Like a lot of us who began using Zoom in 2020, I found myself having to choose the perfect background…
Let’s see… what represents me…?
Hmm… I know: books!
Yes, good old-fashioned books will make me look more sophisticated (in an ironic way…)!
Let’s see… the scholarly book shelf:
A little too wall-papery… Why would I have eleven copies of the same books…? Nope.
How about…
Ah yes…! Looks nice. Arranged in a beautiful spectrum. Wait a minute… Swiss Graphic Design… Healthcare Spaces… Neubauwelt… I don’t know anything about these… What if someone asks me…? Pass.
How about something with a skull? You know, the classic memento mori thing…
Uh… let’s see… ok, a skull… some kind of lizard… creepy bookcase design… something preserved in a jar… Uh, kind of cool, I guess… but no.
Aha!
Yes! Here it is! A messy black-hole swirl of books that just keep piling up and that, if I’m honest with myself, I know I’ll never get around to reading.
Actually… Maybe I’ll just go with the first one. Less existential dread and all that stuff.
Ray,
I love this post!!! I work in the GCC library and it is truly my happy place!!! I love your images. The swirling book mess looks like how I feel usually!!! Great visual. Working in the library is like being a kid in a candy store where everything is free!!! I overdose on books and try to read too many at one time which is crazy! Thanks again!
I was concerned about how much of my real house I wanted to share with students. In the end I went with a blank backdrop.