SINGING THE PRAISES OF ORGANIZATION

Organization is a tool that can make life a better place.

During my February break, I took several days away from my school work to organize my house and office.  I relish finding baskets that are just the right size to hold materials.  I love going into drawers that have drawn clutter to pitch and reorganize.  Going through old files to throw away unneeded paper is exciting.  Creating a pile of clothes to donate that haven’t been worn in the last year rocks my boat.  Organization is important.  It makes life more efficient.

I admire the organization of a good book.  Right now I am reading Poser, My Life in 23 Yoga Poses by Claire Dederer.  This book is enjoyable for me, not only because of the writing, but also because of the clever organization.  The author organizes each chapter around a yoga pose and discusses both what the pose has done for her, but more poignantly, what that pose symbolizes on a deeper level of her life.  I am attracted to books that have a unique kind of organizational style.  Another that comes to my mind is Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, a book that is divided into three sections, each representing a part of a year of self-discovery.   And my favorite, The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, where each chapter begins by foreshadowing what will happen, but in such a way that as you read, the unexpected always happens with the foreshadowing intact.  If the writing is good and the organizational structure enhances the writing, the book is delightful.   Organization is important.  It is an invitation into understanding.

I have, over the years, though, needed to let go of organization and not beat myself up when the house gets messy or the piles pile up.  This year is one of those years.  I am busy beyond measure and I find myself planning late into the night.  What I let go of is the need to not have piles—knowing that in a day, or a week or a month, I will spend time putting things away.  This was a turn-around moment for me when I let myself feel ok about not having my office and my house look perfect.  I have been in that busy place of chaos before and have felt bad.  This epiphany was different.  I can let go of the order to put my energy into creating, knowing that the piles are acceptable for now and are not a permanent thing.   Organization is important.  But letting go of it when life is full can provide balance.

In teaching I find that balance between organization and creation important.  A classroom that promotes structure in the daily, promotes creativity.   Donald Graves says, “The writer depends on rituals, the artificial but tangible structures of behavior, so the writer can practices the intangibles of our trade.”   Just like my February cleaning used to arrange my sock drawers, having a place for writers’ belongings and a routine for how writers’ workshop looks in this class, allows students to concentrate on their words.   Organization is important.  It is a support to creativity.

And there is the organization of the words.  How many times have I observed students spend so much time organizing that they run out of steam during the actual writing.  Likewise, I see writing spin into oblivion without a plan as to where to go.    Organization is important.  It provides a means to the end.

Organization is a tool that can make life a better place.