Curatorial ability. You have it. And up until til now, you just gave it away.

We are all culture curators one way or another. We are passionate about graphic novels, hip hop, noir films, craft beer, computer games, folk arts, or this thing called American culture or those people called the French. Something.

As curators, we have deep knowledge.

Go ahead. Ask us about Game of Thrones. And make yourself comfortable. Because we will talk for hours: the story lines, actors, producers, backstories, and why X did Y to Z. (That bastard!)

Our curator knowledge is vast and diverse. It stretches in all directions. We know something about a lot of things, and a ton about several things in particular. We are curators broad and curators deep.

Our curatorial knowledge is so vast, we don’t see it as knowledge. We don’t see it as valuable. We don’t think of it as an accomplishment.

Maybe this is the reason we just give it away.

Our curatorial competence ends up being a gift economy in the worst sense of the term: one party gives and the other party takes.

We supply our curatorial knowledge to someone in the world. And that’s that. No money changes hands. No recognition is forthcoming. The curator gives. The corporation just helps itself.

Recently we saw the creator economy suddenly lift off. Suddenly there is money to be had for those who make culture in the form of videos, game play, TikTok performances, Instragram images, podcasts and even blog posts. (No, not this one.)

Money is pouring into the creator economy. One case in point: https://www.jellysmack.com

So how about a curatorial economy?

I mean, really. How about it? 

I will post on the curator economy again tomorrow. 

Look for “The Curatorial economy II (how to be Malcolm Gladwell or at least try).

If this approach interests you, please consider joining us at culture.camp in June!