How Much You Invest Is What You Get Back
The term “curated by” is a term often encountered when furniture shopping, is used by museums or fashion houses. But what exactly does it mean? It sounds very shi-shi (a little pretentious) but hang on, it has an interesting history behind it.
The word originates from the Latin “cura/curatus” meaning care; concern; or help. In the present, it is found in much of our daily jargon as in careful, cure, curious, care, secure, and curate, among many others.
As previously noted, cura is a Latin term. Latin, being a new, yet limited language in its day, words held multiple meanings. Over time, words multiplied and evolved to fit different purposes for different societies.
For English, cura evolved in one sense, to the noun curate and was pronounced Kyur•ᾰt, rather than Kyur•ᾱyte, as we say today.
A curate (Kyur•ᾰt) was a minister or assistant to a pastor of a church and would perform all of the pastoral duties when the pastor himself could not do, if absent from the church. This meant the curate would “take care” of every aspect required of keeping in proper order, the property, buildings, equipment, assets, members, and requisitions necessary to operate on a daily basis.
In the 17th century, curate expanded to curator. The definition meant a manager or steward, an officer of a university, or a person in charge of a museum, art gallery, library, or similar.
To perform the duties of a curate (Kyur•ᾰt) became the verb form, curate (Kyur•ᾱyte).
As we gain a richer understanding of cura and how it relates to our use of the word curate, our efforts to do so encompass a broader range of actions and emotions related to responsibility, attention, and even to the point of the act of healing.
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BEYOND CARE AND CONCERN
As a curator, influencer, or product reviewer, our ultimate goal should be to present to our audience a collection that we have invested time, understanding, and expertise into.
On a deeper level, to curate a “look” as influencers do for clothing, furniture, or something as benign as a computer peripheral, we, as curators diligently choose every article of the ensemble.
When formulating our influencer creations, reviews, and curations we responsibly consider not only the obvious, such as color, shape, and texture, but we also subliminally create a tone, a mood, an emotion, and sensory appeal for our audience. We endeavor to help them envision an experience that they can relate to; an emotion or feeling they want to recreate and a mental destination where they desire to exist.
- The diligence and attention put towards a task, ensuring it is done well, is an investment well attended.
- The implication of responsibility, custody, or guardianship for someone or something, such as a parent having cura for their children.
- The act of healing or finding a cure for an emotional void, a mental block, or a psychological breakthrough to a problem solved.
More Than Curating Influence
The definition of influence is to have the capacity and power to produce a profound effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something positively or negatively. This is done to either benefit the influencer or benefit the influenced.
As influencers, we want to bring a positive experience to our audience. We strive to highlight the best qualities in products we have experienced to be of premium quality and believe will enhance the lives of our clientele.
Three final nuances of cura are important to the meaning of curate.
CURA PERSONALIS
This Latin phrase translates to “personal care.” It is a fundamental principle in various fields like healthcare and education. It emphasizes the importance of individual needs and providing personalized attention.
When we, as influencers, curate a collection, the personal care we provide goes beyond the aesthetics of the elements. We must include the educational factor. One that goes a step beyond the obvious and solves a problem our audience does not even realize they have. That is personalization.
CURA ANIMARUM
This is a term meaning “care of souls.” It finds application in the religious context and signifies the responsibility of clergy to care for the spiritual well-being of their congregation.
Many influencers are deeply in touch with spiritual elements in all ranges. As such, we take great care in respecting the unspoken boundaries of our audience by imparting on them within our collections, as peaceful and tranquil an experience as is imposed by the subject.
ETYMOLOGY AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT
As explained previously, in the etymology and historical context, cura is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root keu-, meaning “to care for” or “to guard.” This connection highlights the universality of the concept of care across cultures and languages.
Our curatorial efforts are often diverse creations derived from portions of various cultures because we enjoy the wonderous variety each society offers. We use artistic elements in our compositions to accent our vision. The accent is the detail that defines the message of the scheme.
If I am tasked with curating a collection of soccer gear, I am going to derive inspiration from the enormity of passion for the sport seen around the world. I would include historic gear used in the past and how it has evolved to capture the heartfelt spirit of the fans.
To curate, then, means more than just pulling together a top, pants, shoes, and some accessories. It is more important than a couch with interesting pillows. From an audience perspective, it is a quest, a search for an answer, a solution to a problem, the hope for a new beginning.
We impart diligence in the attention to detail we provide our selections. The education beyond the obvious we introduce is valuable and not trivial. We foment healing through spiritual considerations of the overall collection as they pertain to the cultural implications or the message we want to convey.
Each piece in our plan is more than a single item. It has a history, too. Sometimes it is obvious, sometimes its history is short, nevertheless, it has a history and can be part of the education of the collection.
The care, consideration, and effort you invested into your blueprint, will translate loudly to your audience. Curate from the heart, assemble from a perspective of history and present as a solution for each individual.