<3 Intro <3

Recently we’ve been reflecting on the 27 months we've lived together and something thats been a core theme since the very beginning is the “stuff” we have. While we exist on opposite ends of the minimalist/maximalist spectrum, we converge on our shared love for all things creative. We’ve ended up making our home feel like an art studio, which has affected what we bring into our lives to accommodate that. More table space and art supplies, less TV and clothing. 

Objects aren’t just things we see or touch. They make up the landscape we move through, and the way we navigate the world. Some objects fade into the background while others become vessels of meaning. We are the ones who give them significance, and in return they help us understand who we are. Anthropologists call this the “social life of things,” the idea that value is not built into an object but created through the ways it moves through our lives and the moments it holds. They become part of the biography of a place and part of the biography of us.

Making this index was really fun. We were inspired after reading “Spheres of Influence” in WIP Mag, and immediately setup a tripod and blank canvas to take our own closeup shots of stuff we had laying around the house. It was interesting to place our attention on objects that had become part of our everyday lives. Some stand out for sentimental reasons, others stay glued to our bodies throughout the day, and a few lie around just because.

<3 J <3

My relationship with objects has shifted over the last 27 months. Before moving to NY, I lived in a small one bedroom in Boston for 2 years. I had a few jobs, one of them serving at an upscale oyster bar. For the first time I found myself with “adult money,” and the freedom to spend it how I wanted it to. 

Growing up I never wanted adulthood to mean becoming less expressive or playful. Living with M helped me see how much your environment affects energy, and that your surroundings can still feel energizing while also being calm and grounding. 

I’ve gone through at least four rounds of decluttering, deep cleaning, and purging the apartment over the last few years. Being more intentional with the objects we bring into our space isn’t subtractive, rather it adds to the life we want while still leaving space for ourselves. The objects I highlighted represent values I try to live by: human connection, creativity, and, self-actualization.

<3 M <3

I had been on the road for a few years when I made the move to NY. After living at such a fast pace, it's a bit disorienting to settle into space that moves more slowly. Objects stay where you put them. Patterns appear over time. And you notice that things pile up, but in a good way.  

This process was accelerated by moving in with J, a maximalist comfortable in seas of color, shape, and texture. Fun activities turned into habits. Personal collections turned into joint archives. We formed our own language of acting and remembering. 

The objects I chose to highlight each represent a core part of myself. The backpack represents adventure and my quest to find what’s real. The rock is a recent totem of creativity and inspiration, one that appeared without planning for it. The necklace is a symbol of my relationship with J, and I wear it everyday.

<3 Sincerely <3

We got inspired and set up a tripod. The pics came out nice so we started making some edits. We procrastinated the writeup for a few weeks. It was all so fun because it was so natural, and a chance to showcase something personal. Thx so much for reading this.

<3 J&M <3

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