People have been collecting objects they find beautiful, powerful, or valuable for as long as there have been people. We sent our dead into the afterlife with tombs filled with treasures. We looted conquered civilizations. We purchased, bartered, and stole art to build vast collections and museums.

Collecting is part of who we are.

An art collection has long been equated with success, stability, and cultural sophistication. Unfortunately, collecting art has always been sexier than making it. In a strange way, collectors often get more out of art than artists do.

Art collecting has traditionally been associated with high-net-worth individuals and seen as a symbol of wealth, culture, and refinement. But beyond status, collecting also creates community. Communities inevitably form around collecting, and those communities bring more than enjoyment, they influence value.

We live with art every day. It brings joy, inspiration, and a connection to the hand and mind of the artist. Art carries stories, intentions, and histories. These are qualities bonds and stock certificates simply don’t have.

Most people were introduced to collecting by someone they admired. Collecting is contagious. Rarely does someone walk into our studio alone to buy art. They bring a spouse, a friend, an advisor. It is as though they need someone to help justify buying the thing they love.

And often, the greatest returns on an art collection aren’t financial at all. They show up in the relationships you build, the artists and communities you support, and the legacy you leave behind.

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Resources:

• “Collecting Art: Why 36% of Investors Collect Fine Art - and 6 Reasons You Might Want to Start”. Maddox Gallery. Blog. August 21, 2025.
• Dillon, Andrew. “Why Do People Collect? The Psychologist’s View”. Art Basel. Blog. January 3, 2024.
• “Investing in Art: What to Know About Turning a Passion into a Purposeful Wealth Strategy”. RBC Wealth Management. Investing. Blog. May 2025.
• Pinto, Erik. “Buying Art Your Love: Why Personal Taste Should Drive Your Collection”. Medium. The Motivated Artist: Art, Money, and Mindfulness. Blog. May 6, 2023.
• Sorokowski P, Luty J, Małecki W, Roberts CS, Kowal M, Davies S. “The Collector Hypothesis : Who Benefits More from Art, the Artist or the Collector?” Human Nature. November 15, 2024.
• Thompson, Erin. “Why People Collect Art”. Aeon Magazine. August 23, 2016.
• “The Advantage of Art as a Passion Investment: 4 Key Benefits and Pleasures of Investing in Art”. Maddox Gallery. Blog. December 3, 2024.
• “Who Buys Artwork, and Why?” RevArt. Blog. April 18, 2023.

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John Bishop Fine Art is an art business run by visual artist John Bishop. John is based in Houston and he is an abstract painter and illustrator, a blogger, a vlogger, podcaster, and creative writer. John posts a weekly blog/vlog/podcast that creates a community, a conversation, between creatives in all sorts of fields at all sorts of levels.

John Bishop: http://www.johnbishopfineart.com

John’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnbishopfineart/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnBishopart

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/johnbishopfineart

Did you know there are patterns in the way you collect art? What does your art collection say about you? You may not be consciously aware of them—I’m not sure I am either—but they are there. While there are certainly people in the art world who would love to analyze what drives our purchasing decisions, I sometimes wonder whether it’s more important, and perhaps safer, for us to understand those patterns ourselves.
Art collecting is deeply personal, and every art purchase is uniquely subjective. This subjectivity can create anxiety for collectors, especially those who have spent a lifetime building a collection. I often speak with collectors who worry that their children have little interest in inheriting their art. The idea that a life’s passion could one day be reduced to a garage sale or, worse, discarded altogether, is understandably unsettling.
But what if the issue isn’t the art itself, but the absence of its story? What if we could articulate why we collect, how the works relate to one another, and what values or experiences shaped those choices? Understanding our motivations allows us to communicate the narrative of our collections—one that can outlive us and be meaningful to others.
Art is not consumed like other luxury goods. Consumer products offer utility or comparative value; art does not. Its worth is rooted in the artist’s worldview and the symbolic or emotional value the collector derives from ownership. Sometimes that value is joy or inspiration. Sometimes it is status, identity, or belonging. When we collect art, we are also constructing versions of ourselves—placing ourselves within, or intentionally outside of, certain cultural and social circles.
An art collection is not an assortment of unrelated objects. It is a single body of work. In my former life as a librarian, I learned that what gives a collection meaning is not the individual items, but how they function together. Libraries have collection development policies—clear statements of purpose and intent. Most art collectors do not, and that’s perfectly fine. But knowing your “why” can deepen both your enjoyment of your collection and its ability to be understood by others.
We may all appreciate the beauty of a flower, but a garden is never accidental. It is intentional, tended, and shaped over time. An art collection is much the same—and it brings as much joy to the person who cultivates it as to those invited to walk its paths.

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Season 5, Episode 2
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John Bishop Fine Art is an art business run by visual artist John Bishop. John is based in Houston and he is an abstract painter and illustrator, a blogger, a vlogger, podcaster, and creative writer. He has authored several children's zines and books, as well as co authored books on photography, and art business themes. He maintains a studio at Silver Street Studios in Houston. John posts a weekly blog/vlog/podcast that creates a community, a conversation, between creatives in all sorts of fields at all sorts of levels. He wants to discuss what he's learning, what he's experienced, and whom he's met in his journey of running a freelance creative business. John's art explores how to turn mythic, archetypal symbols into individual experiences allowing us to see them in a new way, with fresh eyes. Join the conversation, the community, and share the journey together.

John Bishop: http://www.johnbishopfineart.com
John’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnbishopfineart/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnBishopart
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/johnbishopfineart
Buburuza Productions: http://www.Buburuzaproductions.com

• We often ask: Why do we collect art?
  
  
  • It’s a surprisingly difficult question to answer.
    
    
  • Unlike collecting objects such as coins, art collecting isn’t purely about accumulation.
    
    
  • Memories and emotional connections matter more than the objects themselves.
    
    
  • Sometimes it’s hard to explain our motivation because we fear getting it “wrong.”
    
    
• People collect for many reasons:
  
  
  • • Institutional preservation (libraries, museums).
      
      
    • Wealth and status, and investment.
      
      
    • Psychological compulsion.
      
      
  • Yet most collectors don’t identify with any single one of these motivations.
• The myth of the “cultural patron”:
  
  
  • Artists often imagine collectors as patrons advancing art history.
    
    
  • Surveys show most collectors don’t cite cultural enrichment as a motivation.
    
    
• What research suggests instead:
  
  
  • Collecting is closely tied to self-identity.
    
    
  • It fosters connection, community, and communication.
    
    
  • Collections educate us, comfort us, and carry personal meaning.
    
    
  • Sharing collections helps connect with others who share our values.
• Circumstances vs. choice:
  
  
  • Purchases may be tied to events, places, artists, or moments.
    
    
  • But among many options, one piece is chosen.
    
    
  • That choice reveals something deeper than circumstance.
    
    
• A personal realization:
  
  
  • Collecting is less about ownership and more about recognition.
    
    
  • A work reflects something back we didn’t know we were seeking.
    
    
  • Understanding our personal “why” brings clarity to how we collect and live with art.
    
    
• Early impactful art experiences:
  
  
  • Childhood exposure to unsettling Caribbean portraits at a grandmother’s home.
    
    
  • These made an impression, but don’t “count.”
    
    
• An interesting observation about collectors:
  
  
  • While writing a book on collecting art, many interviewees refused the label “art collector.”
    
    
  • Even those with homes full of artwork didn’t identify that way.
    
    
  • Collecting, for many, is personal—quiet, intuitive, and deeply human.

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John Bishop Fine Art is an art business run by visual artist John Bishop. John is an abstract painter and illustrator, a blogger, a vlogger, podcaster, and creative writer. He has authored several children's zines and books, as well as co authored books on photography, and art business themes. He maintains a studio at Silver Street Studios in Houston. John posts a weekly blog/vlog/podcast that creates a community, a conversation, between art enthusiasts of all sorts. John's art explores how to turn mythic, archetypal symbols into individual experiences allowing us to see them in a new way, with fresh eyes. Join the conversation, the community, and share the journey together.

John Bishop: http://www.johnbishopfineart.com

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/johnbishopfineart

John’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnbishopfineart/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Joh