Once, I gave a talk at an international curating forum.
The room was packed.
After the lecture, a young Eldorian exchange student raised her hand.
"Ms. Bennett, you've achieved so much at such a young age. What's your secret?"
I looked out at those bright young faces and suddenly remembered the girl who had once stood frozen in front of the application portal, unable to make a decision for herself.
"The secret," I said, gripping the microphone as my voice came out clear and steady, "is to never lose yourself while chasing someone else."
Applause filled the room.
In that moment, I could almost see her, the twenty-two-year-old Isla who had finally walked out of that suffocating private room, stepped into the January wind, and headed toward the wide-open field that belonged only to her
