As Alia Bhatt admits to being ‘obsessed’ with collecting photos, a psychotherapist reacts

3 min readNew DelhiJul 9, 2026 02:57 PM IST

Alia Bhatt once spoke about having a vast photo collection and cherishing them as memories for life. “We are big photo collectors. I have been obsessively collecting photos for the last couple of years because we were about to move into our new home, and I was like, the home has to have photos of us, family, baby photos, life photos, food photos, because that’s what makes a home. Otherwise, those are walls. Memories that come with photos,” she told Vogue in December 2025.

Taking a cue from her candid admission, we asked a psychotherapist about why people like to fill their homes with photographs.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.

It struck a chord with people, said psychotherapist and life coach Delnna Rrajesh, adding, “In a world increasingly obsessed with the future, productivity, and what comes next, photographs quietly invite us to pause and remember where we have been, who we have loved, and what has shaped us. I believe photographs serve a far greater purpose than decoration. They are emotional anchors.”

From a psychological perspective, human beings are storytelling creatures. “We make sense of our lives through memories. Our sense of identity is built not only from who we are today, but from the collection of experiences, relationships, milestones, struggles, and joys that brought us here. Photographs help preserve those emotional chapters. They remind us of people who shaped us, places that changed us, and moments that mattered,” shared Delnna, adding, “This is particularly important during difficult phases of life.”

Do you love collecting memories? (Photo: Freepik)

That does not mean every wall needs to be covered in photographs. It simply means surrounding ourselves with reminders of what matters to us. “Some people do this through photographs. Others through travel souvenirs. Others through handwritten letters. Others through family heirlooms. The object itself is less important than the meaning attached to it,” shared Delnna.

There is also something profoundly comforting about creating visual continuity across generations. “A photograph of grandparents beside photographs of children. Wedding pictures next to family holidays. Milestones sitting alongside everyday moments. These images quietly tell us that we belong to something larger than ourselves. They remind us that our lives are interconnected, that our stories are shared, and that our relationships continue to shape us across time,” reflected Delnna.

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Perhaps this is why so many people instinctively reach for photographs during moments of celebration, nostalgia, grief, or reflection. We are not simply looking at pictures. We are reconnecting with pieces of our lives.

Often, the photographs on our walls are not there to decorate our homes. They are there to tell the story of our lives.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.