I did it! I submitted the examen doctoral, my PhD program’s comprehensive exam. I wrote and wrote for 80 pages about research on museums and experience and innovation and storytelling and interdisciplinary collaboration and money and imagination, and how digital fits into all of that. This was something that felt impossible. It’s been […]
Read MoreImposter syndrome is raging fiercely in me. I am coming up against three academic writing deadlines. And as I gaze up at these huge mountains looming ahead of me, I find that I'm having a hard time lifting my feet to take the next steps forward. It feels like each individual step has the power to make or break my entire journey up the […]
I attended the (virtual) dissertation defense of a student in my PhD programme this week. After presenting work that represented years of his life, he was welcomed by the jury into their ranks, into the academy. It was highly moving (and not only because it proved that there are indeed some people who finish their PhDs…). There's this strangely […]
Read MoreI’m in a phase of my PhD journey where I am writing, writing, writing. Until recently I was in a place where I was plotting out what I would eventually write, but now I’m actually writing. Real sentences that real eyes will read. When I sit at my computer with my document open on the screen, my fingers poised at the keyboard, I […]
Read MoreThe autumn semester starts today. This past spring, I completed all of the seminars for my Museum Studies PhD. The next step in this process is the infamous examen doctoral, an exercise that involves diving deep into the theory in which my research will be grounded. I'll be investigating museum [...]
Read MoreI just finished my first year as a Museum Studies PhD student at the Université du Québec à Montréal. I took all of the program's classes in this first year (!) and I've started research for my thesis on storytelling using digital media. It's been a very full year... Here are some of the lessons I learned [...]
Read MoreFor my thesis research, I have been investigating digital storytelling, imagination, and museums. An article that keeps on popping up is “Storytelling: The Real Work of Museums” (2001) by Leslie Bedford. The author argues that stories can be a powerful tool for museums to bring visitors and content together. I could not agree more, and I was excited to read her reflections on the power of [...]
Read MoreOctober's museum theme is CALM. All month, I'll be looking for moments of calm in museums, because #PhD... It's only been a month since I started my PhD program here in Montréal, but I'm already feeling a bit overwhelmed. My museum attendance has also been dwindling (moment of honesty: I've only been to one museum this month [...]
Read MoreI have lived in Montreal for six months, and I have visited six museums. The shame! There are over forty museums on the island, so a grand total of six museums (albeit visited multiple times) is not a great batting average. I've had a lot on my plate with adjusting to life in Montreal: finding and fluffing a nest, dealing with Canadian immigration, and figuring out what my [...]
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This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer.
IMAGINIBUS is a blog about playing in museums, with a focus on imagination and creativity.
This blog is a place to be inspired to use your imagination around artworks—and to see the art of your daily life.
When we engage creatively with art, museums can become playgrounds and laboratories to experiment with attention, mindfulness, and imagination. Interesting things happen when we use that museum gaze to look at our daily lives like a work of art.
Find more inspiration for playing with new ways of paying attention to your daily life here.
Hello! I'm Marina Gross-Hoy, a writer, Museum Studies PhD candidate, and mother currently living in Quebec. I take playing in museums very seriously.
Read more about the blog here.
Check out my newsletter on Substack to be inspired to see the art in your daily life.
