Canvas to Capital: Lessons from Art That Apply to Investment Banking

As someone interested in finance but an art enthusiast as well, I have found out that the aesthetics of artistic composition—namely, balancing elements, finding perspective, and harmonizing the color palette—surprisingly apply to investment banking. Just like a painter would strategically place elements on a canvas for cohesion and appeal, an investor must strategically plan his or her portfolio by also balancing risk and reward. Art composition teaches the importance of choosing and placing different assets so that an optimal blend is achieved to support attainment of financial goals. For instance, introducing a diversified mix of investments-much like using various hues in a painting-can add diversification to the overall portfolio and, as a result, stability and growth potential. Equally, the law of balance in art translates to the requirement that no one investment should dominate the investment portfolio. In other words, the investment strategy needs to be balanced so that no single asset dominates the performance of the portfolio. This makes me mindful not only of the returns from the investment but also of the risk exposure of an investment before making a decision. Art also teaches me to be creative while solving problems within the market arena. These artistic lessons find an application to my journey of investment banking, in which one finds a deepening relationship between passion and career aspirations in the path forward, turning the later both fulfilling and enriching.