If I told you I was a doctor, what are some of the automatic things you would think of me? Smart, articulate, earns a lot of money, healer, knowledgeable, are a few adjectives that come to mind. Now, for a moment, let me be more specific. If I say I’m a neurosurgeon or if I say I’m a veterinarian, you get two very different images, right? What is my point? The possibilities are endless and depending on your experience or lack of experience (say what you have seen on TV of these professions) you have a mold of what these professions do, what kind of people choose to be in this profession, and the qualities they have.

I say that I am a professional organizer. This industry is relatively new and by now the majority of the population that has any idea of ​​what an Organizer is gets their ideas from television. Some are a little off “So you’re like Nicey Nash, right?” Mmm no. I love Nicey Nash as an entertainer and host of the show, but she’s not an organizer, she’s a celebrity on a show that helps people declutter and facilitates a team of professionals (one who happens to be a professional organizer) and the homeowner She does a bit of what an Organizer does by helping the homeowner make decisions about what to keep and what to sell, all with fun and pizzazz. Then some people are much closer than it is and Organizer: “I love Peter Walsh.” I also. In reality, he is an organization expert who helps people think about things in a different way and then gives them the mental and physical steps to overcome clutter and organize their spaces. Yes, although you probably don’t like the label, you are a Professional Organizer. So there are different images in our heads and in the heads of others (particularly our clients) that we have to address in terms of who we are as people and what we do as a profession.

When I first decided to pursue a career as a Professional Organizer, I too was under the “stereotypical hype” of what an Organizer is. I thought this person was the love child of Mary Poppins and Martha Stewart and wherever he or she went, the world was a little tidier with an accent pillow and a vase of peonies left in their wake of song and dance until they arrived. the time to fly. with open umbrella to the next appointment. With that idea, the pressure was immense. And while I love being organized and some of my friends think I’m very organized, yes, I like to tidy up my hotel room before I leave for the day as part inventory and part anal hold. I drooled while at The Container Store and could dreamily look at images of organized spaces, but I also didn’t get out of the womb organizing my stuffed animals by type and color. When I was a kid, my room was messy on many occasions and I kept things that I should have thrown away (like a Dixie cup full of my baby teeth). I joined NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) and stood in a room full of veteran Organizers and thought they were giant organizers. I thought of their years of experience and techniques and my messy childhood turned into a fan of the organization and felt like a fraud.

I recently read Organizing from the Right Side of the Brain by Lee Sibler. I suddenly had an ah-ha moment. I am a right brain thinker who has some of Sibler’s lists of traits. I wear my signature B Dexterous t-shirts and they say “I love organizing” and believe me the t-shirts don’t lie. I love to organize. I love organizing because I hate the alternative. Sure I can leave a messy space for a short time, but after spending 10 minutes looking for something, my other right brain trait: impatience kicks in and I get anxious, angry, and moody (grumpiness is another right brain trait) . Sibler lists). I love organizing because it brings calm and cohesion to my world and helps me feel like I’m achieving my goals and not spinning my wheels. Sibler says of the creative brain that stays organized: “There are would-be creatives and then there are the truly creative. Wannabes are people who have very short attention spans and are all over the place. They can come up with all sorts of really wonderful ideas, but they rarely do. The second kind of people are also extremely creative, but it turns out they’re also extremely disciplined. It’s an extraordinary combination.” I continue to the end. I love being creative and seeing a project from start to finish. I am a right-brained creative organizer.

It didn’t fit my own “stereotypical hype” of what an Organizer is. I didn’t come out of the womb with a file folder and a label maker. But I love to leave an organized space so that my clients feel calm and cohesive in their space. If you feel like you have to doodle for 30 minutes before you figure out how to get organized, that’s okay. If you want to stack instead of file, if it works, go for it! Organizing is about creating a system that works for each individual. Being able to find the things you need and want without being anxious, angry, or moody. Yes, to create, you have to be creative. But being creative does not mean being disorganized. In fact, I DO think the love child of Mary Poppins and Martha Stewart would make a great organizer. A song, a dance, a lesson on how to plant his perennials while his neglected office, living room and kitchen are neatly tidied up. But that is a stereotype that no longer causes me anguish. I say that I am a professional organizer. I’m not your run-of-the-mill, left-brain organizer stereotype, and I think I’m wonderful just the way I am. Thanks Lee.