Amidst all that Brexit mayhem, we found an oasis of calm by indulging our inner Picasso and Vermeer. In my case, Coplu.

This year marks my tenth anniversary at The Firm. As I’ve alluded to in a number of posts, I arrived at The Firm a decade ago to set up a new business unit in APAC. A couple of years ago, I took on my current global role for the unit. In many ways, the business is like my second baby, one on which I have in truth, spent more time than Son. Simply because it’s not a 9 to 5 type of job. Instead, it is often all-consuming, like now, when a major global event forces you to think through the implications, work through the responses, and sleep through a period of uncertainty. And there’s the business-as-usual evening conference calls and constant travels (immigration officers are often amazed at how full my passport is). I enjoy my work, very much, though it’s often accompanied by the many frustrations and distractions that come from being part of a big corporate machinery. I love the business, dearly, even if it can be daunting at times – it’s not just about my rice bowl, far more importantly to me, it’s my team’s rice, pasta and salad bowls. I feel I owe a duty to this group of bright young (and not so young) things who make my 50 hours a week so much more enjoyable.

I started my career in a sovereign wealth fund, then moved onto a big pension fund. I chose to leave the relative security of those positions behind because I knew I needed challenges beyond striving to be the best investment professional I can be. As I blogged earlier, The Firm offered me the perfect balance of the excitement of entrepreneurship and security of employment. For which I’ll always be grateful. In return, I gave it my all, and what a satisfying decade it has been.

As I write this, I’m listening to Son practise his minuets. I’m keenly aware that I’ve sacrificed much precious time with him as I pursue my career. But I know too that the alternative, full-time motherhood, would destroy my soul, which is the most politically incorrect thing to say, I know, but it’s also the brutal truth. This has nothing to do with my love for Son, or my loving the business more than him. Not at all, as I love him more than anything in the world (sorry, Husband!). It’s to do with what I need to be happy in my own right, and that is to be intellectually engaged and to have my potential as a human being fulfilled, and stretched. It’s a choice I made consciously, the consequences of which I accept, reluctantly. And which I try to mitigate as best I can – an hour in the evening before bedtime, weekends and of course, vacations. Notwithstanding the less than optimal amount of time I spend with Son, we enjoy a very close relationship of which I’m immensely proud. I understand him better than anyone else, our nanny and helper included, and he knows that. He has never doubted my love, and I know that too.

Oh dear, what a huge digression that was! I was meant to be talking about our tenth anniversary. So yes, we took a much needed break from Brexit to celebrate it in style. After lunch at Antoinette, we immersed ourselves in three hours of art jamming, painting to the tenth anniversary theme. It was nice to see everyone absorbed in their own worlds, freeing their minds from work to focus on the canvas and creation before their eyes, and the brushes in their hands. It was most fun, and therapeutic.

I chose a Coplu, my default choice each time I paint, an activity I enjoy tremendously but don’t do enough of (note to self: find the time!). I’ve always liked his style and we own one of his pieces. The colours are often dark and gloomy, but the tone is always light, and dreamy. Not in a daydreaming sort of way, but in a chasing rainbow sort of way. I like that. That’s life, isn’t it? It’s not always easy, in fact it’s often bloody difficult, but the choice is ours to live it positively, with clarity of purpose. And when sh*t hits the fan, which it will at various points in your life, do what the Brits have made an art of – keep calm and carry on. This is how I intend to live my life, for as long as I live.

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