Love is like a puzzle, and poetry becomes the secret language to solving it. There’s a specific satisfaction when turning our innermost thoughts into lyrical masterpieces that hit us right in the feels. There truly is something magical about weaving our deepest desires and vulnerabilities into verses that resonate with our souls. It inspires us to be our most authentic selves and allows us to channel our most raw feelings.
Celia Martínez, known as @diaryofaromantica on Instagram and @powerhouseofthecel on TikTok, has captured the hearts of many with her poetic musings on love and relationships. In her debut work, “diary of a romantica, vol. I: lovers forgotten,” this Yale alumna shares the first part of her journey through the highs and lows of falling in love. Martínez is undoubtedly a girl’s girl in the dating world, as each of her viral posts offers a glimpse into the complexities of relationships, touching on themes of longing, heartache, and the search for connection. Martínez’s writing exudes a romanticism that resonates deeply, speaking to the hopeful romantic in all of us.
“Usually when I’m writing, I see it as a sense of release, and I treat it like therapy,” Martínez tells Her Campus in an exclusive interview. “I need to get this out of my head — I need to get this out of my heart.”
It is easy to get caught up in the Gen Z online dating world where expectations do not meet reality anymore. Dating apps, while intended to help people meet and potentially start relationships, have paradoxically fostered a culture of avoidance. In a digital age dominated by fleeting connections, Martínez’s words serve as a reminder of the timeless quest for genuine love as all of her poems come from her own life. “I realized when I was focused on that superficial wellness, I wasn’t feeling better,” Martínez says. “It was kind of like putting a band-aid over an internal wound. Of course, it’s not going to feel better; I need surgery!” She ultimately saw poetry as the solution, believing that delving deep into one’s emotions, thoughts, and experiences could be a more effective means of healing.
Whether it is through romance novels, movies, TV shows, and especially music, it’ll bring Martínez back to a very nostalgic time that she has experienced in my life, and it will allow her to revisit some undefined moments. “Whatever I feel, I’ll write that down,” expresses Martínez.
Amidst the noise of dating culture nowadays, Diary of a Romantica offers a refreshing perspective on modern romance. Martínez’s talent for crafting raw and heartfelt poetry resonates deeply with her audience, as seen from the lively discussions in her feed. One follower commented, “SCREAMING AND CRYING ARE WE THE SAME PERSON?”
We’re talking a lot about romance today, but I feel like love is in so many different things in so many different ways.
What makes Martínez special is her skill in understanding and accepting all the different feelings people have when it comes to heartfelt emotions. “I saw the person in the video, not as me necessarily, but as a different version of me who was helping me through things,” says Martínez. “She was holding my hand.” Unlike typical breakup advice content, her TikTok videos don’t shame or invalidate feelings — they celebrate the complexity of falling in love and seeing your self-worth.
Through her authenticity and vulnerability, Martínez creates a safe and welcoming space where viewers feel truly seen and understood. “It’s something that I think has saved my life in a lot of ways,” she confesses. “And not just being hopeful about relationships. We’re talking a lot about romance today, but I feel like love is in so many different things in so many different ways.”
Whether exploring the yearnings of a hopeless romantic or figuring out complicated feelings, Martínez provides insights that deeply resonate with her audience. Her TikTok offerings not only offer some solace but also empowerment, encouraging viewers to embrace their emotions and embark on a journey of self-discovery. “If other people had made movies about love and made music about it, then it must exist somewhere,” Martínez says. “So I started writing these really hopeful poems, which I think is funny because I consider myself a hopeful romantic but then the term is hopeless romantic. I’m just overflowing with hope.”
Martínez shares how she was born to be a lover girl, yet her reflections navigate the nuances of romantic relationships with honesty and grace. She acknowledges the desire for deep connection while also recognizing the need for self-preservation. Whether single or in a relationship, Martínez’s poetry speaks to the universal longing for love. Her insights into the push and pull of romantic dynamics resonate with audiences who have experienced similar struggles, and her words provide reassurance, reminding viewers that they are not alone in their experiences. “I’m still learning along with all of you,” Martínez reflects. “It’s also nice to see that other people are going through it because I feel less alone.”
While Martínez articulates her longing desires with optimism, she grounds it with a dose of realism. “When it comes to really vulnerable things, it’s hard,” Martínez admits. “I have that conversation with myself saying this is something I went through, I might be going through still, or I might go through in the future. You really have to think when you’re making your art, how is this fulfilling me and how is this filling my cup?”
It’s very important to be authentic to yourself, that goes for anything — be it love, be it friendship.
This inner dialogue captures the struggle to balance wanting to be close to others with needing to look after our feelings. Martínez has much love for everything and everyone, and she guides us through tackling that when it comes to different levels of effort. “It wasn’t just love poetry anymore,” she says. “It was all of these other things, and I felt like I kept unlocking all these different rooms within myself that I shut away and ignored for a long time.” Standing at these crossroads can be daunting, especially when our hearts pull one way while our minds caution us another. Martínez’s experiences of heartbreak serve as a source of healing for others who have faced similar disappointments in love.
Whenever I watch one of Martínez’s videos, I find myself asking, “How will I recover from this?” It’s not a negative thought, but rather a recognition of her ability to articulate sentiments many struggle to express. “It’s very important to be authentic to yourself, that goes for anything — be it love, be it friendship,” Martínez’ says. “Whenever I’m writing my poems, I feel almost as if I have this light inside of me that just shines out.” Martínez’s poetry reassures us that our standards aren’t too high and encourages us to hold onto our capacity for love, reminding us to seek those who truly appreciate it.
Diary of a Romantica breathes new life into modern romance, reminding us of the enduring power of genuine romantic connection. “It made me more hopeful, even though it didn’t work out,” Martínez says. “If I could feel like that for the wrong person, I can’t even imagine how I’d feel for the right one. There’s still light in those dark moments that might be hard to see but everything is always working out in your favor.” Through her art, she encourages viewers to fully embrace their love and seek relationships that honor their worth.