Our personal surroundings and belongings are as diverse as our thoughts. Every house, every office, every thing is a reflection of its owner because that’s how we humans operate. We like to surround ourselves with comfort, familiarity, and inspiration because it’s our way to nest. For example, color (on the wall or in the accessories) can reflect our personality or perhaps takes on a mood that we desire to immerse ourselves into. Red can be passionate, blue can be calming, yellow can be cheery, and green can be natural. Is white boring or is it clean? Is black depressing? It depends on the individual. Just like some of us love Vanilla, while others have to have Rocky Road. We’re all made up of individual experiences that drive what we like and what we collect.
I’m not (yet) a hoarder, but I do love to collect all sorts of things that trigger some emotion in me. They actually have to speak to me before I choose to take them with me. They’re what helps to drive my creativity. If I don’t choose them, then I feel that they’re meant for someone else. I think that we all have a little hoarding monster inside us waiting to get out, and I choose to imagine mine being small, soft, curious, unruly, and slightly noisy. My office has become something of a museum (or so my hubby says), and I find that every piece has a special place in my heart. It’s full of books, vinyl figures, plushies, prints, and other objects that catch my eyes and brain as I look out into the world for new inspirations. They make me smile, and they put thoughts into my head that come out into drawings and words through my fingers. Of course, from the outside looking in, I could see what my husband sees just by the sheer volume of stuff. Sue me for finding everything intriguing.
Sam Gosling was recently interviewed by Big Think regarding what our “stuff” says about us (which is also the subtitle of his book, Snoop). I somehow missed this one, but it’s now on my to-do list because it sounds really interesting. Our psychological footprints leave visible tracks, through our belongings in our habitats, that help to describe our personality. What could someone else pick up while looking at your stuff? How accurate would their image of you be? Considering that most of us have depth and complexity, I don’t think that a full picture could ever emerge that truly depicts who you are.
Do you think that your space is a reflection of the real you, or the you that you want to become? Take a look around and decide. And who knows, maybe it might say something that you’ve never really realized about yourself. I’d be curious to hear some of the guesses about me once you’ve seen my office!
