Spring Topics | The Art of Curation with Sasha Mei
Curators are free to play in a space where the core understanding is to make sense of how they envision a certain tactile object or tangible thought. When these thoughts and objects are placed into sequence, a never-ending story is told, and that story is a direct reflection of the curator and their world, or the world as they envision it.
We began to think deeper about this after our interview with creator Sasha Mei.
We were lucky enough to have Sasha’s insight on topics that have been sensationalized since our digital world is now more than ever, a space for commodity. In addition, we relate many quotes and ideas from Filmmaker, Philanthropist and Futurist Jason Silva to the idea of formulating separate ideas and visions in our minds, and presenting them to the world as new perceived realities.
“Creativity and insight almost always involve an experience of acute pattern recognition: the eureka moment in which we perceive the interconnection between disparate concepts or ideas to reveal something new.”
The act of curation on Sasha’s feed intrigued us to find out more about what inspires her posts in relation to her perception of the interconnectedness of her differing interests.
“I’m happy to be a content-maker as well as a curator. Which means I am happy to be a presenter of amazing things. ”
2P: What are two main things you consider when curating your feed?
S: Always before posting, I question whether the content is a reflection of me. Am I posting something just for the sake of it? If so, my audience is smart and they recognize that - they won’t engage as much with it.
What do you think initially gained you momentum on Instagram?
This is difficult to answer because I really don’t think Instagram is about following. I’ll say my creative momentum came after I graduated from university. I was free from student life, I moved back and forth from cities, and I started to curate a life for myself. That’s when I started documenting more enthusiastically, and I guess people liked what I was creating!
How did you choose the niches that you stay focused on?
I don’t think I chose them consciously. My style is based on people who inspire me and the sweet little digital community I’ve fostered over the past year.
Do you see curation take form in any parts of your life aside from social media?
My bedroom for sure. I’m working on the rest of my apartment!
What advice do you have for someone who can’t figure out how to choose their direction and to stick to it?
I still don’t know what to do with my life. I work three jobs and I love the hustle. The best advice I’ve received is to always be open to learning, and just be honest. Own up to your mistakes - people will respect you for being truthful. Don’t think you have to be the best of the best right away. I’ll be honest, I’ve just started my career. It was hard not to feel like I had everything under control, and I’m learning every day that it’s okay to learn from others. It’s wonderful.
What are a couple of ways you make various categories (fashion, beauty, interiors/art) to all look cohesive despite their differing fields?
In French they call it a fil rouge - what is the red thread that connects everything together? It’s simple, and goes back to what I was saying before. Be honest. If you like things that vary across categories, then your personality is a fil rouge.