When we think of museums or art galleries, we imagine the breadth of work on display. The meticulously crafted and curated works of artists that create an experience.
But this is the work of the curator—to select complementary pieces and bring them together for the enjoyment of the audience. What about the everyday lives of people though? And not necessarily historical or artistic objects?
We are all curators in some capacity. The lamps we buy. The kitchenware we use. The notebooks we write in. The games we play. The people we talk to. Everything we acquire (and to an extent do) contains an element of curation, and I would go so far as to say that humans are inherent designers.
I. Curation is entrenched in design.
Collections of objects that work well with each other is a basic element of design—composition.
We have all decorated a house, a room, a pencil case with the objects we enjoy using because it gives us great satisfaction, pleasure and a sense that we’re creating a collection that is uniquely ours.
As one might expect, people have likely engaged in this activity for a looooooong time. We’ve been exercising the creative element of our brains. So, regardless of whether you consider yourself "creative", we all inherit components of daily design, whether or not we strive for it.
But there’s been an evolution recently:
II. Digital Curation
In one form or another, we all have an ‘online’ life. A part of our history that lives on the web. With an basic internet connection, anyone around the globe can see that part. This could be the obvious ones, like all the social platforms. Instagram has a collection of visuals, Facebook has regrettable posts from 2011.
Then there are the tiny things, like the comments we leave and even the likes we receive. The forum sites on where we have posted a question, or our Google search history. The music playlists we have on repeat, or our attached resumes to dubious websites in the hopes that someone will review them.
There’s a lot of… us online.
I'm not saying this is a bad thing, just a product of being alive today. And honestly, there’s a lot of benefit to be gained.
By now, we’ve all kind of curated our online lives. The platforms we use or the software we download. And one thing that I’ve noticed recently are the newsletters I’m subscribing to. A newsletter in itself is a form of curation, but the ones I have been interested in are from people like you and me. Having a glimpse to how they curate their digital lives is intriguing. There’s so much potential out there that newsletters like this can show you something you would have never thought of.
For instance, this fun website.
Not all curation needs to be life-enhancing. Sometimes a website with a curated list of non-translatable words is enough to spark an idea, or just explore something cool.
III. Evolution of Digital Curation: Newsletters
There are a few newsletters I’m subscribed to that do this well.
Gregg Gunn, an artist who shares what’s happening in his life and posts links to fascinating projects he discovers.
Slow Growth (Snail Mail), a newsletter that always begins with something to get the brain working and then links intriguing articles for you to save and read later.
Alex Lenox is a recent subscription that I’m happy I found. His weekly newsletter “Appearing Superhuman” is
a compilation of things I found interesting, challenges I’m taking on, and the automations, processes, and habits I’m using to ‘appear superhuman.’
Not only does it have great links, but also explains their importance to him. What he’s learned or acquired from some of these online resources and tools. There’s a sense that this is just another person exploring what’s out there and sharing his experience.
IV. The Digital Human
Digital curation appears to one of the many natural next steps for a society in constant evolution. Even if you may not believe you have begun digital curation, consider your YouTube subscriptions, Facebook connections, and news website.
There’s this underlying thread to being a digital curator—being a digital human. We may not think about it, but we all have a collection of our own that’s slowly evolving and growing. Online or not.
We’re constantly experimenting, trying new things and finding what works for us. We’re not just searching for pieces that look good together, but also how they work together; in our daily, digital lives.
Curating your digital life is to design it, and evolve it beyond the physical realm of our existence (wow very big words there). Physical curation is just that—physical. A collection of objects or pieces that work together. Yes, when talking about art you begin slipping into the meaning, ideas and abstract-ness of the curation, but that’s the precise overlapping point of digital curation.
When ideas begin entering into the process, that's when it can be enhanced digitally. Whilst museums and galleries are an experience in physical curation, digitally we can accomplish a similar outcome. Our constantly updated Instagram feeds are like an ever-evolving gallery (depending who you follow). Our Facebooks feeds are akin to a newspaper, with relevant stories from our groups and friends updated by the second.
It can be overwhelming. With a horizon of constant curation, it never feels complete.
But that’s digital curation: unending. I feel like this is something we all deal with in varying degrees but never really think about.
It’s estimated that the average adult makes 35,000 choices a day 🤯
I believe our digital curation plays a taxing role in that number. Some days more than others. Perhaps this is a contributing factor to our phone or ‘social media’ fatigue.
With advancements in technology and access to more data, the method of curation has become more complex and essentially boundless. We are required to make decisions on what we should and should not be exposed to, daily. This level of responsibility can create unwanted feelings like anxiety and overwhelm. Moreover, this continuous bombardment of content takes a toll on our mental and emotional wellbeing; but we all already knew that, right?
By taking on a mindful approach to digital curation, we can guard ourselves against psychological fatigue. We can set boundaries and limits around the type and amount of information we are exposed to. We can be mindful of how much time we spend on social media, and be deliberate about what kind of content we consume. Believe it or not, those screen-time restriction tools are actually useful!
Ultimately, digital curation has become an essential part of our lives, and it is up to us to determine how much of it we will allow. For most of us, we either aren’t digitally curating, or we’re letting the “algo” do it for us. Those algorithms are great tools to help you curate, just don’t rely on them to curate for you. Being mindful to all of this—to digital curation—allows us to command control of our environments and our wellbeing. This new age of digital curation represents a transformation that each of us must investigate on our own.
Stay safe, and pass-it-on.
Here’s a brief summary of this letter to strike up a conversation with someone:
Curation is the activity of picking different things and putting them together. The cutlery in your kitchen. The clothing you wear.
Today, we also curate our digital lives — social media accounts, websites, music, games etc. Even our emails, the newsletters we receive are like a curation of a curation… cu-ception?
Curation is a culmination of the things we connect with. It's a way for us to express and explore our creativity. And with the advent of digital curation we need to be aware that a lot is being done for us. Companies have algorithms that tell you what you like. Be mindful. Make sure to use the “algos” as tools for your own curation, and not theirs.