The Art of Procrastination

Procrastination is usually seen as a negative thing.  People associate it with wasting time and not really generating any value.  I would like to make an argument that procrastination is an art and that we all become very creative when we are trying to avoid doing actual work.  This actually takes a lot of energy and  practice.  TV is playing the same thing, people on facebook are still trying to be witty, and the interwebs are just full of cats. So when I need to avoid doing homework, I start looking for things that need fixing.  

I currently need to find a job, am taking five classes, need to prepare a speech, have 2 informational interviews, and need to prepare for a business competition.  I am extremely busy, so I decided that it was more important to create a base for our dry-eraser and markers.  In front of me was a cork board and to my left I had plenty of supplies, including resume paper, thumb tacks, a ruler, scissors, and a mechanical pencil.  My engineering mind starting working. 
(think hamster spinning really fast)

Base Drawing - Rev C

Base after cutting

I went through a couple of prototypes before I settled on a design.  I would combine some structural engineering with origami.  By bending the paper, I would give it enough structure to actually support the weight of one (1) eraser and two (2) dry-erase markers.  As you can see from the picture, this was the design I settled on.  You can actually see the dimensions in case you want to replicate the process.  However, if you want to REALLY procrastinate, I suggest that you come up with a unique design of your own!


Once I finished drawing the outline, I started cutting and bending.  As you can see from the picture, it is not a terribly difficult project.  That is the true beauty of this design.   

One of the most difficult challenges I faced was anchoring the base to the cork board.  However, the thumbtacks were very useful and provided an added level of support.  As you can see, I placed four (4) thumbtacks on the base support, and two (2) clear ones on the top support to prevent the base from bending and collapsing.


After finishing the base, I tested it and it was a success.  My friends didn't realize it was paper until I pointed that fact out.  Now, my design sits proudly in our office doing a very good job of supporting our eraser and markers.  I am a proud man!


Once again, I have proved that procrastination can actually be a good thing.  I am super busy today, but instead decided to share my design with you folks.  


If you actually design a base for yourself, with the same materials, please send me a message and show me.  Maybe, one day, we can make a website for people to waste time and learn.  Oh wait, that already exists. It's called reddit.