Post its to the Rescue

By Cassandra Reverman

If you know me, in any sense, you know that my methods of organization are basically gibberish to anyone. I am a HUGE fan of keyboard slams when it comes to labeling. Most of my photo folders are labeled with keyboard slams. For example the engagement photos I did for a friend last year are labeled “adsflkbj.” ​

Being hyper organized, in any sense, gives me anxiety. Just recently in journalism I was asked to reorganize the way I label the photos for sections and I about passed out at the thought. My heart started racing and I could see all the folders flying around in my head. It’s kind like that scene from Spongebob when he’s threw out the guy’s name from his memory. ​​

I suppose this weird form of anxiety comes from me feeling that my creative flow is halted when being organized. I feel restricted and I don’t like feeling restricted. I understand where people are coming from when they choose to be super organized. I see how much easier it makes their life. People are always suggesting to me to use a planner or put everything on a calendar in my phone. But just seeing all that information all the time is incredibly overwhelming and freezes my creative flow. 
    Luckily though, I did find one method that seems to work fairly well. A fun fact about me is I LOVE color. Being able to choose the color to create something is the ultimate “YES” moment for me. Choosing a color defines what you’re trying to convey. Trying to sell your outfit for the day? Color coordinate it. (Or don’t. Same principle.) Working on a theme for your Twitter? Match the theme color with your profile and header photos. Designing a style guide for you client? Work with the colors that go along with your clients vision. SO.MUCH.FUN. 
    That being said, my method of choice for organization is Post-It notes. On a good, or a busy day, my life is filled with color coordinated Post-It notes. They’re not lined up in any special fashion. They’re posted all over my walls, my computer and my poor attempt to keep a planner going. Instead, they’re organized by color. I despise the yellow Post-It notes, so if something needs to be done ‘like yesterday’ or more likely ‘a week ago’ I write the item on a yellow Post-It note. Pink is for “ya got maybe two days, C”, green is for a “solid one to two weeks before it’s due”, orange is “get it down on paper” and blue is “relax, ya got a month. just think about how you can do this.” I organize it this way because once I finish as task, I get to rip off the Post-It, crumple it up and fail at throwing it in the trash can that’s sitting right by my feet. The faster I get the color I don’t like off my wall the better. And it’s incredibly satisfying to crumple up that little piece of paper and see a space free up.

(Me attempting to organize my thoughts for senior project. The color coding wasn’t an option. All I had were blue post-it notes.)
    I hope you all try this sometime, and if you do, feel free to let me know how it works for you!