The Gingerbread Cubicle

Seeing Christmas trees at the store yesterday lead me to think about how I may decorate my office space this year. Since I no longer have a cubicle, I will have to be ten times more creative. Last year’s “Cubicle Decorating Contest” at ACerS may have people talking for the ages.

“Think outside the box.” While it’s easy to say, most people don’t do it. When the very idea of decorating my cubicle was presented, my first thought was definitely outside the cubicle. I blurted out over lunch, “I want to make a gingerbread cubicle!” If anyone was going to accomplish this feat, it was going to be me.

I measured out my cube walls knowing that I would have to pay special attention to the one full wall that faces the main walkway. My idea included a roof line that would tower over my 4′ 6″ high cube. I’d also have to throw some doors on my wide open cube to really create the gingerbread house effect.Brown paper, cardboard, colorful construction paper, lots of packing tape, glitter, glue, real candy canes, Hershey kisses, and some pure white caulk for frosting created the perfect recipe. I stirred it all up and got the results I was looking for.

I won the contest and was dubbed most competitive person in the office.While I will not deny being a competitive person, I will admit that I put 110% effort into my gingerbread cubicle. It was a design and decorating challenge. Web design is one dimensional. I can’t really touch or feel the site when it’s done. So, I look for other things to do as a creative outlet. The cubicle decorating contest provided me with the venue. I thought of the idea, broke it down into pieces, and figured out how to “build” it from the ground up. It was a creation that I was very proud of.

This “exercise” helped me understand how my brain works. Think it. Deconstruct it. Build it. I guess that’s why I like being a web designer so much. It appeals to my creative and my mind.

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