The Value of Curation in an Overcrowded World

We live in a world of abundance. Every day, hundreds of new apps launch, thousands of new products ship, and millions of images flood our feeds. Abundance can be liberating, but it is also exhausting. The hardest part is no longer access, it is choice.

That is why curation matters. To curate is to say: here, I have already sifted through the noise. Here are the objects, ideas, and references worth your attention. Curation is not only about taste, it is about trust. It means someone has done the work of discerning, and you can rely on their eye.

When I put together collections like Workspace or Everyday Carry, it is not only to show what I like. It is to create a lens, a framework for others to discover things more easily. A good collection simplifies decision-making. It does not overwhelm, it guides.

Curation is also an act of responsibility. By selecting one thing, you are rejecting many others. That rejection is what gives the final selection weight. It is why curated shelves in a bookstore feel different from algorithmic recommendations. One comes from an individual point of view, the other from pattern recognition. Both have value, but only one feels human.

I think the future belongs to curators. Not because we need more gatekeepers, but because we need more editors of experience. People who can reduce noise, highlight essentials, and bring clarity. In an overcrowded world, clarity is the rarest luxury. And that is what curation provides.