Why Cleaning Your Studio is an Act of Creation

Walk into any musician’s studio, and you’ll see one of two things: a space that hums with creative energy, or a graveyard of half-finished ideas buried under cables, coffee cups, and crumpled setlists.

I used to believe that mess was just part of the process. That a cluttered space meant an active mind, that the chaos around me reflected the unfiltered nature of creativity. But over time, I started to notice something: the more disorganized my studio became, the harder it was to create.

And the more I fought to convince myself that the mess didn’t matter, the more it did.

It’s easy to romanticize the idea of an artist thriving in disorder, but the truth is, creativity flows best when there’s structure. Your studio is an extension of your mind—if it’s chaotic, your thoughts will be, too. If it’s cluttered, your creativity has to fight through the noise just to get out.

We tend to think of tidying as maintenance, something separate from the creative process. But what if it’s part of it? Isn’t the act of bringing order to chaos the foundation of all creative work?

Your studio works the same way. When you clear the mess, coil the cables, put your instruments where they belong, you’re not just tidying up—you’re setting the stage for something new to happen. You’re making space for inspiration to land.

Creativity has momentum. When the space is open and ready, you sit down and play. When it’s cluttered, you hesitate. One day of letting things pile up turns into a week, then a month, until the very thought of cleaning becomes another form of resistance.

And before you know it, you’re making excuses instead of music.

But the opposite is also true. Keep your space in order, and you lower the barrier to entry. The guitar is in its place. The notebook is within reach. The tools you need are ready for you. And when the muse calls, nothing stands in the way.

Cleaning your studio won’t write the song for you. But it will clear the path.

Because creativity isn’t just about inspiration—it’s about making room for it. And sometimes, the simple act of tidying up is enough to open the floodgates.