Anchored In Love

Today's letter to you brings me incredible joy, for inside these lines are my two great passions - writing and friendships. And you are at the heart of it.?

For some time I have been present on LinkedIn as an artist. My entrepreneurial journey started over 25 years ago when a personal quest and a life mission to reconnect my Dad with his forgotten love of painting, led me to discover a gift I never knew I had.?

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I was sitting in my parents’ room looking through the old box full of paintings. Vivid images mixed with places of childhood memories, seaside towns, and a white sailboat with the initials KM on it. I could feel love in every single brushstroke.

“Dad,” I said, “Why did you stop painting?”

“Well, after your brother was born we had both of you to look after and I no longer had time for my hobby. I wanted to dedicate all my time to you.”

“But, Dad - we are grown up now!”

I could see the doubt in my Dad’s eyes and I knew that like in many of these conversations before - he wouldn’t budge. He couldn’t justify spending time on himself, doing something he really loved.

But at that moment, the idea was born! In the next six months, I plotted a surprise for my Dad. I bought watercolour paints, brushes, papers, books and I started learning how to paint. I thought when my Dad comes on holiday I will ask him to help me learn to paint. Surely he couldn’t say no to that.?

And of course, he said YES to helping me. And from that moment on, my Dad and I enjoyed every single holiday painting together. I saw my Dad come to life. We painted, we danced, we played, we had so much fun. I brought my Dad back to something he loved so very much, but never could imagine justifying taking time for, and in turn, my Dad introduced me to a gift I never dreamed I had. We shared exhibitions both in London and in Belgrade. We spread joy everywhere with our paintings, and the biggest compliments I received are always that people feel the love in my paintings.?

A few years into starting our painting adventure, my Dad planned a surprise for me. Upon the end of our holiday here at my home in London, my Dad took our latest paintings with him to Belgrade to make bespoke wooden frames for them (just another of dozens of creative hobbies he now relished in doing). I thought nothing of it and was grateful he made all my frames.

Unbeknownst to me, my Dad entered our latest painting into a prestigious competition where over 3000 entries were submitted in the watercolour category. There was a panel of five professional judges who were going to announce 10 highly commended works and one single winner on the opening night of the exhibition.

My parents were over there in person, as was the press, TV, and a huge number of journalists and art lovers. I was here in London.?

Can you imagine the look on my Dad’s face when he heard his name read as #3 of the highly commended paintings! He was thrilled, and I was thrilled for him. But he kept on listening as he waited to hear another name.

They read all the highly commended works, and my name was not on that list. Naturally, my Dad felt a little sad and his eyes went down when he heard the announcement from the speakers: ‘The winning painting is by Katarina Miletic!’

Yes, my painting won the first prize! And my Dad had to stand on the stage to accept my reward and speak to the press, with tears in his eyes. It was one of the proudest moments of his life.?

When you do things from a place of pure love - the path unfolds where you didn’t see one before!

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I am telling you my story to remind you of the unique gifts you have inside you that you may have forgotten, given up, or left in your childhood.?

And I want to invite you out to play. Just like when we were little! I am not here to give you another tip on content creating, although you are always welcome to take a page out of my book, dear friend.

I don’t get too excited to just talk business - certainly not business first. In my business, and indeed in my life, everything starts with friendship. Wouldn’t you say that the best relationships - be they personal, or business - are easier, and more fun, let’s stay honest - when they are built on a solid foundation of unconditional love - AKA friendship?

If that is true for you as it is for me, then I would like to invite you to see this short video and join Angelica Cannataro, Agathe Mathieu and me, Katarina Miletic - in our LinkedIn group Anchored In Love which is dedicated solely to the ease of being present for each other - in friendship.?

Will you join us?

Here is the direct link to the group:

https://www.dhirubhai.net/groups/14052127/

See you LIVE on Friday!?

*Yes, that’s every Friday, LIVE at 3 PM GMT.