Preservation vs. Decay, Part One: The Subtle Art of Discarding Things

I want back everything I ever touched. I want to preserve it all, encase it in glass, stick it into resin… I want every silly little memento, every scrap, every tiny bit of string.

An early image I made when I first learned about Midjourney and was just trying things out. 

I can't stop myself from attaching that disgusting sentimental ooze onto everything I encounter as I sort through boxes of my childhood stuff to try to thin it down and declutter my possessions a little bit. Old diary, old letter, dead tamagotchi.

I keep rooting through these relics of my past, but it's hard to let go of things because I am, at my core, a sentimentalist. At the same time, though, I want to watch these mementos crumble apart in my hands. I want to let them all float away forever, leaving me feeling lighter and less burdened.

Actual excerpt from my childhood diary: “After lunch, we looked at some really cool art galleries. I want to be an artist when I grow up, but I also want to be something else that makes more money.” Yes, I am keeping my diary. With gems like this, how could I part with it?

Should I cherish and cling onto each sweet object or just let it go? Some things aren’t worth donating or passing on, so some bits would probably end up in the landfill. But maybe there is beauty in discarding something that has seen so much love that it can’t go on any longer…

Saving things, letting go of things, hoarding and donating endlessly, and the most important question: “does it spark joy?” Any item can spark joy for me if I try hard enough, Marie Kondo.

I can't stop myself from heading in to take a quick peek around the thrift store right after dropping off my ten bags full of previously loved goods in the donation area out back. I find a new old stock set of daisy covered towels from the 1960s and purchase it for $3.99, a steal! I call it a fair trade off since I donated so much today. When I get home, I immediately rip open the ancient packaging (so many sharp pins!) so that I can wash the towels and put them on the towel bar. And yes, they spark joy every time I use them.

Why bother trying to resist these gorgeous textile patterns from the sixties? Flashy towels are a weakness, oops.