Can You be a Collector and Live an Edited Life?
I received a newsletter from The Minimalists entitled “Collecting is Dangerous.” It was a polemic about how collecting is often a veiled form of hoarding. Indeed, as they note, the thesaurus cites “hoard, pile, heap and stockpile” as synonyms for collecting.
Beyond the physical implications of collecting, they wax about its emotional aspects, maintaining that what we collect often becomes entwined with our identities. Likewise, they imply that collecting often serves as a proxy for creating; they point out that there are numerous societies and TV shows that focus on collecting, but few that focus on creating (RIP Bob Ross).
They make provocative points worth considering. We would add a practical question: Is collecting worth it? In order to collect, you need space, whether that’s your home, a garage, a storage unit, etc. You often need a way to present that which is collected–furniture, books, etc. When the day is over, we wonder if you are more satisfied with that State Spoon collection or having a manageable space and living a manageable life?
Even if you’re not a collector per se, things like old photos and tchotchkes picked up while abroad become ersatz collections. Do their sentimental benefits outweigh their logistic costs?
This is certainly not a one-size-fits all question, but we’d love to hear your opinion. As it happens, we’re considering what flourishes to add to the spartan interior of the LifeEdited apartment. Is it over-edited or less is more?
Please share your thoughts in our comment section.
image credit: modish vintage