When you picture a creative person’s desk, do you envision magazines piled up in the corner, pens of every color strewn about and half-done to-do lists all over the place? It’s a cliché that’s all too true. After all, creatives aren’t exactly known for their organizational skills. But perhaps we should adopt some. That’s because research shows clean, clutter-free workspaces are much more conducive to being creative than messy desks. 

So take an afternoon to clean house, er, office. Start by hauling out the trash and re-homing anything that doesn’t belong (hello, nail clippers!). Next, give everything a home. Supplies don’t need to be out of sight, but they do need to have a place, whether that’s in a drawer, on a shelf or tacked up to a bulletin board. Finally, spruce up your space with one or two pieces of art and some plants (bonus creativity points if you pot them yourself), and you’ll be off to the creative races.