The items I own.

So, first day home!

I slept in my own bed last night, and crawled around the house all day.

It's hard to pay attention to at school, but now that I'm forced to be around it, I realize now how much stuff I own.

I own sooo many items.

The thing is, I must not need these items because clearly school has proven that there is only a set number of tools that I need to function, and to design things. And for me to have lived successfully over the last 6 months without needing to take any of the things sitting in my closet, desk cabinet, or elsewhere, makes me think that the items I own have more sentimental value then functional value.

Why do I own these things if I don't use them, and will it pain me to throw them out? 

The reason why I own them is because they connect me, in some way or another, to past happenings. And they define or express who I am. 

Hence why I feel a sense of self in my personal space. There might as well be a connection to feeling self and feeling comfortable. i.e, sentimental objects in relationship to feeling belonging in the world, etc etc.

So first I consider what will happen if everything, save the things I need, are thrown away:

- My past becomes treated as insignificant, and eventually forgotten to an extent that is only remembered via memory, which, btw is shoddy at best.

- My living space becomes more of a utility, rather than a place to ponder old things.

- My thought process may become more involved in future rather than past.

- A space based around utility may have a positive effect on productivity.

- If it is true that I feel a certain sense of self, or at least the self that is projected through the things I own, then I may adopt a new idea of self.

- If there is a connection between feeling like myself and feeling comfort, then a space without personal items may be less comfortable to be in.

- However, a space with less items may prove to be more relaxing. (Chaos of physical space = Chaos of mental space)

What do I hope to gain by loosing these items?

- A space that enables me to work on projects: free space.

- An uncluttered, uncomplex physical space that will hopefully reflect an uncluttered, uncomplex mental space.

- An outlook on the coming 20 years that isn't contaminated or seasoned by the previous 20 years. (Which obviously isn't purely possible, but in terms of my stuff hindering this in any way)

How will I define a 'needed' item?

- it must enable me relative to my design practice, personal health, or personal hobbies.

- If it does not serve any of these three outlets, then it must contain knowledge for me to extract. i.e. books, documents, past written or image-based process, etc.