I can’t help myself.

I’m a creative person and I see beauty in the mundane so I tend to hold onto trinkets that I deem as having aesthetic value (antique keys, pieces of sea glass, random stuff that I have no idea what is for but looks cool). I’ve also found that producing digital art or written word is not satisfying enough for me creatively, so I make more pretty things with my hands – physical items that I can hold and admire and even wear. And yes, folks, I’ve picked up a new hobby that requires collecting more stuff (balls of yarn, knit/crochet tools, yarn winding contraptions and patterns). It brings me so much joy though!

And naturally, at the behest of my mounting anxiety, all of these toys have been given a home out of sight that’s easy to access. I have vowed not to buy any additional yarn (unless I really need it, ha!). I bare my soul to you in sharing another photo of some of my stash below. Thanks for not judging, and behold…

I wonder if, in addition to aesthetic value, I collect items to experience the pleasure of organizing them.

I love the final product, problem-solving and grounding process of knitting. I love tending to my indoor plants, creating beautifully painted clay pots and constructing himmeli to hang around the house — but there’s something deeply satisfying about putting away the “tools of the trade” and figuring out storage solutions in my small apartment.

Some collections are kept with the promise of future value, as a means of preserving the past, or purely for fun.

For me, the process of sorting is a comforting act, possibly through feeling a sense of control (I get the whole “active meditation” benefit, personally). Then there’s the distinction between collecting and hoarding to consider. Repetitive acquisition syndrome, compulsive buying disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and a host of other psychological issues motivate certain individuals to “collect,” but those are extreme examples and daily life can be difficult for these people.

I think many of us have been deftly groomed into compulsive buyers, however.

Our natural tendencies to gather are exploited every day by data mining tactics used to create advertising found in our mobile apps and computers, but I digress… that rant is for another blog post.

I guess what we should be asking ourselves is, “does this stuff truly bring me joy without causing emotional or financial stress?”