A portrait of consumerism

Source: Photopin

"At it's core, this big data revolution is about how humans create and preserve a historical record of their activities.  Its consequences will transform how we look at ourselves.  It will enable the creation of new scopes that make it possible for our society to more effectively probe its own nature.  Big data is going to change the humanities, transform the social sciences, and renegotiate the relationship between the world of commerce and the ivory tower"

- from Uncharted by Aiden & Michaels 

If you collect enough dots, it will eventually turn into a picture.  a story.

Today, I heard an interview with Kate Bingaman-Burt on Design Matters describing a daunting side project -- she documented everything she bought for 28 months.

It's all recorded here.  It tells both Kate's story and our own story -- a tale about the objects that define us and the emotional relationship we have with money. 

Our daily lives are filled with consumption—$1.50 for a cup of coffee, $5.95 for a magazine, $17.99 for headphones, $1.79 for cough drops, $36.00 for a haircut. Whether bought out of necessity or indulgence, purchased alone or in a group, everything we buy has its own story to tell. We buy art supplies while feeling inspired, CDs while shopping with friends, and a new pair of jeans to give us a lift when we are feeling blue. Yet, these powerfully emotional experiences can be fleeting—quickly erased by the pull of the next "must-have" acquisition.

- Obsessive Consumption, book description

The project morphed into her drawing all her credit card receipts until she paid off $23,000 of debt.

Twelve years later, the project is still running.  She now draws one picture a day of her purchases.

What do you think your purchases say about you?