¡Hola! Mi nombre es Esperanza.

It makes me so happy that you're here. I hope this place will inspire you to write your story–creatively.

I've kept journals all my life. Unfortunately, I've thrown several away either because I thought they weren't important or because I was afraid that someone would read them. Three moments in my life changed my view about this.

The first was around 2011, when I learned about art journaling. It taught me that there was another way to journal and that I could express a feeling or moment in my life using other art mediums, like paint, magazine cutouts, etc. This meant that I didn't have to write and worry about my words being read.

The next thing that happened was that I was diagnosed with cancer in 2016. It was a moment that I felt the need to record. So, I art journaled. It was a difficult time, but the journals that came out of it are my most treasured ones. They are chunky, filled with pictures of my family, recipes, sketches, and thousands of words telling what was happening and how I was feeling. During this process, the fear of my journals being read diminished.

And the final thing that happened was in 2022/23, when I decided to start learning about my family's Zapotec lineage after the LA City Council scandal (you can Google it) and a similar situation at work. I thought I would study Zapotecs only, but no. All the stories that came up along the way were too interesting to pass by. So, it became a study of Mexican history, which has taken me all over the world (virtually). There are two main things I've learned: that our history is too fascinating and complex to fit into the "conquest" narrative, and that we need journals to be written. Journals that will not allow our stories to be forgotten or ignored.

By now, you've likely realized what the mission of Historiadora is. I'll tell you anyway: to motivate and inspire you to write your stories, creatively.

I truly hope you will. 

🩷,

Esperanza