t anymore:

• My stamp storage system used to be amazing.
  I’m not using stamps nearly as much right now, so having them in the prime zone is a waste of space.

• Same with washi tape.
  I still love it, but I don’t need it living right in front of me.

Because I know I’m heading into a baby season, I’m also doing this:

• Putting together big Rubbermaid bins labeled “Don’t open until 2027.”

• I’ve got specific projects planned for that future season.

• Anything that doesn’t serve the projects I’m working on next year gets lovingly packed up and stored in the garage.

Your Turn: Storage

• What supplies in your space absolutely need their own “home” for your brain to relax?

• Is there something that used to be front and center that you don’t actually use right now? Could it move?

If you only have energy for one storage upgrade this month, start with an inventory of the containers you already own. You will almost always find extra baskets, tins, and boxes hiding in your house (especially in the kitchen and bedroom).

You don’t need craft-branded containers.

But if you want something new and fun, I really love these clear drawers for small embellishments sorted by color—they’re functional, easy to use, and honestly kind of delightful to look at on my desk.

Priority #2: A usable work surface

My main work surface is my standing desk. For a Daily Pages session to feel good, I need:

• The middle section of my desk cleared off, minimum.

• My 3-drawer bin on the left.

• My kitchen organizer in the center.

• My clear embellishment drawers on the right.

That’s my baseline “clean desk” setup.
Right now, though? There are extra storage containers creeping into that zone and blocking other drawers and bins from opening fully. That drives me bonkers.

The sneakiest thing that piles up on my desk and does not need to live there?

• My garbage bin.
  It’s useful, but it doesn’t belong in the middle of my work triangle.

When my work surface is usable, my whole body feels calmer.
When I’m trying to work around piles, my anxiety ticks up. It’s that simple.

I try to give my future self a gift by clearing things off on Fridays after Daily Pages so I can walk into a clean desk on Monday. Lately, that hasn’t been happening as much because weekends have turned into “studio organizing time,” which means my desk becomes the temporary landing zone for whatever I’m sorting.

Sometimes that’s just the season. But the goal is still:

One steady, reliable landing strip where I can drop my notebook and actually make something.

Your Turn: Work Surface (especially if you have a tiny space)

If you’re working on a kitchen table, a tiny desk, or a lap setup, here’s my advice:

1. Define what “totally clean” looks like.
   Where does your notebook go? Your glue? Your scissors? Where does your stuff live when you’re not using it?

2. Don’t overdo it with supplies.
   You don’t need your entire stash out for a 30-minute session. Pick a small set for today.

3. Budget time for setup and cleanup.
   If you have 30 minutes to create, you are probably going to be actively making something for 15–20 of those minutes—max.
   The rest is:

   • pulling out your supplies,

   • figuring out what you’re doing,

   • and resetting the space afterwards.

If you plan for that buffer time, you’re way less likely to feel disappointed or behind. You’ll finish, look around, and think: “Okay. I did the thing and I can still eat dinner at this table.”

Priority #3: Organizational tools that actually get used

I love containers. Specifically:

• clear containers

• open-top containers

• zipper pouches

• plastic bags

Those are the things I actually use.

Some specifics:

• I keep gel prints in plastic bags, sorted by warm/cool/neutrals.

• I keep themed products (like Halloween or Christmas) in clear zipper pouches with different colored zippers.

  • Halloween lives in an orange-zippered pouch,

  • Christmas lives in a green-zippered pouch,

  • and so on.
    I can open the drawer, grab the right pouch, and go.

One simple system that’s been a huge win:

• Sorting my small embellishments and “little bits” by color (see above).
  When I’m using those supplies, I’m almost always looking for a color first. So I start there and then pick the right shape or sentiment.

What hasn’t worked for me:

• Over-labeling things.
  Labels are great when similar items live together, but when everything is too regimented, I feel like I’m “doing it wrong” if I toss something in the “wrong” drawer. That makes cleanup harder, not easier.

• Trays.
  They sound good in theory, but I forget what’s on them, then get annoyed when I rediscover something important that’s been hiding in a tray for three weeks.

• Organizing by brand.
  I used to do this back when I was getting a lot from scrapbook manufacturers. Now most of my new stuff is from Ali Edwards or from the art store, and a lot of the old-school brands either aren’t around or just aren’t my style. It’s not a meaningful category anymore.

To balance “put everything away” with “keep some stuff out so I actually use it,” I:

• Keep a few small, pretty bowls (Anthropologie forever) on my desk.
  They hold new stuff, super-inspiring scraps, or little bits I just made.

• When a bowl gets too full, that’s my cue it’s time to sort through and decide what still feels exciting and what can get put away or passed along.

Real life energy + minimum viable tidy

Chronic pain and fluctuating energy absolutely shape what’s realistic for me here.

• I do things in short bursts.

• I plan out which small area I’m tackling before I start.

• I give myself full permission to stop when I’m feeling extra shitty.

If I only have 10–15 minutes in a day to “fix” my space, I:

• Pick one specific spot (one shelf, one bin, one corner of the desk).

• Declutter that, put away what I’m definitely not using next year, and that’s it.

This is a long-term project. It’s not getting done in a day, or a week, or probably even a month. And that’s okay.

There’s the fantasy version of a studio overhaul where I spend a ton of money on new shelves, wall storage, craft-specific organization, all matching and gorgeous.

And then there’s reality:

I know what I need to work in my space. I’m doing the best I can with what I have, in the season I’m in.

That’s enough.

Weekend homework (3 simple steps)

If you want a practical way to act on this, here’s your three-step homework assignment for the weekend:

1. Inventory your containers and storage space.
   Look at what you already have—baskets, boxes, drawers, bins, jars. Know what you’re working with before you buy anything new.

2. Clear your primary work surface.
   Desk, table, lap tray—whatever it is, clean it off enough that you could sit down and make a page without moving piles around.

3. Surround yourself with what you use most often.
   Put your most-used tools and supplies in the prime zone. Everything else can move a step or two further away or into “future season” storage.

And if you want a 15-minute quick win?

Literally just throw out the trash and recycling.
You’ll be shocked how much physical and mental space that frees up.

Your Turn

I’d love to hear from you:

What’s one tweak you can make to your space this week?
Reply and tell me, or share a quick before/after in whatever way works for you.

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Here’s what we covered today:

• “Functional” doesn’t mean “perfect”—it means easy enough to make something with the energy you actually have.

• The three essentials of a creative space: adequate storage, a usable work surface, and organizational tools you’ll actually use.

• Small, realistic steps you can take this weekend to make your future creative self’s life easier.

Action step: Pick one of those three areas and give it 10–15 minutes of attention. Your space doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to work well enough that you can keep telling your story, your way.

Talk to you next week!

xoxo,

Kristin

P.S. If you’re enjoying these newsletters, please consider sharing this edition with a friend who might need a little creative boost today.