So many people out there have talents and creativity that we don’t always get to see. Even our loved ones, people in our social circle who we never knew harbour incredible gifts and purpose. I’m both regularly surprised by some of my friends hidden talents or businesses I didn’t know they were running, and at the same time I shouldn’t be surprised at all anymore, as a purpose coach who is privileged to have these kinds of passion-based conversations all the time.

One of my good friends is a Collections Information Data Coordinator at the National Galleries of Scotland and an all round bad ass. This means she’s basically carving out a career for herself where she gets to admire, preserve and archive some of histories most precious and exciting artefacts - visual treasures that have stood the test of time, and some that are more vulnerable and in great need of her services - creating a digital footprint of their existence that can’t be erased or corroded by the elements. She works to preserve the magic and mystery of these items with love and care. Federica Papiccio - known to us fondly as 'Fede’ - is a Sicilian who fell in love with and married one of our good friends and wonderful therapist, Chris Sharp - and as it turns out Fede is also an extremely talented and thoughtful graphic designer. What a couple! She’s been based here in Scotland for years, living in Dalkeith and working in Edinburgh most recently and yet somehow it had totally passed me by that she also runs this awesome graphic design business here in the Lothians, probably because while working full time she’s also doing a PhD in Museum & Gallery Studies at the University of St Andrews. Her level of care and attention to each and every place her purpose shows up is noticeable without her bragging about any of her accomplishments at all.

It turns out she’s been quietly building up this graphic design business where she works for herself and takes on clients like the Interdisciplinary Research Festival and Brand, Transnational Scotland and Web & 3D Modelling for Knitting the Herring. She takes on exciting visual projects of all sorts, and you can see in her pieces of design how her experience in heritage projects has been useful to some of the clients who have found her quietly, without her ever promoting herself! After all, Fede is busy working full time and completing a PhD - makes sense she hasn’t had time to promote her business at the same time!

It’s exciting to hear from her that she’s somehow making time to take on more graphic design and web design projects, but only ever in service of her purpose and passion to do amazing visual work that dignifies the subject with credibility and attention to detail. In an age of people taking whatever office jobs offers financial security (and that makes plenty of sense in this modern world we live in with so much uncertainty, there’s no judgement here), it’s always so heartening to hear of someone right under my nose who is quietly following their passion, cultivating their own sense of purpose and going against the grain to do work that lights them up. More power to you, Federica Papiccio!

I’ll certainly be recommending her services to any of my clients looking for an eye that brings expertise and experience to their graphic design projects going forward. I wonder what unique and wonderful purpose stories live in your own friendship circle, that perhaps you haven’t heard yet either? Here’s to digging for purpose, aligning with our values and doing work we believe in!

Visit Fede’s work-in-progress website here where you can find out more and reach out to her directly!

Purpose Hiding in Plain Sight

Nobody Understood Why I Wanted to Leave