In a commentary published as part of The Straits Times’ Finding Joy series, SMU Associate Professor of Marketing (Education) Seshan Ramaswami shared how a contract cleaner’s handmade decorations transformed his office pantry and showed how her creativity, cheer, and resourcefulness made her an integral part of the team. He said her upcycling and mindful approach embodied genuine sustainability, reminding all that “cleaners, security guards and maintenance staff are not transactional workers, but indispensable colleagues who make our daily lives possible.” He concluded that “An academic life offers many wonderful opportunities for creative expression in teaching and research. But Ms Y has shown me how to bring playfulness into the many otherwise mundane tasks: in designing quizzes to ease student stress, lightening the tone of routine e-mails, or adding small flourishes to otherwise mundane administrative tasks.”
