(My French press is steeping right next to me, so this is going to begin a little sloppily and hopefully end on a caffeinated high note.)

thoroughness and comprehension (+)

creativity (+)

use of platform (+)

Hiya James!

I’m grateful that you shared your stuff with us. The subject of democratized curation is hella important, and you broke it down neatly and passionately, which I think is the hardest thing in the world to do. The image of the curator as a packager is so fitting.

This piece reminds me a lot of a conversation I had last week at a gender studies conference. A few presenters were decrying the rise of “slacktivism” –— it’s “lazy,” “not how we used to do it,” and “inhumane.” These are perspectives that felt half-baked to a lot of us there. There ended up being two camps: the folks against “slacktivism” and those who think digital creation/curation/expression is a form of activism that should not be dismissed for a number of reasons. Your list of “two things at play” hits that latter nail on the head. While imperfect, the internet’s potential for wider curation allows for wider discussions of what’s valuable and “a lack of permission.” This piece more succinctly stated a lot of loosey-goosey thoughts running through my brain and got me thinking about the relationship between makers and curators in digital spaces. Again, thanks for sharing.

With glitter and gratitude,

KT

P.S. Can I share your artwork with one of my friends?