Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
A *tidy* stack of books on the floor beneath a table almost always
looks good to me.
  

    
*whew!**
  

    
I think what I need is professional help.  My situation isn't that I
want to make my house more livable, but that I want to crunch down
all my stuff into a "box" that I would feel comfortable renting
storage place for.  I am planning on putting my home on the market,
so I want it to be as empty as possible.  Just the bare necessities.
I figure I could turn one room into a virtual storage space, and
then at some point transfer all that stuff to a real storage place
when I am ready to show the property.  I would like to do a careful
inventory of what's in each box.  I think I need professional help,
because I can't seem to get started, and I think fresh, objective
eyes would help.  Also help with schleping stuff around, and doing
some cleaning, etc.

Thanks for all the discussion.  I haven't had a chance to get the
book yet, but I am looking forward to it.  When I do move, it will
be good to start from scratch with some good organizational ideas.

So how do I go about shopping for professional help? I live in
Los Angeles.

I need someone to be the boss of me.
  

    
a lot of the people who work at the container store are also
professional organizers. you might start there.
  

    
i was going to ask what you guys think of the concept of professional 
organizers, and how one might find a good one.
  

    
<editrix> here on the Well is a professional organizer.  But she works out
of Albuquerque (sometimes travels to the Bay area and other places).

There's an organization of professional organizers but I can't remember
their URL....
  

    
I'm an idiot! <editrix> of course!
  

    
unless you can get editrix (who is fabulous) to fly to your home-or
the Oprah show is willing to send Julie Morganstern and her team to
you--I think you just have to proceed as you would in a quest for an
interior designer or similar professional: Do a search for web sites
and ask everyone you know for leads to satisfied clients who can give
you personal references.
In theory, I think the idea of a professional organizer is great.
In reality, if I couldn't get editrix, I'm not sure I'd be willing to
reveal my attic to a stranger.
  

    
even if you don't live in Albequerque you should check out the tips
section of editrix's web site: www.wizardofcloz.com
  

    
Doesn't authoring a book on organization qualify you as being a
professional organizer?  Thanks for the tips.  Maybe I will
google "professional organizer los angeles".
  

    
But then "Physician Heal Thyself" and "A Lawyer who represents himself
has a Fool for a Lawyer".
  

    
>>I need someone to be the boss of me.

The Well has conferences where they'll be happy to help you with this,
<jal>. ;-)
  

    
But they wouldn't be able to walk around my house with a trash can
and a whip :-)  But pointers to those conferences?  Maybe open a
topic in weird.  "Be the Boss of Me"

That would be my first time for weird, though.  And I would have
to forget all the rest of the topics.
  

    
The National Association of Professional Organizers has its website at
<http://www.napo.net/>.  You can search within whatever distance of your zip
code for organizers who profess expertise in a number of different areas (or
whatever combination thereof).
  

    
I would come to weird just to post in a "Be the Boss of Loomis" topic.
  

    
I think having a stranger come in for a project like this actually has
advantages.  I can think of several good friends who would be able and
more than willing to help me get organized (these Germans, you can
scarcely leave them alone in a room for a few minutes without them
coming back to find they've assembled and filled a bookcase or cleaned
out a fridge) but it's just too embarrassing.  I think hiring a pro who
is not a part of your life generally to help you get sorted is a bit
like entrusting all your twisted sekrits to a shrink.
  

    
sorry, that should be, "without coming back to find..."
  

    
My dive into book editing worked out so well, that I have started
another project. Every day I must throw away 5 things. I've done it for
two days. And it must be flash point. NO I keep it or YES I throw it
away. I'm scared the flylady is gonna issue a cease and desist on TOH.
  

    
you're throwing away used kleenex, aren't you. 
  

    
that and the Pik and Save coupon book.
  

    
affirmative to both of those!
  

    
Wait! There might be something you need in that coupon book, and
you'll be sorry for just tossing it. At least wait til all the coupons
are expired.
  

    
Besides, couldn't you at least recycle it? Put it in the compost?
  

    
ok, so how'd you guys manage to work together without ripping each other's 
eyeballs out? what was your PROOOOOOCEEESS? 
  

    
I think having a short deadline helped--we didn't have time for major
disagreements or re-chewing any cabbage. Once we made structural and
content decisions, we pretty much stuck to them. Organizing the book
room-by-room gave us an easy overall framework, and when Randall hit on
the term "functional furniture" we knew we had a core subject that
could run through every chapter.
the publishers wanted one complete chapter--with every i dotted and t
crossed asap--which probably was another helpful aspect--because we
couldn't just do the easier parts of many chapters and let the more
challenging ones (those dang seasonal changes) twist in the wind til
just before the final deadline.
we also made a pact that if we had an absolute, can't agree issue re:
design, randall would make the final decision--and I'd have final say
over how-we're-saying-it matters.
but,really, we had very few disagreements. whenever one of us would
put forth a sizable chunk of copy, the other usually was only too glad
to see it.