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Here's a thing:
Why You Should Have a Messy Desk
What sayeth TypoC? Does your disorganized desk make you a creative genius? Do you keep a clean desk or a messy one?
Why You Should Have a Messy Desk
I think we're all aware of the "method to the madness" phenomenon, but I hadn't thought about messy desks actually providing inspiration.Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, and Mark Twain. What is one thing these three visionaries have in common?
They all had very messy workspaces.
These three game-changers were never ones to follow the crowd, and always enjoyed doing things their own way. We can see this by how unconventionally disorganized their desks are. There was a method to this madness: under the mass of papers, magazines, and various objects, there is a sense of organization only the creator can operate through.
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Recently, a study conducted by the University of Minnesota found that people with a messy desk were more prone to creativity and risk taking, while people at cleaner desks tended to follow strict rules and were less likely to try new things or take risks. Dr. Vohs and her co-authors conclude in the study, “Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition, which can produce fresh insights.â€
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The study in the University of Minnesota featured an experiment where respondents with clean desks chose apples over candy bars, and selected more established solutions over new ones. When you’re generating ideas and concepts, it could help to have a messier desk. However, when you’re trying to be productive, getting a specific task accomplished, or simply need to execute on a creative concept, cleaning your desk can “trade in†your creativity for efficiency.
In case you are trying to be more creative, here are some ideas: instead of throwing out those magazines right after you’re done with them, leave them hanging around your desk. Don’t shelf those books yet. Keep anything that could potentially inspire you (including art prints). “There are two types of messy environments,†Vohs said in an interview with NY Daily News. “One is unkempt and one is dirty. I don’t think these results suggest leaving around banana peels and dirty dishes for a week.
What sayeth TypoC? Does your disorganized desk make you a creative genius? Do you keep a clean desk or a messy one?