Beatrix Potter is a role model. She grew up in Kensington, London in the late 1800s in a very privileged household. She loved to draw and makeup stories. The animals were friends to her because she grew up secluded from other children. She was introduced to many suitors, but at a very early age decided not to marry.
In her early 30s, she wrote and illustrated the book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. She visited many publishers and finally came across Frederick Warne & Co who agreed to publish her book. She was assigned Norman Warne as her publisher, who worked with her to publish many of her books. Potter published 23 children's books over her lifetime.
Potter's books were very successful. Warne and she fell in love. When she told her parents of her engagement, they were against it because her parents did not consider Warne of the same class because he was a tradesman. Her parents insisted she wait the summer before announcing her engagement. Alas, he died before the summer was over.
Potter was very independent and went out on her own. This was not the norm as most girls her age were married or living with their parents, unless widowed. She bought a Hill Top Farm in Scotland in the Lake District and had the land farmed. William Heelis, who she met when her family visited the Lake District during the summer growing up, worked as her solider and assisted her with the purchasing of land. She would later marry William Heelis. She purchased over 4,000 acres, which at her death she turned over to the National Trust.
Potter lived her live as she desired and not based on the whims of society. She would have happily lived her life as "the old maid" if she had not found love, as long as she could do it her way.
