The two photos above were taken by me on March 13, because I knew that a future “Things That Make Me Happy” post would be about my work cubicle. Three days after the photos were taken I spent my last day in the cubicle for a long while, having no idea I would be away so long. As far as I knew at the time, we would be transitioning to a skeleton crew for two weeks or so and I would go in to the office two to three days a week.
I love my cubicle. I miss it. It’s tiny, sure, but cozy. I’ve personalized the space so that I have calming objects in the background while I work. My seniority scored me a coveted window seat, and I don’t even care that the window looks out onto the parking lot. There’s a lovely tree right outside the window, and I focus on that rather than the parked cars. My cubicle feels like my home away from home. To be honest, if I was offered an office I would stick with the cubicle, I love it that much.
When I first started working from home, I wasn’t thinking long term. I still thought it would only be a few weeks – a month tops. I set up shop on the dining room table (where I remain) but I didn’t make any effort to truly make the space my own. My work files shared space with my 12-packs of diet ginger ale and fizzy water. It was cluttered, but I was still in make-do mode. Now that it looks like I’ll probably be in this space most of the time through the summer months (I’m not really sure – no definite pronouncements have been made, but it feels like it will be that way), I decided to claim the space as my own little cubicle.
I have a friend at work named Anne who I miss like crazy. Anne sits in the cubicle in front of me, and she just has a great vibe about her. We both have a desire to make work a place of calm and soothing flow, and over the years we have shared ideas on how to create a positive space in which to work. It was Anne who gave me the idea of posting pictures of things I am looking forward to in my cubicle. In late 2018 and early 2019 I posted a photo of the Duomo in Florence, Italy. Chris and I went to Florence in March 2019, and the photo in my cubicle helped extend the pleasure of that trip through anticipation as well as providing a tangible reminder of what my job helped provide (especially needed on those thankfully rare days when I wondered what the heck I was doing there).
I decided to make a little bulletin board for my new home work space upon which I would pin pictures of places I still want to visit and pictures that I find calming or beautiful. Working with only items I had on hand, I hot-glued some leftover linen material to a stretched canvas and used straight pins to attach my photos. To be honest, it’s not the best bulletin board – I would need to attach some cork to the back or maybe some criss-crossed ribbons to the front, but having neither on hand I improvised and it works in its own way.
I cleared some shelves in a bookcase adjacent to my end of the dining room table (Sam works on the other end) and put my work files and my new bulletin board up. I’m sure I’ll tinker with the set up over the next several weeks, but for now I feel like my mission has been accomplished – I have a workspace that feels comfortable, uncluttered, and tailored to my work needs.
Now, if I could only get the new computer I was issued last week to hook up to the internet, I’ll be all set. 🙂
xoxo
