Victorine Louise Meurent (February 18, 1844 – March 17, 1927) began her foray into the arts as a sought after model for a number of talented painters of her time including Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec, among others.  What struck me about her is that she was so inspired by being a part of the art process, that she began taking painting classes herself. She made a radical leap from Manet's muse to a respected artist! It was a huge feat in her day and age. I similarly have made the leap from observing design as a student, leader of designers, and creator of concepts, to creating my own original designs.