This collection of personal information is just one aspect of collecting, which makes up another layer of the foundation of childhood experiences. A younger child will have an easier time grasping the concept of collecting objects, but as they grow and become more advanced, a collection of tools, skills, information, and ideas will prove fruitful in new creative projects. Returning to the importance of objects, Cskiszentmihalyi said, “Things tell us who we are, not in words, but by embodying our intentions.” Cornell was a classic example of using collected objects to embody his intentions to create romantic worlds. His collection stemmed from a slightly obsessive admiration for the beautiful young starlets performing in New York at the time. Their pictures and ticket stubs from the theater shows became precious objects, and he used them to create beautiful and magical worlds that he hoped to one day share with the movie star. His careful organization of the objects in dozens of dossiers presented the opportunity to express a new idea as it arose from his imagination. Cornell’s magic stems from the imaginative world he created; it did not reflect the life that he lived. Instead, they were a direct reflection of his interests, combined with his dreams and imagination.

Being able to immediately jump into a new creative endeavor requires some form of organization to allow for easy retrieval of items from the collection. An example of material management provides young adults with a sense of empowerment from having all of their information organized and centralized in one location. The journal portion of the project offers a method of recording autobiographical information, contacts, tools, resources, collections, and ideas for activities. This practical application provides a tool used by most creative individuals, who each has their own means by which they work best. John-Steiner studied the notebooks, journals, and diaries of numerous creative individuals to examine their thinking process and how they organized their ideas and resources. She presented the example of Charles Darwin’s organization system, as follows:

1. In order to meet this demanding task [of scientific exploration], researchers have to both accumulate and organize large amounts of information. Charles Darwin was well aware of this need. In Life and Letters he described his organizational system: he had carefully indexed all the books he had read and organized the material into portfolios that he consulted at the beginning of each new project.
   

The artists also serve as models for these practical applications. Art and Play focuses not only on the artwork itself, but also each artists learning and creating styles, as well as the way they learned from others. Murray talked about how Oldenburg’s use of plaster of Paris and Jackson Pollock worked on the floor inspired her to try the same, which evolved into her three dimensional canvases.

Tinguely would create incredibly colorful drawings as models for the ideas of his huge kinetic sculptures. He thought nothing of their creative value, but focused more on their utilitarian purpose, almost abstract blueprints for his kinetic machines. By providing a place to record information in an organized collection, young adults can learn to rely on the information and the practice of collecting and organizing. The young adults can accommodate the collections to fit their needs as their projects develop into more long-term and potentially career-oriented endeavors.