#180 Arts and crafts and pretty, pretty things: artists, aesthetics and hoarding with Dr Jan Eppingstall

That Hoarder: Overcome Compulsive Hoarding

• Come to a Dehoarding Accountability Zoom Session: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/ticket
• Subscribe to the podcast: https://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/subscribe
• Podcast show notes, links and transcript: http://www.overcomecompulsivehoarding.co.uk/

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr Jan Eppingstall to explore a fascinating angle on hoarding: its artistic side. We'll tackle the connection between creativity and hoarding, including why so many people who hoard are into arts and crafts, and diving into how people who hoard might view their possessions in an unusually aesthetic light. Jan shares insights from both clinical experience and research, offering a fresh perspective on the parallels between art and accumulation. Whether you're a creative type or just curious about the psychology behind collecting, this conversation will give you plenty to think about.

• Curiosity: Example of using curiosity to cope with pain.
• Gratitude: Using the Finch app to practice gratitude daily.
• Journaling: Imperfect journaling as a new approach to managing emotions.
• Arty, Crafty Side of Hoarding
• Trends seen in clients regarding art and hoarding
• The challenge of managing craft supplies in people who hoard
• Analysing Creativity and Hoarding
• Comparison to detectives and acute perception
• Consideration of feeling overlooked
• Struggles with Crafting and Perfectionism
• Challenges in starting and completing craft projects
• Study on Artists and Hoarding
• Traits shared by studio artists and people who hoard
• ADHD and executive dysfunction parallels
• Art and Beauty in Hoarding
• Tendency to keep beautiful things
• Struggles with displaying or appreciating collected items
• Analysis of Andy Warhol's Accumulation
• Discussion of Warhol’s collection as art vs. hoarding
• Socioeconomic and behavioural aspects of collecting vs. hoarding
• Aesthetics and Inclusion in Hoarding
• Discussion of under-inclusiveness in categorising objects
• Exploration of seeing beauty in ordinary objects
• Potential Neurodevelopmental Aspects of Hoarding
• Insights from MRI study
• Brain regions potentially linked to hoarding behaviours
• Using Art to Represent Hoarding Space
• Artists using clutter and hoarding as themes in art
• Questioning the nature of representing hoarding through art
• Fear of Sterile and Soulless Homes
• Addressing the fear that tidiness equals lack of personality
• Discussing clutter core and maximising aesthetic displays