5 Life Lessons with Livette Dikalenko, Founder of Exquisite Art
From vision boards to morning routines, here are more life lessons from our busy entrepreneurs.
Stick to a morning routine.
Sticking to a regular morning routine sets the tone and ensures I am ready to seize the day.
My routine begins with a cold shower, leaving me refreshed as I recalibrate and mentally work out my to-do list for the day. I jot down my tasks for the day in order of priority before doing my skincare and enjoying breakfast with coffee, during which I catch up on news of the art world and clear my emails.
This part of my day is my favourite, as I look out for up-and-rising artists from around the world with whom Exquisite Art could collaborate. Exquisite Art serves as an online gallery, giving an international platform to artists worldwide.
Create your vision board.
Fans of Oprah Winfrey will be familiar with vision boards and the idea of manifesting success. A vision board includes pictures or words representing the dreams and goals you are working towards, allowing you to focus and providing clarity in the process. I still have the vision board I created around seven years ago before coming to Singapore.
I look at my 2022 vision board every day before leaving the house. Some things may seem out of reach, but I’ll always dream big; this ambition played a significant role in getting me to where I am as an entrepreneur today.
One of my 2022 vision board goals is for Exquisite Art to be one of the first platforms artists and buyers from around the world have in mind when looking for a platform to showcase and purchase beautiful works of Art.
Identify potential and not success.
This is one of the fundamental principles I relied on when founding Exquisite Art. Many of our artists are hidden gems in their countries who might not have had the opportunity to excel. Including success as a criterion in choosing our artists is not how I curate my gallery. Here at Exquisite Art, we identify potential and welcome up-and-rising artists. From a leader’s perspective, sometimes, we need to leap to faith when we recognise the potential in an individual. The individual’s success might lie in the resources, connections, and support we can provide along their journey.
Stay empathetic
As entrepreneurs, it’s easy to catch up in ensuring that business needs are met and forget that we are all humans with our struggles. One of the habits that resonate with me the most till now is to seek first to understand, then to be understood. Practising this habit while collaborating with both established and budding artists who are so passionate about their work and seeking recognition on a global scale is one of the keys to Exquisite Art’s success – I never forget that everyone has their challenges, and this leads to significant, healthy long-term working relationships between Exquisite Art and our artists.
I may never fully understand what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes, but I will always try. The best part is: that being able to empathise with someone brings me joy! This habit makes me a happier person.
Never stop exploring cultures.
Growing up in Central Asia, a region with such a rich, diverse cultural tapestry, I have been surrounded by people from hundreds of nationalities my whole life. From food to clothing to festivals and traditions, I have always loved celebrating the unique heritages and cultures of others.
These experiences help me connect with artists and buyers from around the globe. It’s very fulfilling to unite people from diverse backgrounds through Exquisite Art. My conversations with these fascinating individuals have also given me insights and an open mind to view life from multiple perspectives. This helps me be a better leader as I can form genuine and sincere connections with Exquisite Art’s stakeholders.