Recently, I had the joy of sitting down with my friend Elizabeth (aka Biz), whose curiosity and creativity always inspire me. She has such a beautiful way of approaching both life and work - with openness, honesty, and a willingness to follow what feels good in each season.
Biz has this effortless way of following what feels good in each season - approaching everything with openness, honesty, and a genuine sense of curiosity. In our conversation, what stood out most was her view that purpose isn’t a fixed destination, but something that evolves as we do. For her, it all comes back to staying curious - exploring, learning, and letting that curiosity guide the way.
Her reflections on independence, creativity, and balancing passion with the realities of everyday life felt so grounding and relatable. She’s such a reminder that purpose isn’t something we stumble upon once and keep forever - it’s something we keep creating through the act of living.
I can’t wait for you to read this one. Biz has also just started her own little side project away from journalism, where she collects and shares beautiful antiques through Atico Interiors — a dreamy space full of vintage treasures for your home. Follow her here if you’d like to see more of her writing.
Biz in the Sarai Earrings
What does the word ‘purpose’ mean to you, and how has your understanding of it evolved over time? (is it a thing you do, a feeling you feel, a desire for something, a knowing or a resonance) I think, for me, purpose is something that is constantly evolving as my priorities shift through different stages of life, or even different weeks or days. However, it always comes down to how I feel as opposed to a particular end goal.
If I were to narrow it down to one thing it would probably centre on remaining curious. I have been working as a freelance writer for nearly ten years now and one of the best things about working for myself is that it has allowed me to follow my curiosity and write about my ever- changing interests. I started out writing lots on fashion and beauty, then it was more on health and wellness while now I’m really enjoying writing about travel and design. Beyond work, the same sentiment remains true whether it’s learning a new skill, trying a new creative pursuit or visiting somewhere new.
Can you share a moment or experience that was pivotal in helping you discover your purpose? A few years ago, I moved into my own apartment and it was the first time I had ever properly lived alone. It pushed me to do practical things that previously I would have just relied on others for (I previously assumed I was just an unpractical person!) and in turn this gave me the confidence to do more new things both in work and in life. It was also the first time I had lived in an unfurnished apartment and had total free reign to decorate a space – this has been a process which I have loved and one which has helped me discover what I like and reconnect with my creativity beyond my writing work.
How do you balance pursuing your purpose with the demands of everyday life? I think like most people pursuing a creative path, there is a constant balance between doing work that both interests and inspires you and work that pays the bills. Sometimes you hit the jackpot and tick both boxes but I think what I have learned is that doing the latter can buy you valuable time and space to do the former.
Do you think purpose is something we find, or something we create? Why? Very good question! Perhaps some people always have a strong knowing about it but I think most of us, myself included, create it. In my experience it's only by actually trying and doing different things that has led me to more clarity about how I want to spend my time.
Are there any daily practices or habits that help you stay aligned with your purpose? I am trying (and sometimes failing) to spend less time on social media. While of course there are pockets of inspiration online, too much time inevitably makes me think all my ideas are awful and I haven’t achieved anything (!) which is never conducive to, well, anything. Things I have found to help include only downloading the apps (Instagram in my case) when I want to post something – of course, you can look on your desktop which naturally I do as I am at my laptop most of the working day but you end up spending less time on there. I also make myself take a complete break when I am on holiday and recently have started doing that for weekends too which has been great.
What challenges have you faced in living with purpose, and how have you overcome them? I think sometimes I want to do too many things, both in work and life, and instead get paralyzed by where to start and end up doing nothing at all... Often this is when things feel out of my comfort zone and the fear of failure creeps in. This is not something I have exactly overcome but I am trying to keep going back to the idea of ‘done is better than perfect’ wherever I can.
Who or what inspires you to stay connected to your purpose when things feel overwhelming? In recent years I have really learned the value in sometimes doing less. While I realise this sounds counterintuitive as someone who has sung the praises of newness (!), slowing down and not always filling up my calendar with travels and social plans means I have more time to both pursue things that feel purposeful and enjoy them more when they happen.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone searching for their purpose, what would it be? Someone gave me the advice of looking at how you spent your time in childhood and I think that can be really helpful in connecting with what you wanted before all adult responsibilities and outsider opinions kicked in.