What is your favorite Arca Portal currently?
Difficult to choose but it’s probably
Food for thought. It's the first one I created, and I often find myself revisiting it and reflecting/sharing the pieces from it.
What is a piece of content that’s recently inspired you, and why?
There are a few. One, is the podcast episode of
Trevor Noah's "What Now" with Rutger Bregman. They debate on whether humankind in inherently good or not. Among other things he mentioned the concept of the "survival of the kindest" and the impact of cooperation from an evolutionary standpoint.
It's a discussion that reminded me of Jamil Zeki, a neuroscientist who wrote a book about cynicism and how we should adopt a “hopeful skepticism” mindset instead. I love the way he confronts the prejudices we have on cynics and how optimism doesn't necessarily have to be linked to naivety. It's the type of topic that I find really engaging, as it makes me reflect on my own thoughts and prejudices, as well as those around me.
How do you balance the act of curating and creating in your day-to-day?
Curating what I consume gives me the opportunity to structure information. I usually like to reflect and process it before I eventually revisit those. It also makes it easier to share relevant pieces with friends whenever we talk about specific topics. Funnily enough, I never really saw myself as a creative person, but I often seem to be perceived as one. As a law student, I find it easier to admire and consume art rather than create in my free time.
Yet, I do challenge myself to take on commitments outside my studies, that require a certain amount of creativity. As an example, I work with refugee children from Ukraine. And I'm lucky enough to have carte blanche regarding the activities we do. So whenever I see something that sparkles my interest, I reflect on what I can do with it. In a way, it feeds my own creativity, which I can then share and explore with them through various ways.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone looking to refine their taste?
Nurture your curiosity mindfully. There are many ways to do so. If something captures your attention more than usual, dig deeper. See a snippet of a video essay on an Instagram reel? Take the time to watch the whole thing on YouTube. You like a content of creator? Research who that person is, what inspires her, who she follows. Read those books you bought and never took the time to read. Ask friends what they have been enjoying recently or what they think you would enjoy.
Another thing that I have been doing recently, is revisiting the archives of my Instagram likes. It's basically the evolution of my taste online since 2013. It's quite interesting to see it through that lens. I rediscover many overlooked gems and take pleasure in curating and researching them. It's a fun way to avoid the algorithm trap that makes you scroll doomingly in search of the next meaningless dopamine rush and instead, find meaning in the previous ones.
