FULL DISCLOSURE: I cleaned up my workspace before taking this picture, and moved a bunch of stuff -- books, pens, cups, lists of my tasks, lists of my mortal enemies -- just outside the shot. If you look closely, you can see my extremely sophisticated organizational system, which consists of shoving papers and folders into the various shelves in my desk and filing cabinet. Watch your back, Marie Kondo.
So yeah: I'm messy. I know some people can't work in unkempt offices, but I actually find it hard to focus in a minimalist environment. Clear eyes, clear desk, can't think straight (is the title of my upcoming Marie Kondo takedown). My ideal workspace is basically a giant nest: like a baby bird, I'd be enveloped in my own detritus, interrupted only when someone delivers me snacks. When I'm surrounded by clutter, it's easier for me to block out the distractions of the physical world. If everything is slightly amiss, nothing is obviously amiss.
Pretty much everything I love is represented in this picture: my family, my Korean heritage, my Marshawn Lynch bobblehead. And of course there's Lenny, my dog. One of the wonderful perks of my job is that I get to work from home, which is new for me; before joining ESPN The Magazine in 2014, I had always worked in newsrooms and offices. I adopted Lenny a few months after I started, and we've been inseparable ever since. After two years, I can say with confidence that he's the best colleague I've ever had. His editing notes are fantastic.