by Tim McCreight

Author of The Complete Metalsmith, Metalworking for Jewelry, and Design Language, Tim McCreight is also a practicing craftsman and author.

e all know the natural tendency to equate value with cost. If it costs a lot of money, it must be worth something. The more expensive ruler, we think, will draw the straighter line. Of course, sometimes this is true: better tools that are more costly can yield better results. But the other side of that coin may not be what you think it is. That inexpensive things are of less value is a dangerous assumption to make. One of the most valuable studio “items” is also one of the cheapest: it's possible that what you need is not a better tool but a clean-up!

Remember when you were told as a child to put your toys away when you were through playing with them? It's still good advice. Time spent playing hide and seek with your tools is time wasted. Almost more important, the search interrupts the flow of your actions, disrupting your line of thought and chopping off the rhythm of your movements. This makes you less efficient and grumpy.

Making a shop efficient is mostly common sense - which means that it's anything but common. Even a well-run studio has room for improvement, and here are a few suggestions.

Admit that tidiness is important. Get over the idea that art is a messy business or that inspiration comes from chaos. Your work environment should be comfortable, realizing that efficiency itself brings a level of comfort. You might like to picture yourself as charmingly bohemian, but get over it. Neatness translates to clear thinking, logical progression, and efficiency.

This takes time. You will need to build that time into your weekly schedule to put tools away and clean up debris. We all know that part of making dinner is putting away the leftovers and doing the dishes, but how many of us leave the studio without a similar cleanup routine? Problem is, the mess will still be there when you return.

Get into the habit of setting up your work area for the next day. Picture the way dentists and surgeons approach their work and hire yourself to be your own assistant.

Acknowledge that even a good situation can be improved. Whether you're working on the kitchen table or in a professional studio, you've already set up a personalized arrangement. To understand how really unique your work methods are, try working at a borrowed desk or cooking in someone else's kitchen. When you first move into a situation, whether it's a new apartment or a new workbench, you make decisions about what goes where. You try your best, but these are not always the right decisions. So change them.

Remember that this is an ongoing process. Are you still making the same work you made three years ago? Have you bought any new tools or furniture? Are your eyes as good as they used to be? What worked before won't automatically work best now. As your designs and work methods change, your studio layout and sequence should change, too.

The trick here is to pay attention: watch yourself work as objectively as possible. Be the proverbial fly on the wall and note what you do. For example:

Are you reaching a lot? Bring your tools closer.

Are you stooping over? Lower your chair or raise your table.

Do you get a stiff neck? Adjust the back of your seat.

Do you get up and down a lot? Find a way to bring more tools closer, perhaps with another table or a shelf.

The answers are often obvious: it's the questions that tend to get lost in the clutter!

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