How I became a micro-decorator

The story of how I became a micro-decorator begins with me at age three, on a visit with my parents to close friends of theirs – so close that I'm encouraged to call them aunt and uncle.

My aunt gives me a board game to occupy my mind and fingers, adult conversation being far too dull to hold my attention. The game is beyond my comprehension, but I'm transfixed by the little game pieces. Their shape and colours seem perfectly suited to my world and I instantly pick one up and examine it more closely.

Then, I discover that I can turn two pieces sideways, put their flat bases against one another and create a whole new shape. I'm in heaven!

When it's time to say goodbye, I close my fist around the pair of game pieces, hoping that no one will notice I'm about to attempt smuggling them home with me. My tightly clenched fingers attract attention, however, and my Mom asks me what I'm holding.

I open my hand reluctantly – and she tells me that I'll have to leave the small treasures behind. But I close my fingers again. I can't imagine how my life will go on without having this beautiful pair of things in my possession.

My aunt notices my distress and intervenes. "You can have them," she tells me and my heart leaps with delight. My aunt's board game is short two pieces – and my life as a collector has begun.

I can't remember what I did with the two game pieces when we arrived home. Did I give them a place of honour among my other toys? Did their shape and colours continue to enthrall me as much as when I first set eyes on them?

Who knows. I do know that the jolt of recognition I feel when I happen upon an especially well-designed object takes me all the way back to that childhood moment of potential loss and satisfying capture.

The funny thing is, many of the objects that captivate me now resemble scaled-up game pieces:

The child in me is still acting as a compass, navigating me to the things that matter in ways I can't explain.

This is only a prologue; there are further twists in my micro-decorating story that I hope to share with you.

For now, I'll leave you with a parting thought. Can you remember something that seized your imagination as a child? Picture it. Let it fill your senses. It may be the best clue to what you need to bring into your life right now.