Does having a messy desk make you more creative?

But working in a messy room seems to help them try new things and come up with creative ideas. Vohs conducted three experiments. The participants thought up the same number of ideas, but a panel of independent raters rated the messy-room participants’ ideas as significantly more creative.

What does a messy desk indicate?

A messy desk indicates a creative mind but not much in the way of follow-through. A messy desk tends to indicate that the person is busy and that is why they have not cleaned up their desk.

Are Messy desks good?

Working at a clean and prim desk may promote healthy eating, generosity, and conventionality, according to new research. But, the research also shows that a messy desk may confer its own benefits, promoting creative thinking and stimulating new ideas.

Why having a messy desk is bad?

A disorganized desk leads to misplaced documents, lost information, and increased stress. It also impacts how people view you, which can lead to heightened levels of self-consciousness (which can detract from focus on work-related tasks).

Is clutter good for creativity?

However, some studies have concluded that clutter supports creativity. Turns out that your messy office may enhance your ability to tap into the creative solutions and ideas required to grow your business. Apparently, clutter helps us to think outside the lines of conventional reasoning.

Why having a messy desk is a good thing?

A new study published in Psychological Science concluded that it’s most beneficial to have a messy desk at the beginning of a project and a clean one at the end. A messy environment promotes creative thinking and unconventional new ideas, whereas a clean desk will help your mind focus on order and expectations.

Did Einstein have a cluttered desk?

Mark Twain, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, and Steve Jobs had messy desks, just like most other geniuses. The desk was invented around 1200 CE, and while the technology upon it has evolved, the desk itself has remained the same: a flat-surfaced work area accompanied by drawers and cubbies for storage.

Do intelligent people have messy desks?

A study by the University of Minnesota suggests, that the messy desk of geniuses is actually linked to their intelligence. If you don’t spend much time cleaning and organizing everything around you, your mind is obviously occupied with more important stuff.

Why is messiness good?

Another advantage to messiness is exposure to stuff, he says. “If you’ve locked everything away, it’s out of sight, out of mind. And often people who are very neat have the intense experience of going through a closet that they haven’t been through in a while and they find stuff they really missed.”

What is cluttered desk?

Most, however, usually fall into one of two camps. A cluttered desk means you are a messy genius expressing healthy cognition, or you’re unorganized and your mess hurts your production and causes undue stress.

Are creative people slobs?

Messy Rooms Make Great Ideas While the article is not giving anyone an excuse to make a mess, they are quoting a study from the University of Minnesota which showed that messy rooms actually caused more creative thinking.

Are disorganized people more creative?

A study by Kathleen Vohs of the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management seems to concur. According to the study, a cluttered environment helps increase not just efficiency, but also creativity. “Being in a messy room led to something that firms, industries and societies want more of: Creativity.

Is it good to have a messy desk?

A messy desk encourages a creative mind, study finds. Monitor on Psychology, 44 (9). http://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/10/messy-desk Are you sick of home decorating shows and lifestyle magazines telling you to de-clutter your life? Would you rather just learn to live with your overflowing desk and messy shelves?

Is it a sign of genius to have a messy desk?

A Messy Desk Is a Sign of Genius, According to Science Mark Twain, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, and Steve Jobs had messy desks, just like most other geniuses.

Who are some famous people who had a messy desk?

Thomas Edison, who had a famously messy desk, must have agreed. And Steve Jobs. (Click on the names for proof.) So if your work area, like mine, is usually a mess, it’s time to stop apologizing to the neat-freaks and start feeling good about our ability to prioritize.

Is it true that a clean desk makes you more productive?

However, the notion that a clean desk makes you more productive is absurd twaddle. Researchers at the University of Minnesota recently tested how well students came up with new ideas when working in orderly versus disorderly work areas.