Clip Art #TBT - The Manic Multi-tasker

Aren—™t we all such busy bees? It is a reality that most of us can relate to the daily grind, some kind of morning commute, and the delicate balancing act that is successfully managing both a work and home life.

So much so, that it became a common motif in the Clip Art movement in general.

A desk crowded with stacks of papers, a frazzled business person looking flustered. The man with the many arms. This particular guy even has a bit of an abstract zoot suit Picasso theme going! (This was probably very artsy and progressive at the time.)

These octopus-inspired multi-taskers demonstrated our daily stresses in a visual form, albeit a very literal one.

Nowadays, a cluttered office might feature a few more succulents and significantly less stacks of paper (because who makes hard copies anymore, right?). 

Briefcases and portfolios have been replaced by slim iPads. Phones are often the only thing you—™d take with you into the conference room, if only to record the meeting and take notes later. In terms of material office items, there are quite fewer physical things we—™d carry from meeting to meeting anymore.

The idea of having a lot going on and constantly being on-the-go still remains a relevant business trope. We—™re all busy. It—™s the daily grind.

But we don—™t need clip art rubbing it in our faces anymore. At least, not with that many arms...