I came across this painting a couple of months ago, and it has been on my mind since then.
A young man sits alone in a classroom late at night.
His desk is scattered with books, notes, and ink pots. And behind him is a shadow, large enough to cover Europe.
What a powerful story the painting tells: what you see is a boy thinking intently, strategizing for the future.
The boy already has grand ambitions.
But why am I enthralled by this?
Perhaps because the more I stared, the more I saw myself in that boy.
This isn’t just a painting of a boy doing his homework.
It’s a portrait of ambition.
A portrait of the quiet, unglamorous work; that what you’re building in solitude might one day reshape countries, cultures, or even history itself.
Like the boy in the painting, I’ve spent nights thinking of my ambitions and writing because I can’t not write.
Words can change the world.
Storytelling can influence nations.
For me, that nation is Mexico.
I’m caught between two worlds—An American born to Mexican parents.
And that duality puts me in a unique situation: to listen, to translate, to connect. And perhaps rewrite the course of what Mexico can become.
Every monumental shift begins long before the world takes notice.
It starts in obscurity, when no one is paying attention.
As I continue my meticulous planning and start projects that’ll bring me closer to realizing my dream, I’ll think of this painting and what it represents.
Napoleon’s not the only one who had dreams of reinventing a country. This time, however, the methods will be done differently.