My boyfriend and I are both photographers just starting out, and we recently got access to a shared photography studio which needs a bit of… help.
We are sharing the space with 4 other photographers (all young, most fresh out of college) on a “book the time you need” basis. The space itself is great, but it’s definitely a “boy space” – all the photography equipment (everyone brings in what they need, and some store their equipment there full-time) is spotless and in perfect condition, but everything else – desks, some shelves and filing cabinets, a kitchenette and a bathroom – is a mess. It’s obvious that the layout was intelligently thought out at the start, but the lack of proper upkeep (and the fact that people came and went, leaving some of their stuff behind to collect dust) has taken its toll. I can guess that the other photographers don’t see this as a big problem, but it bugs me – wouldn’t a cleaner, better maintained space make a better impression on clients, for a start?
We’re meeting with the founder of the studio on Sunday and I’m thinking of suggesting that all 6 of us get together and clean up the place (so everyone has a say in what goes where) and then have a weekly clean-up schedule on a rotational basis (or have one of us take a rent cut and be responsible for keeping the place clean). My concern is that we’re new to the studio, and I’m not sure how receptive the others would be to the newbies preaching to them about cleanliness.
So my questions are:
1. Does anyone have experience with uncluttering a shared workspace? What’s the best way to approach this, to avoid giving the impression that I’m trying to reform them or boss them around?
2. What should I do if they dismiss the whole thing as unimportant and refuse to do anything about it?
Apart from the mess and dust, it’s a great studio, the people sharing it are talented and dynamic, and it’s also a good deal, so “leave and find another studio” is an answer I’m hoping to avoid.
Thanks in advance for your advice! :)
