I love walking into and getting lost in bookshops, stationery shops, art shops... There is something about them that make you feel empowered to create and to explore. Walking through the stores, you feel creative and free, imagining all the books you want to read, all the knowledge you want to master, and all the art pieces you can make. But I also like shoes shops (o the shoes...) and boutiques. At the risk of sounding like I am defending my shopaholic tendency, I have come to the conclusion that shopping in many ways explore and unleash your creativity. Being an Aestheticist (as all who love fashion would be), shopping is not merely running slave for fashion. It is the imagination of the outfits you can put together, the looks, the styles you can achieve with each piece you touch or set your eyes on. Or maybe that is precisely Consumerism. The offer of choices, the promise of creativity, and the prospect of developing an individual style and look that is uniquely yours. Coupled with the mortal weaknesses of instant gratification and the desire to own, and voila! So maybe I am a slave to Consumerism afterall.