During this pandemic, I got obsessed with the show Hoarders (Amazon). This show is full of tragic people and I related with them. I too have hoarding tendencies. I put sentimental values in inanimate objects and find reasons to keep any piece of old thing regardless of how many I already have or whether I’ll ever actually need it. 

When I was young, I collected things. I would collect cards, coins, toys, and programs for events I attended. I still have boxes of newspapers that I’ve written for as a student journalist. If I’m not careful, I’d get carried away with collecting — and have it become hoarding. 

What’s the difference between collecting and hoarding? When you’re collecting, you’re organizing and you’re presenting. You have some system or inventory in place. You can find a piece and showcase it if you have to. Whereas, hoarding is chaotic and disorganized. Hoarding is piles upon piles of stuff. Hoarding is when you don’t even know how many you have or whether it’s in good condition. 

I believe that collecting is an honourable hobby and a fruitful way to spend one’s free time and hard-earned money. In many cases, collecting is investing. Hoarding, on the other hand, is a disorder. Hoarders are not in control of their possessions, but rather their possessions are in control of them. But how does any of this relate to writing? 

As I mentioned, I have hoarding tendencies. Left to my own devices, I’ll end up accumulating one thing after another. Harnessing that knowledge, I decided to collect only things that benefit my life. I asked myself: What things would I not mind having a lot of? The answer didn’t come right away. I had to filter through some obvious ones first: money, property, delicious food. But after that, I wouldn’t mind having a lot of my own work. 

I want a big collection of my writings. I want a big collection of my videos. I want a big collection of my drawings. I want to be a big collector in my creative self. I could do this. I’m happy to create. I’m merging my passions and my compulsions together. I’m using my compulsions to drive my passions. 

Again, what separates collecting and hoarding is organization and presentation. As a collector of my own work, I must have everything properly labeled and organized whether in a physical or digital folder, a paper or plastic box, or on an external hard drive or cloud storage. Having my collection in a place where I can easily access ensures that my life — even if I have a lot of work created — won’t get cluttered. 

The next thing that makes a collector and not a hoarder is the act of showing off the collection. I find ways to present my work whether it’s through the YouTube channel or on my blog or by submitting my work to a publication, network, or contest. The act of showing my work gives the collection a greater purpose than just occupying my time and taking up my space. 

Whether you consider it a hobby or an investment, there are many things you can collect that will give you a broader reason to live. But when what you collect is something of your own creation, that ensures that you’ll always have one person ready to receive your work regardless of what the rest of the world thinks. 

Like a collector of baseball cards or sneakers, when the latest of your work is released, you must have it. This attitude towards your writings, videos, or designs will send positive vibes through you — a rush of adrenaline that collectors feel when they find a rare item. This type of reinforcement will encourage you to show off what you have to the world. You can pick the best and curate those. Who knows, maybe you’ll convince others to collect your work in the future as well. 

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