Sainte-Chapelle is a decidedly interior space. To experience its full glory, you have to enter its depths, climbing from the lower chapel to the upper chapel. But it has an intimate relationship with the outdoors. At its origins, it was utterly dependent on the light of the sun for the stained glass to come to life. Morning light, evening [...]
Read MoreI was recently introduced to what may be now my favorite competitive sport: speed crafting (think speed dating, but without the awkward small talk and judgement). The event was organized by L'Insolente for Paris bloggers to come together, sip cocktails, and race to complete as many of the four proposed crafts as possible in an hour and [ ... ]
Read MoreThe lack of light in November is driving me a little bit kooky this year. It’s dark out when I go to work and it’s dark out when I come home. I feel like the sun only comes out on the weekends. Darker moods are knocking at the door. And then I was talking to a friend on the phone on my way home from work this week, complaining [ ... ]
Read MoreI've always been intrigued by the series of statues of French queens and saints that surround the basin of the Luxembourg Garden. These women are look strong and purposeful, each unique in her pose and attitude. The statues make up the Reines de France et Femmes illustres, a series of twenty notable women from French [ ... ]
Read MoreIn the midst of getting ready for Halloween this year, I came across a website called Ultimate Paper Mache. All of a sudden, I was overcome with a burning desire to make a papier-mâché mask. Like, right now. When I get a creative itch, it can be very hard for me to not scratch it immediately. Once the idea of playing with papier-mâché [ ... ]
Read MoreIn the midst of packing up my life and moving to a new neighborhood, I can't help but think back to my first Parisian apartment, a tiny chambre de bonne on Rue Bonaparte. It had an epic view. Over the course of three years, I would lean out of the window of my garret apartment and take pictures of rooftops, Sacre-Cœur, Saint-Germain-des-Prés [ ... ]
Read MoreThis is my fourth Halloween in Paris, and I'm getting really excited to celebrate. As I've mentioned before, holidays are an important part of expat life. While I might not have made a big deal about Halloween in America, I get really excited about costumes and decorations in France. I'm in the midst of getting ready for this year's decorations [ ... ]
Read MoreI have made several trips lately to Rougier & Plé, stocking up on clay, felt, plaster, paint and oh so many sequins. I am processing life through arts and crafts. Now I come home from a long day at work, set the mood with John Coltrane, Andrew Bird or Devon Graves and lose myself in messy [ ... ]
Read MoreWhen October rolls around each year, I am faced with the big decision of what costume to make for Halloween. But since moving to Paris, this choice has become more complicated. It’s not just me anymore; there are also the skeletons. I was in charge of decorations for the Halloween party two years ago. I [ ... ]
Read MoreI walked out of the Louvre one night, and all of a sudden I was audience to a magnificent sunset over the Pyramid. I had been in a hurry to get home, but the glorious moment forced me to take a breath and be still. The Pyramid is currently the site of a neon installation by the artist Claude Lévêque. The dramatic [ ... ]
Read MoreIt rained the other day, and I could feel October coming. Paris in autumn is so moody, almost sinister, and I love it. That feeling right after a rainstorm, when the air is still charged and everything is so vivid, that’s where I am now. This transition is intense, but good. Here’s a glimpse at Paris after the rain, on a walk I took [ ... ]
Read MoreLadies and Gentlemen, my thesis is done! In honor of finishing my Master's degree, I present to you The Panic Attack! One night, after a particularly rough night working on my thesis, I decided to make myself a cocktail treat. Finding only rye and cider in my kitchen, a quick Google search led me to a recipe for a [ ... ]
Read More(As I finish up my thesis this month, this blog will be temporarily transformed into Garlands in Florence with posts about summer in Italy) We were going to San Gimignano for the day. We were right by the train station in Florence, and this clueless young couple, obviously in town just for the day, came up to us, and [ ... ]
Read More(As I finish up my thesis this month, this blog will be temporarily transformed into Garlands in Florence with posts about summer in Italy) I had to wake up early for a drawing class field trip. We went into Florence to the Boboli Gardens, the Medici’s massive formal gardens behind the Pitti Palace. They were lovely [ ... ]
Read More(As I finish up my thesis this month, this blog will be temporarily transformed into Garlands in Florence with posts about summer in Italy) As August 15 is Ferragosto, a holiday in Italy, I was worried that everything would be closed . But then I read that the Palio race was going to take place tomorrow in Siena [ ... ]
Read More(As I finish up my thesis this month, this blog will be temporarily transformed into Garlands in Florence with posts about summer in Italy) Inspired by reading Under the Tuscan Sun, I decided to spend a weekend by myself in Cortona, a hilltop Tuscan town. I would wander little streets, reflect on life [ ... ]
Read More(As I finish up my thesis this month, this blog will be temporarily transformed into Garlands in Florence with posts about summer in Italy) My drawing class took its first field trip; we went to two nearby Medici villas. At the first villa, the Villa Medici di Castello, we sat out in the gardens and drew whatever we [ ... ]
Read More(As I finish up my thesis this month, this blog will be temporarily transformed into Garlands in Florence with posts about summer in Italy) Today was a trip to Cinque Terre. Sandwich fixings were laid out in the Villa dinging room for us to make our lunches. Freshly picked lettuce and tomatoes, local olive oil [ ... ]
Read More(As I finish up my thesis this month, this blog will be temporarily transformed into Garlands in Florence with posts about summer in Italy) Today has been a dream, a wisp. The descent into Florence was breathtaking. As I came out of the small plane directly onto the tarmac, the air smelled so [ ... ]
Read MoreÉglise Saint-Germain-des-Prés is easily one of my favorite churches in Paris. It feels ancient; a reminder of the past in the midst of contemporary Parisian life. The structure is surrounded by two little squares, each tucked in against the church and chock-full of art. These modest parks have their own distinct character [ ... ]
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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.
