Objects of Art

A while ago I made a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Junk in Austin, Texas. I’d postponed visiting it for a bit because my memories of wading through my family’s own cathedral of junk were still too fresh in my mind.

On a whim, I decided to call Vince Hannemann and see whether he could grant me access on short notice to his decades-in-the-making, continually evolving art experience. Luckily for me, he could, thanks to the heat, humidity, and drizzle that had discouraged other tourists that day.

Triggered by Trash

Truthfully, I wasn’t certain whether being around a mass of discarded items, no matter how artfully they were arranged, would be too much for me to handle.

After wading through the detritus of the deceased, I was sensitive to the triggers of a hoard.

A huge amount of stuff in a giant pile. The smell of mildew. A winding path through items obscuring your view.

Consciously going into an environment like that was challenging, but I managed to do it. The visit even managed to be joyful.

After I took a moment to witness the sensations triggered by likenesses to familial hoards of the past, I could detach from them and recognize the Cathedral of Junk as being something altogether separate. I could delight in its unique playfulness, creativity, and innovation.

What I Learned

Here was someone who’d actually taken random items and used them for a real project, something that turned out to be a thing of wonder, rather than stashing them in the house and make ill-defined promises about what might someday become something or other.

(Also, I love that Hannemann’s mom is the one who unceremoniously dubbed his creation the Cathedral of Junk, disregarding the name he’d selected, Yardspace Eleven. What a mom thing to say.)

The visit showed me I can appreciate someone else’s compulsively collected items when they’ve turned it into art. Better still, I get to leave the cathedral behind when I’m done.

Of course, there turned out to be a unicorn tucked into the Cathedral, a nod from the universe that this visit was another step on my path toward healing and away from hoarding. (This post has the deets about unicorns’ relevance to my hoarding saga.)

Your Cathedral Can Be Clean

The reason I shared this story is to reassure you that it is possible to move beyond hoarding, to confront situations that trigger memories of what once was, and to be confident that you are strong enough to handle it and that it can even reinforce your reasons for making things different.

Or you can make art from your stuff, as long as you follow through on your ideas and get the proper city permits.

If you’re still in the midst of your hoarding recovery, or if you want to renew your resolve, you can find additional support through organizations or books that are tailored to helping those who are overwhelmed by their possessions.

Hope and joy,
Rachel