Around this time last year, I read Rand's The Romantic Manifesto. It sparked a weeklong series of over 20 sketches, most of which are portraits of people whose ideas, good or bad, have significantly influenced my thoughts. Rand's portrait was the first in this series. While I cannot say that I agree with all of her writing, I can say that, overall, I revere her incredible intelligence and passion for truth. I can think of no better word to describe her contribution to developing, from the ground up, our understanding of what it means to live a dignified, autonomous, and purposeful life than monumental.