Are you a collector? Is there something you look out to collect wherever you go – maybe hats, teapots, clocks, football shirts, first edition books or teddy bears? I’ve never formed a collection, but I’ve known people who collect Victoriana, music memorabilia, and model houses & railways – and even someone who collects anything to do with pumpkins, from jewellery to cake recipes! Collecting enriches many people’s ives, and can be important for wellbeing. Instead of letting life slip by, collecting is a way of grasping hold, of gathering around you objects that interest, amuse or excite you. It also has a strong visual impact, decorating your home and displaying a part of your identity. This is important too. Expressing identity is known to build confidence and contentment.
Yes, there are negatives too. Collecting can become oppressive, with items here, there and everywhere. That depends whether you like being surrounded by possessions, or whether you’re more of a mimimalist, liking clear spaces. Collecting itself can also become obsessive, an endless quest doomed to disappointment. An activity that should be positive can become the very opposite if your collection never feels complete.
Then again, collecting takes many different forms. What about collecting music? Playlists have turned most music lovers into virtual collectors, amassing endless selections of songs or pieces of music to craft personal and themed playlists. This way of collecting may be virtual but still expresses the instinct to own, to gather and garner and store, to control, which is central to collecting. And these can be very positive instincts. Feeling out of control damages wellbeing more than many other experiences, so having some amount of control can restore hope and confidence, even over small things like a playlist or any other collection. Another benefit is how collecting motivates and creates a sense of purpose, an ongoing project or challenge.
Collecting can be costly, and on a large scale lead to debt. For some collectors the very lure of collecting is all about the value of their collection. This may even become a business. But collecting can also be free or low-cost – think collecting leaves or flowers in nature, to press and store, or scouring car boot sales and vintage stores online for small and reduced items. Collecting items that need upcycling or restoring can also make this a more active hobby, with time spent doing up an object and putting your own stamp on what you collect. This is a way I could imagine getting into collecting.
And down the centuries, collecting has built up many of the wonderful art and craft heritage we enjoy now in galleries and museums. Something that can do such a lot to enrich life and allow us to experience beauty and imagination at second hand.
Do share in Medley’s Facebook group your thoughts on collecting. Do you collect? Just go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/359291215486002
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