Giving a lecture and telling my business story in front of a group of women business owners, I was asked to share some insights and thoughts I find useful to me. The story started with me as a child, the adult I became and the dramatic change I made at the age of 42. At the end, I shared these 10

insights & thoughts, which I thought you may find useful too:

1. I chose to be happy. Those who follow my posts are familiar with the ones in which I make a list of things that I am grateful for, especially in frustrating or unfamiliar moments. This changes my perspective.
2. I show myself up front! After years of silence, hiding and caring for others, I am able to write my dreams and publish them in the world and communicate with people through my story. That's how the galleries from London and Rome came to acknowledge me.
3. I provide my audience with quality artwork, but also connect the work to my life, to human situations which they relate to.
4. I open my heart and studio with love to people who want to come and learn, I give information generously and try to help them grow. I believe that a good dispersion only creates more circles of goodness. I do not expect anything back. Each meeting and each visitor is a lesson and a gift.
5. I respond to challenges and opportunities! Or like something someone recently told me: "Say yes and figure out how!"
6. I also share unpleasant experiences, admit failure and hope that people will learn from that so they will not have to experiment it themselves. I look at myself in the mirror and feel whole, though far from perfect. I accept myself and therefore no longer preoccupied with what others will think of me.
7. I study. All the time!
8. I've created a group of independent, supportive cycle of friends around me whom I can share my dilemmas with, as I help and advise them as much as I can.
9. I apply, ask, send, initiate and am willing to accept "no" as an answer. There were times I would not do things unless I was sure to have a positive answer.
10. I remind myself to thank every day for what's good but more than that, I do not accept the good for granted.