The Things We Carry — A Visual Inventory of Personal Belongings

In cities, it seems like your whole life can be found inside your purse, tote, backpack or messenger bag. New York City-based graphic designer and Krrb member, Janine Toro, is taking note, revealing the contents of bags the world over on her website What Do You Carry. What began as a side project for this School of Visual Arts graduate student is now an ongoing conversation among creatives about their stuff. Just like Krrb corners, one’s personal inventory is a (hyper-local) visual catalog of one’s life.

Janine was curious to see what necessary items creative types have with them and use on a daily basis. If what we carry is what we use, then cataloging our belongings says a lot about our preferences, our daily schedules and even our personalities.

The contents of our bags is a way to see the similarities and differences among people. “Whether we prefer Field Notes or Moleskine notebooks or maybe both,” says Janine. “It says a lot about our workflow, what inspires us and our personality.”

Over time, the listings on a Krrb corner reflects one’s personal narrative whether it’s a move across the country, a marriage or a new member of the family. In the same way, the essential items on one’s person gives us contextual clues about where that person is going and where they’re at in life.

Tell Us

What are the contents of your bag?