Emilie Faure is the collection and exhibition manager at The Farjam Collection @ DIFC. Born in Paris, she has worked for the British Museum and New York's Museum of Modern Art. The Farjam Collection's current show, From Matisse to Warhol, is on now at DIFC
Working with great art is inspiring, not only because of the works themselves but also because they remind us of our ability to create. Whatever your field of work, whatever your age, you should cultivate creativity to ensure that it holds a place in your life. Ideas and innovation don't come out of just anywhere, they are born out of our disposition to receive them.
I have the privilege of working for someone whose vision I believe in, who set up the first private art collection open to the public in the UAE. He started collecting as a teenager, buying his first artwork with the money he had saved for school. Piece by piece, he built one of the most impressive privately-held Islamic art collections in the world. Don't be daunted by high aspirations, just start working now to meet them.
The contagious energy that permeates life in the UAE can push us to move quickly, always to think of the next step, the next project. This can cause us to forget to take a step back and assess what we've achieved. Women in particular can be very hard on themselves. Learn to acknowledge when you've done well.
Don't agree to do tasks if you can't commit to doing them well. You are the person who is best equipped to know your limits - respect them, and others will respect you for it.
The best way to learn, especially in a new environment, is to listen, to enquire, and to be willing to take risks. If you fail, take your setback as a learning experience and move on. As told to Helen McLaughlin
