Cubicle Makeover

Dear Annette,

Everything in my tiny cubicle is beige. Day after day I arrive at my desk and think, "Well, there go all my ideas." All this beige is making me blue. Annette, how can I bring my workspace to life?

Dingy in Dayton


Dear Dingy,
Three words: accessorize, accessorize, accessorize! Nothing stimulates creativity like nice things. You clearly need to give your cubicle a makeover.

Besides, everything talks. Every book and every accessory communicates something about your motivation, attitude, and of course, personal style. Why Blah when you can Blossom?

Give your office space the same loving touches as your boudoir. Is brightly hued wallpaper really out of the question? I don't think so. What about replacement bookshelves in sparkling beveled glass to make a lovely platform on which to display fond treasures - mine include inscribed photographs of famous people, gold records, Emmys and Tonys and Clios, and a pearly pink feather boa from my very first fashion show. Cat calendars and Employee of the Month awards work just as well.

Why waste precious real estate on a precarious collage of usernames and passwords? What if you taped instructions on using the phone under the phone? Try neon paperclips, not tacky notes, to indicate your favorite reference points in user’s manuals and dictionaries. And tidy your desk before going home every night, to put each business day to rest.

Follow these simple steps and your workspace can become a creative masterpiece that says, "The person who works here is fabulous." Beige, a neutral tone, is a perfectly marvelous canvas on which to begin your oeuvre.

Stay fabulous,
Annette