Last week, I visited Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900–1939 at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville—an exhibition that immersed me in one of my favorite eras for women and the arts. I’ve always been drawn to that early 20th-century moment, when creative boundaries were shifting and women were finding new ways to live and work. The show moved fluidly across disciplines—painting, literature, dance, fashion, publishing—highlighting how ideas flowed from one field to another. It reminded me that art doesn’t happen in isolation. It builds through conversation, experiment, and the freedom to make unexpected choices.

I went with an artist friend and her high school–age granddaughter. We each brought a different lens to what we saw, and in that mix of perspectives, something opened up. We talked about the pull of new places, how fresh surroundings can prompt fresh thinking—not necessarily dramatic change, but a loosening of the usual patterns. Being among so many portraits of women mid-process—in studios, on stage, at work—made me think about how the creative life allows for shifts and surprises. Sometimes what changes us most is simply the chance to see things differently