Hello! My name is Dr. Diana. I am a writer, museum communicator and academic mentor. I also travel a lot and write remotely from many coffee shops around the world. At the moment, I am based in Missouri, U.S.A.
I have a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.A. in British Studies from Humboldt-Universität in Berlin. Alongside my academic journey, I have studied, worked, lived and breathed museums.
In 2015, I started my first museum job in Edinburgh, Scotland as a curatorial intern, and my heart never left. It was love at first internship. Today, after 8 years as a passionate museum worker and visitor, I am putting my experiences into words in my medium publication, Museum Fresh. I would love to share your words there!
Alongside my tales of the museum world, I share think pieces about the writing process, creativity, academia and college application for undergrad and grad school.
I was born and raised in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. A city that combines beautiful beaches and rich history with sprawling urban life (with a population of 2.9 million, Salvador is more populous than Chicago). I love my hometown, but I am also an avid citizen of the world. Since the age of 16, I have lived in Germany, Scotland and the United States.
6 months ago, I relocated to Cape Fair, a small lakeside town in Missouri, with my husband, Nick, and our 3 cats, Mr. Chicken, Bunny and Monkey. I am currently focusing on writing creatively and visiting museums within a 3-hour radius until we move on to our next adventure.
As an international student and immigrant, I believe internationalism is one of the keys to a more peaceful world. For that reason, I translate all my articles into Portuguese (my first language). Let me know if you would like to work on other translation projects together!
What can you expect to read in my medium account:
🏛 Reflections about the enjoyment of museums from the point of view of a museum worker and visitor.
The world would be a better place if more people could engage with museums as a place for joy, reflection and questioning. The enjoyment of museums can be taught, learned and shared.
🎓 Personal essays and researched opinion pieces about academia from the perspective of an academic mentor.
The academic world is mysterious and inaccessible to most people. I intend to use vulnerability and candor to share my experiences in academia with peers and college applicants at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
📖 Essays about my writing journey — I wear many writing hats. I have written articles for newspapers, magazines, academic journals and blogs. I write poetry and have occasionally presented at spoken word events.
At the moment, I am reworking a novel manuscript I started in 2014 (how time flies!). Writing is often hard and solitary work. By sharing my writing tips, experiences and struggles, I hope to bring joy to my writing days and to the days of my fellow writers.
I look forward to sharing my creativity with you, and I hope we can create something together soon!
