Every exhibit begins with learning. I immersed myself in conversations with historians, librarians, researchers, and artists, listening far more than I spoke. My role was to absorb decades of scholarship, ask questions, and discover the human stories hidden in Early Modern history.

With a deeper understanding of the collection and its themes, I transformed historical facts into a narrative spanning the fifteenth century to the present day. To keep the exhibit engaging, I presented information in different ways throughout the exhibit. I wrote introductory panels that guided visitors from one section to the next, character profiles that helped them connect with the lives behind scientific discovery, and first-person narratives that immersed them in pivotal moments in history.

I also curated every book displayed in the exhibit, selecting works that best advanced the narrative and showcased the depth of Linda Hall Library's extraordinary collection. For each object, I wrote interpretive labels that highlighted not only the significance of the artifact itself, but also the ideas, innovations, and disruptions it introduced to the world.

Although Alchemy of Knowledge centered on the history of science, I sought opportunities to weave art and literature into the visitor experience. Drawing on the works of William Shakespeare, who lived through many of the same transformative moments explored in the exhibit, I incorporated quotations and literary connections that revealed how scientific and artistic revolutions unfolded side by side.

Interpretive writing is an exercise in precision. Every sentence was carefully revised to balance historical accuracy with clarity, ensuring that complex ideas remained engaging and accessible to visitors. Through an iterative process of writing, feedback, and editing, I crafted text that complemented the artifacts and invited visitors to linger, question, and discover.

The process was rarely linear. Some of the strongest pieces emerged only after setting aside entire drafts and beginning again with a new perspective. Refinement wasn't just about polishing words. It often meant stepping back, rethinking the approach, and finding a clearer, more compelling way to tell each story.