Curated Lives
The perfect earthenware mug, a hand soap bottle with nice font. Five minutes mindfulness on the garden bench in the morning (selfie optional). From bespoke WhatsApp groups and table settings, Spotify playlists to desk, drawer and fridge organising systems, we are no longer just living our lives but constantly "curating" them too. Still Life, Fruit William Duffield (1816-1863) Photo Credit: Victoria Art Gallery. [CC BY-NC-ND] Before my birthday at the weekend I curated a six-hour playlist that reflected not only my life so far but how I wanted the arc of my party to play out. I dotted tables with sweetpeas in a collection of brown beer bottles curated from the recycling with that very purpose in mind. In the downstairs loo, more curation in the shape of a tomato leaf-scented candle... Self-indulgent or just making things nice? Showing off or hosting? Doing it for social media or because the wider world feels chaotic and here is a small way to restore order? Or fiddling whi...