Collecting precious things that feel like me

Over the last few years, my relationship to style and to material objects has completely changed. What used to matter to me was having a home that felt clean, minimal, and simple. One that looked like Pinterest, or an IKEA catalogue. And I felt conflicted about my desire for material objects, like it was a bad habit and yet something I couldn't shake. 

Now, one of my favorite ways to spend a weekend is to take myself on a date wandering through thrift shops, secondhand stores, or garage sales, just to see what “finds me”. I love being delighted by the unexpected things I stumble upon.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why this practice matters so much to me. Why does style (or, intentionally curating material objects) feel like such an important practice for me? And knowing there’s often a negative perception around desiring material objects, how would I explain that to someone else?

Go with me for a moment. Imagine walking into a thrift store. Everything is everywhere. Shelves and racks are bursting with objects from every imaginable category, era, and personality. This is a magic portal where it’s possible to step outside the algorithm or the carefully curated world of trends, targeted advertising, and all the subtle ways we’re influenced to like certain things. Here, I find myself in a place where there are essentially no rules.

First, there is value simply in being exposed to so many tastes from different people, places, and points in time. And in this environment, I get to practice noticing my own response and listening to what I like or don’t. I pick something up that I never would have expected to like and get to observe my reaction. Do I genuinely like it? Or do I think I should like it? And beneath all of that, there’s a subtler sensation that I’ve learned to recognize: my own personal taste. The only way I know how to describe it is as a small electric pull somewhere in my body. Something in my gut that quietly (or sometimes, loudly) says, Ooh… yes. Along the way, I’ve realized that the most important question for me is: Does this make me feel more like me?

Today, for example, I wandered into a store that was closing and having a final clearance sale. Buying a metallic gold skirt was definitely not on my bingo card when I woke up this morning. But when I put it on, it awakened something in me that felt radiant, royal, and self-possessed. And I wanted to give that part of myself a gift so that when I wear this skirt, that part of me will shine even brighter. So, I bought it (lucky for me, heavily discounted).

Looking back, I can see that I was conflicted with collecting objects because I hadn't defined the role that they play in my life and my personal code around acquiring them. Now, I desire objects full of texture, color, and story. I want my home to ooze with things I’ve collected from places I’ve been, each imbued with significance and the memories associated with it. Every object becomes a symbol that holds meaning in my life that later reminds me to continue to live this way. The same has become true of my personal style. I want to adorn myself with meaning and things that make me feel like me.

What I’m really trying to get at here is practicing listening to my 'inner yes' - to instinct, preference, desire - and then trusting it. Sometimes that means buying the object. Sometimes it simply means noticing what I was drawn to. Either way, I get information by following the thread.

Over time, these coveted objects have accumulated in my home and closet. I’ve noticed that they spark conversations with others where I get to tell that person the story of meaning behind it. In fact, wearing these pieces has become one of the ways I invite meaningful conversations with friends and strangers into my life (one of my favourite things). For me, collecting objects is a way of amplifying fulfillment, cultivating meaning, and attracting connection in my everyday life. And the best part is that this naturally leads me to want to buy things secondhand as a way of finding what’s quirky, unexpected, and storied. For me, this has been a way to stay in harmony with another value I hold deeply - my relationship with nature - by way of buying less new.

Honestly, I never expected to write about buying stuff on a blog about creative living. But more, this is about discernment and filtering what I bring into my life intentionally.

Now, it’s your turn.

What’s the most YOU thing you’ve collected lately? And what part of you does it represent?