Your surroundings have a profound impact on your physical and emotional wellbeing. Take a moment and look around you.

Everything you see has been designed and influences your feelings, thoughts, and even actions. The systems, spaces, and objects of our built environment make up most of our experience of life. Realizing this was huge unlock for me, personally, especially living in a society where we struggle to assign meaning and find truth.

But it can be overwhelming. Unfortunately, we’re often surrounded by all manner of arbitrary and unnecessary things that don’t add value to our lives. How can we live more consciously in the present, reduce clutter and distraction, and reclaim our time? Part of the solution is learning to choose products that serve us, not the other way around.

We’ve reached a critical juncture as a species occupying this planet. We can no longer afford to be indifferent. Every decision made, big or small, affects both our personal lives and our communities. The way we create must change just as the way we consume must change. But it can be difficult to know where to begin. I think it starts with simply consuming less. And continues with the practice of consuming better.

For years I’ve been exploring our relationships with these everyday objects — how we interact with them, how they make us feel, and learning to recognize the qualities of products that can help us live better lives. My interest doesn’t end with the objects themselves, as they are often intrinsically linked to the people and processes behind them. From anonymous, archetypal products to unique items designed and made by a single person, our days are filled with objects from so many sources and perspectives. Everything has a story.

What I plan to share here is an ongoing record of discovering, researching, and using objects that embody as the designer Jasper Morrison put it, “long-term beauty” — objects that add value to our everyday lives by being there when we need them and receding into the background when we don’t.

Let’s say you bought a pair of scissors a few months ago and have used them pretty regularly. By now you’ve likely forgotten about how much they cost and maybe even where they came from. But, consciously or not, you have formed opinions about the scissors’ usefulness in certain tasks, how much you enjoy (or don’t enjoy) using them, and how much you may just appreciate it as a possession.

Are the scissors easy to hold?

Are they nice to look at?

Do they cut well?

Will they last—and work well—for the rest of your life, or just a couple of years?

These characteristics may not be immediately obvious, especially when buying a household item out of necessity. We humans use lots of tools. But on some level, you’re aware of whether or not the design of the object is a well-thought-out, considered solution. These types of subtle daily interactions (good or bad) with objects contribute to our spaces, shape our experiences, and inform our actions. ●