Reigniting My Passion for Research

Analisa Academia is long standing member of Accepted Society, an educator and art historian who focuses on creating public-facing educational content through her social media based initiative, Accessible Art History, which focuses on bringing art history to anyone who is curious about human creativity.

Like many others during the pandemic, I did a lot of introspection, thinking especially about what direction I wanted my life to go. I had graduated with my BA in art history seven years before, but hadn’t really done anything with it. This was from a combination of my anxiety, but also an economic recession. To make a long story short, my COVID pondering led me to complete two master’s degrees between 2020 and 2025 in education and art history. It became clear that academia is my happy place, where my heart feels at peace.

Since graduating in May 2025 with my second master’s, I’ve been searching for a way to continue to connect with my academic work. I’ve been a member of the Accepted Society almost since the beginning and I’ve loved being able to build friendships with people from all over the world who love learning as much as I do! So, when a second cohort of the Researcher’s Cohort was announced, I knew that I had to sign up.

While I’ve had a lot of training in research throughout my academic career, I’m always open to new perspectives and ways of doing things. And this course offered that in spades! The most powerful lesson of all was this: you are the best person to be doing this research. As someone who has often dealt with anxiety and imposter syndrome, this completely reshaped my thinking on not just my work, but academia as a whole. I have a voice, we all have voices, and we should use them to speak on what is important to us!

The most important part of this program, however, was the sense of community. Although none of us were researching the same topic, which means I learned a ton of new information, everyone was so supportive of each other. Each meeting offered both critiques and enthusiasm, an important balance when working in research. Academia can be lonely, but it doesn’t have to be. Instead, we should strive to build each other up and support each other’s work.

Doing the Researcher’s Program was one of the most important things I did for myself in 2025. Not only was I able to create friendships and develop research skills, but I gained confidence as an academic. This, frankly, was life changing. Thank you to Accepted Society for creating this program.

Finally, I want to share a bit about the research that I developed during this program. It’s near and dear to my heart and I’m quite proud of what I’m working on! My project is called Gorgon Gazes and it is an examination of snake iconography in the ancient world. I was specifically focusing on the section on Medusa. In my point of view, she was the fulcrum, the tipping point of the shift. Prior to classical Greece, snakes were often seen as symbols of female power and agency. But, with the rise of democracy in Athens, snakes (specifically those connected to the Medusa myth) started to symbolize women as being evil. This theme continued through until the modern era, where a reclamation occurred. While this project is still in its early stages, I’m really excited about it!

Overall, the Researcher’s Program helped me in so many ways. But, most of all, it helped me reignite my passion for scholarship. It is one thing to connect with academia, it is another to live within it. By connecting with others and speaking up about what is important to me as an art historian and educator. I can’t wait to see where this project takes me!

Analisa recently presented part of her research at our Accepted Academy! These workshops allow for researchers to present their work within the community and provide accessible education through our YouTube channel! Support her and watch the recording here!