Ask Claire!

“My girlfriend rags on me about my studio being disorganized. My studio is my workspace therefore making her argument null and void and off limits to her rules of order. How do I make her see the light?”

You are entirely right your workspace is your own. However, saying “It’s mine, and I like it this way” has obviously not proven successful to your situation. But fear not, you are not alone. Couples, roommates and any people that spend time in each other’s space are bound to run into issues about organization and clutter. Because let’s face it— just because we are fine with our own messes, it doesn’t mean that anyone else is.

The issue of cleaning up after ourselves is one that is almost always an issue for college students. And believe me; I have had my fair share of roommates. Thus, I’d like to take this opportunity to share this little bit of wisdom.

When directly sharing a space with others, be respectful and don’t leave a mess for everyone else to live in. Also it is important to always take the high road. Even if your roommate’s don’t seem to be respectful of your shared space, that doesn’t give you a free pass. Treat others the way you would want to be treated and yes what I’m saying is that the golden rule does apply to dirty dishes.

Your answer is determined by this question: Does your girlfriend spend a large and unavoidable amount of time in your studio? If the answer is yes, then it is your responsibility as a valiant boyfriend to make it livable for her. If the answer is no, and she just passes through, then it is your mess to live with. Unless, of course, your work space belongs on “Hoarders: Buried Alive.”

So, if your answer was no: Explain to your girlfriend calmly and rationally that your workspace is your own space to do with what you want, and its disorganized nature in no way detracts from your ability to concentrate and be creative.

Posted by Claire Childs on Dec 2 2010. Filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.