The Art of Collecting: The Comfort in Trinkets

The idea of minimalists and maximalists is not recently discovered, in fact, the two have existed since at least the 20th century. Everyone has their preference, and for me (which is no secret to my friends) I couldn’t imagine being anything other than a maximalist. There’s just something about a culmination of things that seems to help the soul.

I don’t necessarily mean this in the sense of having a pile of crap lying around, but in the sense that I love to collect. This has been my niche ever since I was at least 11, I remember I used to go into charity shops or bother my gran for her buttons. Of course, I have no idea how many buttons I had to my name but the entire concept is what has always mattered to me. There’s something about owning and searching for things that are perhaps a little bizarre and unimportant to others but that have a special place reserved in my soul.

While my affinity for buttons has since long passed, being a ‘collector’ so to speak, has not.

From buttons to clowns. The porcelain freak show stars that face horror movie stardom are fascinating. always beautifully crafted, they just make sense. When I say a little bizarre this is what I mean. Scary to everyone else but incredible to me (at least enough to commit to tattooing). Unlike buttons clowns are much easier to count, specifically, my collection consists of 23 clowns and counting. All different shapes, sizes, prices, and types.

I could continue to describe the variety in my collection, however, an in-depth listing of adjectives isn’t what I wanted to write this post about. It's much more about the principle of why collecting is so enjoyable.

I put it down to the comfort it brings, the idea that there is a collection of things in my life that have experienced what I have experienced all starting at different times. Sort of in the same way people feel comfort in their pets but in things that really, really cannot communicate back (not all of them at least…). Collecting things also perhaps implies a long-term purpose, there’s always something for you to do, talk about and care about. An “I know you think of me when you think of them” sort of feeling that musters up, if you get niche enough people are forced to associate you with something. With every new addition its like an extra amount of comfort added to the pile. To me, collecting also feels like my family is wherever I go. The memories of using buttons as currency or craft supplies all at my grandparent's house.

The principle of collecting, going into a shop, or looking online in the hopes of finding a clown, it’s an exciting routine. My routine.