“Wow!” Alpa exclaimed for the nth time as she gaped at the canvas being painted in vivid colours by the celebrity artist, Emilia.
Alpa had always wanted to paint. She had spent innumerable evenings drawing and colouring her art book as a child. However, as she grew up, her parents decided that she must study engineering as it is tough to make a living as an artist. Alpa was good in studies, especially Maths and Physics, but her real interest lay in painting. Nonetheless, Alpa was well aware of the hardships, struggling artists have to endure to make a living in the initial years of their careers, and she didn’t want any of it.
Growing up in a middle-class household, Alpa had always wanted to earn enough money to buy the things she had always wanted, from dresses to shoes to expensive phones and much more!
A bright student, Alpa bagged a well-paying job in a coveted MNC that visited her college for placements. Almost a year in her new job, Alpa is living nothing short of a dream. She earns well, and most will say, lives well. Her wardrobe boasts of the top labels and her apartment is in a posh neighbourhood. She had also made a down payment on a swanky new car.
That Sunday morning, with nothing much to do, Alpa spotted a little advert announcing the ‘Oil on Canvas’ workshop being held not far from her apartment. Alpa had heard about the famous artist Emilia, and out of a whim, she made plans to attend the workshop.
As she sat witnessing a bland canvas metamorphosising into lively art, Alpa ’s childhood aspirations of becoming an artist once again surfaced. In a short while, Emilia had taught several painting techniques to the participants.
During the break, Alpa walked over to Emilia and asked a lot of questions about art. She also confessed how she always wanted to become an artist, but following her parents’ advice, she became an engineer instead.
“May I ask you a personal question, Emilia?” Alpa asked hesitantly. “Now that you have become famous, is it easier to earn more money by selling your paintings? Do you still depend on art workshops to pay your bills? Please don’t mind my questions, I know I am being rude, but I need to find answers because I want to follow your footsteps and become a full-time artist,” Alpa blurted out in a single breath, fearing a rebuke from Emilia.
But Emilia found the young girl’s curiosity to be amusing. She had a good, hearty laugh before saying, “Oh my god, Alpa! Don’t worry. Meet me after the class, and I will tell you my financial secrets,” Emilia finished her sentence with a conspiring wink, and Alpa walked back to her seat in half excitement and half embarrassment.
After the workshop, Emilia and Alpa planned to sit in a café to chat.
“But before we get there, I need to stop at a nearby place,” announced Emilia.
After a few minutes’ drive, Emilia parked her car in front of an old, sprawling building. ‘Children of God’ was printed on a blue board at the entrance of the building.
“Wanna come along?” Emilia asked Alpa, who readily jumped out of the car.
It is hard to say if Alpa was more shocked or confused when she saw Emilia handing over the cheque from the workshop to the Sister at the orphanage. Peering over Emilia’s shoulders, Alpa saw that it was the same cheque that the gallery owner had given Emilia after the workshop. The cheque bore the same name she read on the board at the entrance of the building – ‘Children of God Charitable Trust.’ But that was not all, Emilia took out a few more fat cheques, and handed over to the Sister with a warm smile.
As they drove to the café, Alpa ’s head was bursting with questions.
‘If she donates her hard-earned money, how does she survive?’
‘Is she an heiress to a large business empire?’
‘Is she too gullible to give away her earnings to charity without keeping anything for herself?’
Alpa bombarded Emilia with all the questions that were raging her mind. After listening to Alpa ’s questions, Emilia said, “Yes, I give away all the money that I earn from the sale of my paintings and workshops to various charities. This is because they need that money more than I do. And no, I don’t come from a rich family. My father worked in a mid-level government job.”
Emilia revealed to Alpa that she always wanted to make the world beautiful with art and kindness. On her 15th birthday, she met a distant uncle who was very successful and quite wealthy. It was he who gave Emilia the mantra of ‘Financial Independence Retire Early.’
“It was he who motivated and guided me to start investing regularly in mutual funds through Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs). He insisted that I must only spend on my needs and not indulge in senseless shopping to feel good. He would often say that if you want to live a lavish, peaceful life later, exercise control over your buying impulses now.”
Emilia also revealed that, like Alpa, her parents, too, wanted her to pursue a professional degree to support herself financially. So, Emilia did her MBA from a good business school and landed a challenging yet well-paying job. She made it a point to invest as much as she could from each month’s salary.
“I realized my financial goals before I turned 30, and by 35, my portfolio was earning more income each month than my salary! That was when I stopped working for money.”
Emilia told Alpa that she and her husband both are financially independent before turning 40 years. “With our money making more money for us, we got free from the stress of earning to pay our expenses. My husband teaches English and Maths to children in orphanages and slums, and I try to help NGOs and community initiatives with money earned from my art,” Emilia said this with calm contentment.
That Sunday, Alpa ’s life changed for good. Emilia happily agreed to mentor Alpa in painting as well as in financial planning and investing. Alpa is now on the road to creating a self-sustaining portfolio and retire from her job, much before she turns 40!
How did you like the story? Write to us at navemarg@gmail.com to share your thoughts.
Celso Fernandes, Goa’s financial doctor, can be reached at +91-9422058741.
Website: http://www.navemargfoundation.com