Holding Box System

This system exists to protect the Art Binder from overload while preserving cards you genuinely enjoy.

The holding box is not a failure state — it is an incubation space.

Core Rule

A card enters the binder by clarity, not by effort.

If placement requires debate, justification, or compromise, the card belongs in a holding box.

Box Structure

Use separate labeled sections (physical dividers or envelopes). Do not mix categories.

1. EDGE (Theme Candidates)

Label: EDGE – Possible Theme

Cards that:

• Almost fit an existing theme
• Repeat a feeling you can’t yet name
• Feel important but homeless

Rules:

• Review every 1–2 months
• A new theme only forms if 8–12 cards naturally accumulate

2. REDUNDANT (Good but Surplus)

Label: REDUNDANT – Theme Overflow

Cards that:

• Fit an existing theme
• But do not improve a page
• Are visually weaker than current binder cards

Rules:

• These cards protect you from regret
• May replace binder cards later if taste changes

3. HERITAGE (Respect Without Display)

Label: HERITAGE – Keep, Don't Display

Cards that:

• Are nostalgic or historic
• Feel meaningful but visually quiet
• Are better respected than showcased

Rules:

• Never force into art themes
• Can later anchor vintage-specific themes

4. FUTURE SELF

Label: FUTURE SELF – Revisit Later

Cards that:

• You like but don’t fully understand yet
• May resonate differently in the future

Rules:

• Review annually
• If nothing changes after a year, downgrade to storage or release

5. RELEASE

Label: RELEASE – Trade / Sell / Gift

Cards that:

• Evoke no strong feeling
• Do not fit any theme
• Are kept only out of habit or value

Rules:

• Do not revisit emotionally
• Convert into funding, trades, or goodwill

Review Cadence

Final Rule

Liking a card is not enough for binder inclusion.

Your binder is for:

• Cards that say something
• Cards that belong together
• Cards that change the feel of a page

Everything else can still be liked, owned, and respected — just not displayed.