Curate, Create

I have been thinking about the word curate, as it is everywhere.

Besides a carefully curated wardrobe and home, we have an idea of a carefully curated life. A life that contains things we like, and those only.

A life that, in our visions at least, involves photogenic events and activities mostly. Perfect moments. Carefully curated gatherings, where beautiful people eat beautiful food and laugh to the camera while the sun behind their head creates the perfect backlighting… or something like that.

Curating is editing. Before you can curate, you must create the stuff you want to curate. Try things out, fail, make a mess, and clean it up.

In terms of a wardrobe, that means wearing clothes. Not buying them for the sake of having them, but to use them.

And in terms of a life, that means letting life in. Letting it happen in all the ways it does. Making things, for the joy of making them – not to gain something.

Paying attention to other people for the simple joy of paying attention. To be there, and to be present.

That is where you will most likely to run into your life, the delicious full version of it, when you share uncurated moments with other people.

So much of the time we are simply avoiding life because we are not in the perfect mood, or our hair is greasy, or whatever our reason is to postpone living.

How about feeling your life while you are still in it?

What if going towards good-feeling thoughts and activities – regardless of where you stand right now – is all the curation you need?