The Art of Shopping

Written by Dorothy Segovia

I was in my cozy muffin scented cabin, watching the fog tumble down the block when it hit me. I want to go shopping. I know, shopping as sport - how politically incorrect, how Orange County. But the kind of shopping I was hankering for wasn’t at the mall or downtown. That type of activity is called buying. I’m talking about shopping as art. This new way of shopping took some time to develop. However, since including shopping as a part of my creative process, I feel more positive about the gap between what I buy and what I want.

Say like you’re finally going to buy that fabulous _______ that you have wanted forever. You feel giddy with excitement then, POW! Monkey mind jumps in with a big wet blanket. Your head pounds with pithy words such as ‘shouldn’t’, ‘economy’, or ‘Suze Orman’ and you’re left standing with your desire shriveled down around your ankles. You think that shopping had something to do with it. But the reality is that a belief about shopping is what happened. Your Monkey Mind yanked your feeling chain from joyful to bummed to guilty in three seconds flat.

Esther and Jerry Hicks, authors of the popular Abraham books and seminars, state that desire is expansive. It is our natural connection to Source energy. So, I redefined shopping into three categories: browsing, spending, and creative shopping.

Browsing is really information gathering. If I’m buying a bookshelf, I need to know the dimensions, style, and color. I perfected browsing while working in downtown Santa Barbara. I discovered that I could walk to Barnes and Noble, including a breather in front of the best sellers, if I left my wallet behind.

Spending is exchanging money for actual stuff. I create buying lists that include the categories of office, hardware, clothes and IKEA. From these lists it is easy to choose the next item to purchase. Next, I wait for a sale or look through the Craigslist freebies. Many times I’ve often decided that I don’t want the item after all, regardless of price.

Creative Shopping: I have a cigar box that I covered with a collage. The top cover is a black and white picture of a boy holding up a jar with a frog. Inside are magazine photos of my dream closet, an orange wing back chair, an African safari vacation, and a giant storage shed.

I listen to music while I clip items from the Sunday sales, or magazines. I place the images in the box affirming “I want this because it delights me.” The operative sentence is “I want it because.” The art of shopping isn’t about buying. It’s about the magic of desire for the sake of desire. Finally, this Orange County girl can shop while saving for trips to the cheese aisle at Lazy Acres in Santa Barbara.

Prior to my shopping box I felt overwhelmed by spending decisions. I worried about expenses. Worry plus messages about consumerism left me feeling guilty. I got wanting and spending mixed up. By shopping with my collage box, I’m releasing judgment about my wants – regardless of manifestation. How or if the objects appear is not my concern. The process itself is rewarding.

One more thing about this method is rebel energy. Rebel energy is the part that may rail against boundaries; especially if you spend to mask emotions. I give this rebel mad money to spend each paycheck. Even $5.00 is fun if I head for the thrift stores. In fact, I often come away with gems such as my $4.00 Dirt Devil from the Abundance Thrift Shop in Los Osos or last season’s best sellers.

Dorothy Segovia is a certified Life Coach who teaches at the Be Well Center in Atascadero. For information visit www.BeWellLiving.net or call 805-460-9907.