My desk was once a pile of despair, until I put to work some of these desk organization ideas. And if you’re a scatterbrained creative looking to reclaim some workspace, I think maybe I can help you.

NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. Affiliate links provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products.

Before we begin, know that I used to be a heathen whose only desk organization ideas were to move stuff around from the desk to a shelf every time I needed to use either thing.

Obviously, that was less than ideal.

So, in an effort to clean up my office and make the space a little more functional, I have purchased a few items that I want to share with you today. Not all of them are life changing, but they all come pretty close.

Desk Organization Ideas for the Scatterbrained Creative Click To Tweet

Desk Organization Ideas

001: Make use of vertical space.

I have a pretty small writing desk. It’s a nice flat surface with one drawer to store all my pens and such, and another larger drawer for the keyboard. The problem is that I used to spend a lot of time just shuffling things around. The top of the desk was always covered with little odds and ends that should go on a desk. But they were always in the way.

This mini desk shelf changed all that. It sits on the back of the desk, and it holds things like my external hard drive, my Polaroid photo printer, my paper clips, and I even put my laptop on the lower shelf as kind of a monitor riser. Overall, I’m very pleased with the purchase, and it’s upped my ergonomic game because I’m not looking down at the screen all the time.

002: Keep all potential projects in sight.

A brilliant thing about this organizer is that I can see all the stuff I have to work on right in front of me. My watercolors and novel bullet journal are always within reach so I can work on other projects when I feel like I’m getting stagnant. It sounds dumb, but this keeps me from just watching YouTube videos all the time because I can see what other options are available to me.

This is an important thing if you’re a visual person, and you need to see what you have at your disposal. And it’s a great way to keep bad habits (like mindless internet searching) from taking over.

003: Mix your work with your woo-woo.

Look. It’s important to be productive and get work done. It’s also pretty important to leave altars all around your home so that magic knows where to get in. Seriously, if you don’t leave an offering to the muse, how will the muse know you need his help? (Side note: My muse is a greaser boy with tattooed knuckles and a black leather jacket. He’s always whispering story ideas into my ear, provided that I leave him some Jameson.)

(The Jameson is not pictured because it really attracts gnats, so I only leave it out for big writing sessions.)

I purchased this tiny altar, and leave a glass of Jameson right in the middle. Then, I surround the glass with some stones for focus and clarity and creativity. (Don’t worry, the stones only sit there when I’m writing. I know how important it is to touch them, so know that I sleep with them often.) I got all my stones from Be the Light Rocks here in Norman. If you’re local, I highly recommend checking them out. And the candle is from OK Collective in Oklahoma City.

004: Let everything have a place.

I have so many bits and pieces. Whether it’s paper clips or fountain pen cartridges or USB charging cables, it’s hard to keep track of little things if they don’t have a place or a container. But let me just tell you what. The Dollar Tree has your back.

I now have my paper clips in a candle holder. My pens are in nine different pen cups, and those cups are in this long skinny things that are supposed to be fridge organizers, but work great on a shelf. It doesn’t matter how they’re supposed to be used. What matters is that I’m living my best life.

005: Treat yo’ self!

So, this isn’t an organization tip so much as giving into your basest wants. And that is the want for a hot beverage. My tea and coffee get hella cold all the time, so I bought me a mug warmer to keep them hot, and it’s been my favorite purchase I’ve made in a long time.

Know that immediately after I bought this, everyone was like “oh, I’ve always used a candle warmer for this.” So, if you have one of those lying around, that’s a great way to keep your drink hot too. But I can personally vouch for this Mr. Coffee mug warmer. And I have a few friends that have already bought one too because it’s that good.

How do you keep your creative space in order? Click To Tweet

What Desk Organization Ideas Do You Recommend?

Got a desk organization idea that’s a game changer? What desk organization ideas have made the most sense for your space? Tell me all about your favorite home office products and furniture. I’m dying to make my office perfect.