Deadlines, Distractions, and Desert-Inspired Art

May 31, 2025

My artwork is currently on display at the Carlsbad Museum in Carlsbad, NM, through June 13th, as part of the annual Carlsbad Area Arts Association group show. As both an artist and home organizer, I wanted to write a post about how I organize my ideas and artmaking space so that I can actually finish projects, especially as someone with ADHD. I can certainly hyperfocus on what I’m making, so it’s a delicate balance to keep the artwork continually moving forward without losing momentum by getting distracted. I’ll also share photos of the pieces I made for the show. If you’re someone who juggles organization and inspiration, this article is for you!

Scroll to the end to see photos of the work.

Organizing My Ideas

Over the past decade or more, my artwork has been very snowflake based. I started the snowflakes when I was in grad school in Rhode Island. It was very snowy in the winter, and I became more and more inspired to make artwork and designs that were crystalline, geometric, starry, hexagonal, or somehow inspired snowflakes. Those designs have been continuing to progress, but since moving down to the Southwest, I kept having special encounters with animals, and wanted to make artwork about it. Simultaneously, I have been absolutely mesmerized by the gorgeous striated rocks and beaming sunsets. I knew I wanted to pivot towards making animal designs, but I had never done that before. I started brainstorming all the animals that I had seen, and other animals that lived in the Chihuahuan desert that I might want to make artwork about. The list started to get really long. I was writing down ideas for animals to make on post-it notes, my Notes app, emailing ideas to myself. I decided to create a Word document as the home base for all my animal ideas. I divided the list up into birds, reptiles/amphibians, insects/invertebrates/fish, and mammals. I made 2 columns, so I could move the animals that I had finished into the “done” section. I have now made 12, but I plan on making many more, so I knew I needed to get these ideas organized. I use the computer to draw the animals, so each time I made a new animal, I would make a new folder within my “animals” folder (that’s within my “artwork” folder) to make sure I can find things in the future.

Organizing My Workspaces & Materials

My three main workspaces are my computer desk/hard drive, my art desk, and my “shop”. I tend to like things neat enough so I can find what I need, but messy enough that I can find what I need. Haha! But seriously, when I’m working, I need easy access to a bunch of different tools, but that doesn’t mean they are all put away each time. I also probably have a few too many other projects accessible, which isn’t ideal, but it’s also OK. The point of what I’m trying to say is I’m not a perfectionist when it comes to organizing. My workspace is not perfectly tidy. It’s more important for me to let myself make artwork than get hung up on making everything perfectly tidy. If you’re in the artmaking flow, it’s much healthier to keep it going than to interrupt the creative process to clean up, UNLESS you’re in a group situation or your mess is getting in someone else’s way. But if you’re at home in your own space, and your mess is not hindering your creative process, keep making. If your space is so messy that you don’t feel inspired or can’t make anything, that’s when you need to stop what you’re doing and clean up after yourself.

My computer desk: On my desk, I have all the necessary computer stuff, plus some rocks to play with, lip gloss, basic office supplies (pens, highlighters, white-out, a stapler, a calculator, etc.) I also have a pad of post-it notes, and some current post-it notes that I go through on a regular basis. And now, although I’m not a huge fan, I have to keep my trashcan on my desk as well, so my sweet little young Jack Russell stops pulling everything out. My desk has drawers that are organized that contain other office supplies, cardstock, and paper.

My art desk: This one can get a little crazy sometimes, but I kind of like it like that. I have a nice cutting mat on the surface, which I will cover with wax or parchment paper if I’m painting or gluing something. I also have a nice light that makes it easier to see. This is where I do most of my painting, cutting, and sometimes gluing. I also probably have too many other projects in progress on this desk so I can keep them top of mind, but if it starts to hinder my productivity, I’ll stop and put things away. At my art desk, I have drawers that are clearly labeled for tape, glue, cutting supplies, measuring supplies, tools, paint, printmaking, etc. Next to my desk is a closet that I have extra supplies organized into. Depending on what I’m working on, I may rotate certain supplies so they are easier to access.

My shop: This is the place where I store extra tools and supplies, but it’s also where I do spray painting or spray adhesive. It’s the size of a 2 car garage, and has a big roll- up door. If it had a sink, I would be out there a lot more, but it’s a great space for being able to spray paint and let it dry without having to breathe in a bunch of fumes. In the future, I would love to have more glass working equipment out there, like a bigger kiln or possibly even a small furnace.

Organizing My Time

This part can get really tricky, since I can get so glued to what I’m doing that I completely lose track of time. I use a calendar to help me set deadlines for when things need to be completed. I use timers to try and help me not get too sucked in to what I’m doing. There were a few days I had to text my yoga teacher to tell her I was skipping class because I was so hyper focused. But since I was working towards a deadline, I knew I would be able to get back to my normal routine once the show was up.

Staying Inspired

I drew 12 new animals for the show, and now that I have those designs drawn, I have started making them into silk-screens and linoleum cuts. I’ve made a bunch of hand-printed greeting cards that are for sale at The Artist Gallery, and I’ve got plans to translate the animals into glass as well. I have lots more ideas for future animals and other things I can do with the animals I’ve already created, so I’ve been doing a lot of experiments. Since I just finished almost 50 greeting cards, even though I could easily keep going with those, I’m pivoting over to finishing a project for a friend and we’ll see what happens next. Like many other people with ADHD, I want to do everything all at once. It’s fun to dabble on different projects at the same time, but I know if I really want to finish something, I’ve got to set a hard deadline for myself.

Final Thoughts

Creative work sometimes really thrives in organized chaos, so if you’re someone who feels you are your most creatively productive when things are a little messy, that’s ok. Do your best to balance structure and spontaneity, and try not to get too hard on yourself if you let your organization slide. Remember: the point of being organized is so you can do the things you want to do. It’s not to restrict you or keep you from doing the things you want to do. So if you find yourself hesitating to make a mess because you don’t want to disrupt your tidy space, consider loosening the reins. Creativity is worth the mess.

Here’s the Art!

Each of these pieces is 8″ x 8″x 1.5″. Mixed media on wood. The gold behind the black cutouts is very metallic looking. If you would like to purchase one, please let me know, and I’ll double-check it’s still available.