Embodiments relate to enabling a user of data-sharing applications executing on a computing device to indirectly exchange objects between the applications by adding objects from the applications to a journal application that manages a display area. The objects are displayed in the display area. The journal application collects metadata related to the objects and automatically curates lists of the objects according to the metadata. Curation of a list may involve moving objects into a list, merging objects, creating new objects out of content of existing objects, grouping objects according to a commonality thereof, etc. Machine learning services may be invoked to acquire additional metadata about the objects and to make curation decisions.