How I Organize My Art Supplies (IKEA Alex Drawers)

For most of my life, I thought a “good” art space meant having everything out. Every pen within reach. Every medium visible from paint to colored pencils to markers, etc. Brushes in jars. Inks lined up. You get it. I liked the idea of being able to glance around and see all my options. It made me feel prepared, like at any moment I could grab something and start.

Except… that’s not what actually happened.

What usually happened was I’d sit down, look at all of it, feel weirdly overwhelmed, and then suddenly decide it was a great time to reorganize my desk instead of making anything, which is such a specific creative procrastination choice… #iykyk (I know you know).

It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize it wasn’t a motivation problem or a discipline problem. It was decision fatigue!! Turns out, when you give your brain fifty choices before you’ve even made a single mark, it aggressively shuts down.

Why my “inspiring” art studio setup started to feel overwhelming

There was a stretch where my desk looked like a cutie little art store. Every supply I loved was out and visible because I thought that’s what would inspire me. I told myself “if I can see it, I’ll use it.”

But what really happened was I’d sit there thinking:

Should I watercolor? Or gouache? Or markers? Or ink? Or maybe I should start a new sketchbook. Wait, which sketchbook?

And somehow I’d be exhausted before I even started. The blank page already feels vulnerable. Adding twenty supply choices on top of that just made it worse. So I tried something that felt very unlike me.

I put all of it away.

Not because I wanted a minimalist studio. Not because I suddenly became an organized person (lol). Mostly because I was tired of feeling frozen in my own space.

Honestly, I didn’t expect it to change too much, but it changed everything.

My art supply storage setup using IKEA Alex Drawers

Now, nearly all of my art supplies live inside a single IKEA flat file cabinet, the wide one with big shallow drawers. We’ve seen lot of artists use these, and I think we’ll continue to because it’s a true gem. I’ll link the exact one I have 👉 here 👈 in case you’re curious.

At first it felt strange closing everything up. I was a little anxious because I thought I’d forget what I owned or that it would feel inconvenient to use some (all?) of it. But the opposite happened.

When I sit down now, my desk is [mostly] clear. There isn’t visual noise competing for my attention. It feels like a clean slate instead of a to-do list.

Instead of staring at everything I could possibly use, I just think, “What do I feel like today?” and open one drawer because I know exactly what I want to grab. It’s such a small shift, but it makes just starting feel lighter.

How I organize my art supplies

I didn’t create some elaborate organization system. I just organized things the way my brain naturally looks for them.

Drawer #1

One drawer holds my go-to markers and brush pens, separated by brand and type so I can find what I need without digging (although I’m strongly considering changing this organization to be sorted by color because how fun would that be?!).

Supplies shown:

Clear dividers - 3pc set | single rectangular trays
Karin Brushmarker Pro
Pentel Brush Touch Sign Pens
Tombow Dual Brush Pens
Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens

Drawer #2

Another drawer has the miscellaneous tools like palette knives, wider brushes I don’t use as often, inks, adhesives, the random helpful stuff that doesn’t have a glamorous home but is always useful.

Supplies shown:

Clear dividers - 3pc set | single rectangular trays
Liquitex Free Style Wide Brush
Gellyroll Pens
Tombow TwinTone Markers
Fine tip colorful Sharpie set
Tombow Dual Tip Liquid Glue
Marvy Le Pens
Zebra Mildliners

Drawer #3

My paint drawer is laid out by color, and every time I open it it feels like a joyful rainbow (hence the temptation of doing the same thing with my pens). For me, seeing the colors separated in this way makes choosing faster and somehow more fun.

Large organizer tray

Drawer #4

Then there’s the mixed media drawer with some handmade watercolors, pastels, colored pencils, and paint pens. It’s basically a play drawer and one I frequent often.

Supplies shown:

Clear dividers - 3pc set | single rectangular trays
JusArt Dual Tip Paint Pens
POSCA Paint Pens
Artistro Paint Pens
Art of Soil Handmade Watercolors
Daniel Smith Watercolors
Colorful washi tape set

Drawer #5

There’s also what I lovingly call the “junk” drawer (which is not junk at all - these little trinkets make regular rotations on my desk) and odd bits and pieces that don’t fit anywhere else but that I reach for more often than deeming it craft room storage. I’ve accepted that every artist has at least one chaotic drawer.

Supplies shown:

Drawer #6

And the last drawer is all paper and sketchbooks, different sizes and textures depending on what I want to work on.

Supplies shown:

So yeah… this system is simple and definitely nothing revolutionary. I’ve simply grouped everything out of sight so my future self doesn’t have to think too hard.

What art supplies I keep on my desk

I do keep a handful of items I use constantly visible, like my daily paintbrushes, drawing pens, and gouache paints (my current daily driver). If something is part of my near-daily rhythm, it earns counter space. Everything else gets to rest in a drawer until it’s invited.

The real problem: too many art supplies = decision fatigue

The biggest surprise is how much calmer my brain feels. I didn’t realize how much visual clutter was quietly draining me. Now when I walk into my studio, it feels open and welcoming instead of like a store display asking me to make a thousand choices.

Starting feels easier. I make more art. I spend less time rearranging supplies and more time actually using them. Which is kind of the whole point, right? Not the prettiest setup. Not the most aesthetic shelves. Just a space that makes you want to sit down and create.

If your desk has started to feel heavy or overwhelming, you might try tucking most of it away and giving yourself fewer options to start with. You can always pull things back out later. But you might find, like I did, that less in sight sometimes means more gets made. And honestly, that trade feels worth it to me!

Want to see all of my favorite supplies? I've curated a guide of my go-tos right here!