When we think about the parameters of ‘excess,’ it’s difficult not to consider the boundaries between minimalism and maximalism. How much stuff is too much stuff? Pro-minimalists (such as the infamous Marie Kondo) would suggest it is anything that does not “spark joy.”
Though sometimes, a lot can spark joy.
To kick off Stories @ Vic, we thought it would be interesting to chat with students about what they consciously choose to keep in ‘excess.’ Or perhaps, more aptly, what items and treasures they collect, big and small:
Angel, a fourth year Trin Creative Expressions student, collects clothes: “I just like to collect pieces that make me happy to think of, or that I think would pair nicely with other things I own. I really like expressing myself through the things I put on my body because it makes me feel like a walking art piece! Because of how much I enjoy creating a range of new “art pieces” every day, I would say I’ve accumulated about 200 items of clothing, and […] maybe 30 pairs of shoes […] I have been considering downsizing because I would like to give the pieces I don’t wear very often to someone who can actively love them! Or perhaps I’ll repurpose them!”
Saskia Laufer, a fourth year Vic student, collects tiny elephant statues, of which she has 17. Saskia explains to The Strand that she “love[s] her collection” because all the elephants are gifts from friends and family members. Many of the statues are from India, which she states: “makes [her] feel closer to [her] heritage.”
Rion, a third year Vic student (and Co-Editor-in-Chief) collects books from the Beat Generation. He is the recipient of the Hoeninger Book Collection Prize from the Pratt Library, calling his 53 Beat books a ‘mini-library.’ When asked about the story behind his collection, Rion explains: “I started collecting books by, and about, the Beat Generation when I purchased Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s A Coney Island of the Mind as a textbook for a high school English class […]. I slowly grew acquainted with other Beat writers. More so than them ‘sparking joy,’ I would say that these books spark questions. I have found the Beat Generation fascinating for half a decade now and recently completed a fellowship studying Peter Orlovsky. The more I read, the more questions I have, and the more I collect.”
Mikaela Moore, a fifth year Vic student, collects Funko Pops. She has 217 Pops total. Amongst her collection, she is most proud of her Batgirl Funkos, of which she’s spent years collecting every variation in and out of production. Mikaela says that her collection sparks joy because she “love[s] being surrounded by characters that [she] grew up with or [has] come to love in [her] adult life. They remind [her] of exciting memories of going to the movies with [her] family or reading [her] favourite books for the first time.”
