As I continue preparing to downsize from a two-bedroom house to a studio apartment (with a bonus room in the main house), I’ve found myself face-to-face with the ghosts of purchases past. For me, nothing triggers self-reflection quite like opening box after box of things you forgot you even owned.
If you’re unfamiliar, Gear Acquisition Syndrome (aka G.A.S.) is that all-too-common affliction among creatives, hobbyists, musicians, photographers, and tinkerers of every stripe. It’s that buzzing, nagging voice in your head that insists, “If I just had that one more thing, I’d finally be able to do the thing.”
Spoiler Alert: The “thing” rarely gets done, and the gear mostly piles up, unused.
I’m not saying I didn’t use a lot of it. I did. I’ve created, explored, tinkered, and built so many things thanks to the tools I’ve gathered over the years. But I also “had” to buy a lot of my stuff because… well, life was messy.
Retail therapy, as it turns out, is a highly-addictive coping mechanism that offers very little therapeutic value.
For every joyful unboxing moment, there’s the quiet aftermath of bills, clutter, and confusion. What started as a way to feel better—especially during moments of burnout, anxiety, or a creative slump—became a self-soothing routine with long-term consequences.
Not only did my retail therapy fail to solve my deeper problems, it caused new ones:
Consumer debt that follows me around like a shadow.
Over-consumerism that clashes with the minimalist I’m trying to become.
Creative guilt and regrets for not using the things I swore I needed.
Sorting through my things now, I'm struck by how often my purchases were attempts to fill a void. Sometimes that void was practical (I need a better microphone), but more often it was emotional (I need to feel productive, inspired, or valid). And like most addictions, the high was temporary and the mess lives long after the dopamine hit subsides.
Now that I’m moving soon, the truth of my G.A.S. habit is impossible to ignore.
Do I really need six digital cameras and three full lighting kits?
What about the boxes of mystery cables and cords, many of which I can’t even identify anymore?
And how many keyboards and mice does one person need?
As for how I’ve amassed a dozen unused sketchbooks remains a mystery. I haven’t sketched much in years. Years!
I guess I was trying. Trying to feel better. Trying to stay creative. Trying to believe that if I just had the right tool, everything would fall into place. But now, I’m learning that less really can be more—especially when all that “more” is keeping me from breathing, moving, or even thinking clearly.
So yes, my G.A.S. is acting up again as I touch every single object and weigh its value. But for once, I’m resisting the urge to acquire more. I’m finding clarity and simplicity by just letting go of a lot of it. Some of my collection will be gifted to chosen family and friends. Some will be sold or traded to finance my upcoming move.
This isn’t about regretting the past. It’s about preparing for the future. It’s about developing awareness and focusing on what matters, knowing I can create more meaning with less stuff.
If you've been there too, you’re not alone. And if you’ve got a closet full of cables and no clue what half of them do, consider this your gentle nudge to let a few of them go.
Keep calm and buy wisely!
Clint 🌈✌️
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FOR YOUR (SUBSTACK) CONSIDERATION
ON THIS DAY = MAY 27
BIRTHDAYS
1794 = Cornelius Vanderbilt = American businessman and philanthropist
1867 = Arnold Bennett = English author and playwright
1911 = Vincent Price = American actor 🌈
1922 = Christopher Lee = English actor
1927 = Marijane Meaker = American writer 🌈
1935 = Lee Meriwether = American model and actor
1936 = Louis Gossett Jr. = American actor and producer
1937 = Allan Carr = American playwright and producer 🌈
1939 = Don Williams = American singer-songwriter
1957 = Siouxsie Sioux = English singer-songwriter 🌈
1961 = Peri Gilpin = American actor
1964 = Adam Carolla = American actor, producer, and screenwriter
1965 = Todd Bridges = American actor
1970 = Joseph Fiennes = English actor
1971 = Lisa Lopes = American rapper and dancer
1971 = Paul Bettany = English actor
1975 = André 3000 = American rapper
1975 = Jamie Oliver = English chef and author
1980 = Ben Feldman = American actor
1990 = Chris Colfer = American actor and singer 🌈
EVENTS
1703 = Tsar Peter the Great founds the city of Saint Petersburg.
1927 = The Ford Motor Company ceases manufacture of the Ford Model T and begins to retool plants to make the Ford Model A.
1930 = The Chrysler Building in New York City, the tallest man-made structure at the time, opens to the public.
1937 = In California, the Golden Gate Bridge opens to pedestrian traffic, creating a vital link between San Francisco and Marin County, California.
1977 = Sex Pistols release "God Save the Queen", sparking major controversy and leading to a ban on the song by the BBC.
2018 = South Korean boy band BTS are the first K-pop group to top the Billboard 200 with their album Love Yourself: Tear.
HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES
Start of National Reconciliation Week (Australia)
PORTRAIT + QUOTES OF THE DAY
“A man who limits his interests, limits his life.”
Vincent Price
“If I could prescribe a single rule for looking at a work of art it would be to enjoy it. If we're honest with ourselves, we have to admit we enjoy our tears just as much as we enjoy our laughter. The only moments of life that are a bore are when we don't care one way or another.”
Vincent Price
What a handsome stud Vincent price was in his youth! Thanks, Clint
Jeepers Clint my GAS collection is building up too. It's mostly old electricals, microwaves/TV's that type of thing. My problem is not having a car I can't get to the household recycling centre. I don't want to ask friends etc to take them in their cars so it build up 🥺 Guess I'll have to bite the bullet and get a recycle guy in. The problem in the UK is many are not licenced and you never know if they will be fly tipping the items 😲 Bloody first world problems. Cheers DougT 🇫🇴🇬🇧