Put Stuff On Your Walls
On making a space your own, and not falling victim to the fear of impermanence. (Spoiler: nothing is permanent. Print out your photos.)
For the longest time, my walls were mostly blank. I’d moved into a new room and was set to start college soon. Though my old teenage walls were covered in a variety of my interests and memories, I didn’t put most of them back up. Between some parental prompting to make the space my own instead of more or less a spare room, oh and a pandemic, I ended up decorating the walls with renewed interest. It eventually became a cluster of memories and photos I’d taken and places I’d been or wanted to go. Lyrics from artists I loved and posters from movies I rewatched again and again for comfort or disturbance.
A couple years later, we lost that house in a hurricane, and much of the hodgepodge of my walls and room were unsalvageable or unsentimental enough that I’d live with just a digital file with the promise to myself to print it again someday. Through several rentals, some shared rooms, some for a few weeks or a few months, I took note of how they were decorated. Typically, they were entirely unoffensive, almost like hotels. Birds and beaches. Mirrors and minimalism. I understand why, but I craved more personality. I decorated in small ways. I’d stack the handful of books I kept out of the storage locker on my bedside table just so, or display my cameras when I wasn’t using them (which was most of the time), or arrange things in such a way that felt my own.
Even in a state of transience (much like existence itself), there is value to marking your place in a visceral way. The things we decide to put on our walls vary a lot. They often reflect what we want to see everyday. Perhaps reminders of people we love, or places we have been, or things that we enjoy doing. Art that inspires us, or even that was made by us. There doesn’t have to be any rhyme or reason to it. Sometimes it doesn’t reveal itself until it unfolds and we begin to see the style we gravitate toward.
I am definitely not a minimalist. I respect that style, but the more people’s homes I am lucky to visit or stay in, the more I appreciate the ones that feel lived in. They might not have perfect pairs of art or all cords hidden away from view, but I like getting that peek into what someone likes and values and treasures, based on what they keep within view. There’s a balance, for sure. Let’s not be overly messy if we can help it (I work on it myself), but we don’t have to live in model homes, up to some social or social media standard.
I’m someone who has long had trouble deciding where to place a sticker, because, what if I want it somewhere else someday? Sometimes I still have to remind myself that just because something is up doesn’t mean it can’t come down, or move to a better position, or be replaced by a new interest or image. These are very easy to undo. Making even temporary choices or living situations into something that you own can make a surprising difference in the sense of comfort in your own space and dare I say life generally. It’s a visual and physical reminder of your own presence.
A few tips to make this easier:
Look around for inspiration, but don’t compare yourself or get trapped into trying to make your space look like someone else’s. Consider the fleshed out bedrooms of some comfort TV shows or movies. It does make a difference.
This is more my personal preference, but I am not one for minimalism. I like having a variety of things that I feel reflect me or my interests around me. My dog, my favorite movies, quotes, music, concerts, people, postcards.
Also don’t get suckered into expensive items right off the bat. I’m all for buying art from artists (you can buy some from me here if you so desire), but there are some cheap methods of figuring out what you like and expanding on it. Thrift stores, antique malls, and garage sales are a good place to start.
Another is looking for a drugstore (such as Walgreens) or other online printer. For national ones, I’ve had good experiences with mpix and The Darkroom. You can get prints in a variety of sizes and paper types.
Consider cheap frames or, if they aren’t too precious to you, a removable, malleable putty like this one. Cheap, relatively reusable, and easily movable, whether you are renting or indecisive or just want an easy way to put things up without resorting to tape or nails.
All in all, have fun with this newfound freedom and grounding exercise.
wow love this