THE COLLECTORS DILEMMA

Do you collect something?
I have since I was small collected a large variety of things. Shells, broken glass that have been polished and washed ashore by waves, cute but unusable erasers, decorations that look like frogs, buttons and vintage dresses. My latest collection was everything that is mint green, polaroid pictures, books and things given to me by people that matter in my life. The collecting even stretches far into the digital world. You could call me a digital hoarder. Something that I’m far from alone to be.

Double exposure polaroid 

trying to seize a moment in Malta

A pinterest overflowing with boards, a Spotify filled with playlists for a wide spectrum of emotions and genres, information heavy clouds and drives… it could be the proof of characters who love to collect and share inspiration, but maybe also characters who are afraid of letting go…

The fear of forgetting. Or being forgotten. Because how often do we not collect things that we do not use? Things that slip our own memory. Or even worse, things that we intend to use but deep down inside know will become only a burden to organise and store.

As I was reading the yoga book Närmre något (2016) by Simon Krohn I came upon a lesson which I most likely already was aware of, yet it always seems to be another thing when someone tells you something than when you tell yourself something even though you might be saying exactly the same thing. Anyway, this is what I understood:

When we collect we are not present. Because when we are collecting we are trying to hold onto the present and thus we lose it. To capture the moment through the camera of a lens is impossible. To grasp it through writing will always result in being one step behind or ahead (yes, there is some undeniable irony in writing about this). Just thinking about it separates you from the moment. It can be both at once liberating and frustrating.

Understanding this can help you let go. Because all of your fantastic and sentimental moments are not within any material possession. They might seem like they are there, but your possessions can only possess the ability to bring up memories of moments lived or the desired ones to come.

In a world that constantly tempts us with a promise to save and store memories in ever more revolutionary ways it’s easy to get caught up in it. 

You can get two for the price of one. One in each color. Entire sets. Newer. Improved. Cooler. Better. Nicer. You need it. You deserve it. Treat yourself. For the occasion. For those you love. It will be perfect. It will match now. It will stand out. Collectibles and unique one time offers. 
Gotta catch them all.

I saw a very inspiring Ted talk on the topic of living a minimalist life which I also would recommend you to see. It's called Less stuff, more happiness by Graham Hill.

It is far away from my lifestyle and probably many others, but maybe it can inspire to reconsider and loosen the attachment to our possessions.

I don’t know if I’m “cured” of my collecting. Probably not. I will most likely make many more playlists, write many more poems, post many more images in social media and fill an unknown number of clouds and drives. At the same time I will not be as affected by the crashing, breaking and losing. Because we’re all going to be freed of everything one day. By that time it will feel good to know that you were truly there and not in your next art piece.