What is the best thing that I love about my work? Our work gives us the opportunity to tell a story to millions of people. But it’s not our story. It’s the story of brands and the people the brands are turning to. It’s always a different story and, as a consequence, we must always be different.

What is my idea of perfect happiness? Happiness is a complicated thing. I seem to realise each time I stop for a moment, look at myself and the point I’m at in my life, the people I’ve been on this journey with, and think, “So far so good.”

What is my greatest fear? It may sound like a play on words, but my biggest fear is the absence of fear itself. There is an invisible thread that separates courage from unconsciousness: what if one day I stumble?

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? For creatives, the ego is always there, ready to swell until you can no longer see ahead, to turn into a monologue that nobody even listens to. We can’t escape it. But we can get to know him, look him in the face, govern him, and keep him under control.

Which living person in my profession do I most admire? I admire all those creators who build their own professional identity outside of the paths that have already been made in order to create an alternative, their own interpretation of the profession, their own role in the world. To succeed, they had to get out of their comfort zone, think outside of the box, work harder.

What is my greatest extravagance? I like to think that the greatest extravagance of someone is always something that others see in you, but not something you can see in yourself.

On what occasion would I lie? I’m not able to lie, that’s the problem.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? In working environments like creative agencies, people-made environments, conflicts are natural and, in some way, necessary, as their overcoming can lead us to a higher level. I don’t like when they stabilize, when they go in loop and condition the job.

When and where was I the happiest, in my work? When I catch an idea. And ideas can come from everywhere.

If I could, what would I change about myself? I’d like to be less severe with myself.

What is my greatest achievement in work? I’ve worked as a creative for over 10 years, but a year ago I enrolled at University to study psychology. I feel that one day these two paths will meet. Perhaps my greatest achievement will be there, at the point where the two meet.

What do the words ‘The financial Freedom to Create’ mean to me? When we talk about the arts – be it painting, fiction, cinema – the creative act shouldn’t be influenced by finances, it should be free to take the form it has to take. But this doesn’t mean that the artist must create in a space where only his art comes in. Needs, frustrations, tensions over time and human conflicts are, in my opinion, a great boost to creativity. “Art never comes from happiness,” someone said

Where would I most like to live? I’m in love with Europe. I could live in many cities on my continent for a few years, from Berlin to Amsterdam, Barcelona to Lisbon, Prague to Vienna.

What is my most treasured possession? Perseverance.

What is my most marked characteristic? My story. A story written by the places where I grew up, from my family, my experiences. Your story is something you stick to, that follows you, that you see. If you try to betray it, it will betray you.

What is my most inspirational location, in my city? I look for inspiration in bars. If there’s some wood, even better. If there’s someone reading a book, better still. Turin, the city I live in, is full of these bars. It’s like splitting myself in half: half immersed in the world, surrounded by humans, affected by their actions, the other lies in thoughts, as if seeing the world but with the sound turned off. The life that’s around me is something that nourishes my thought or strengthens an intuition.

What is my favourite place to eat and drink, in my city? The first place I discovered when I came to Turin seven years ago. I go every time I want to feel at home.

What books influenced my life and how? There are some books that stick, that change something in you forever. I call them “The Books”. The ones that most affected me are those who explore, through narration and a unique point of view, the nature and condition of human beings, both as victims and as carnivores. To name a few: Fedor Dostoevsky’s “Demons”, “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka or Josep Saramago’s “Blindness”.

Who are my favourite writers? Franz Kafka, Fedor Dostoevskij, Arthur Schnitzler, Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf, Raymond Carver, Haruki Murakami, Josè Saramago, Fernando Pessoa, Antonio Tabucchi, Goliarda Sapienza, Pier Paolo Pasolini.

You only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day? The last day? The sounds of nature.

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? No one in particular.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? All those who have the courage to tell themselves the truth.

Which movie would I recommend to see once in a lifetime? “Mamma Roma”

What role plays art in my life and work? An awkward role. We have a tense relationship, myself and art. It’s a mysterious and indecipherable lover, sometimes dragging me to some strange place and leaving me on my own.

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? I’m very lucky: my family and my friends have always been my biggest fans and sponsors. Some of them are also very good partners in crime. Although, the first partner in crime we should have is ourselves.

Whom would I like to work with in 2017? With people I know and deeply admire, as humans before professionals.

Which people in my profession would I love to meet in 2017? I don’t have any names in particular. In my profession, I prefer to get to know people first and then say “I’m really glad to have met you.”

What project, in 2017, am I looking forward to work on? A project that touches on an important social theme involving Bitmama – the agency where I work as a Creative Director, one of our favorite customers which has an important association with the subject matter.

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? It’s the key to my job. When you’re not working with passion, when you’re not doing what you love, when you’re not putting yourself into it, it’s obvious. Always.

Where can you see me or my work in 2017? Good question! I’ve been putting my own website off for a while now. Although I frequently publicise campaigns, press releases, my life in the agency and events I attend on my social media profiles.

Which creative heroes should Peter invite to tell their story? Caterina Calabrò. She’s one of the best copywriters and human beings I know.

How can you contact me?

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/fabiopadoan

Twitter: @fabiopadoan

Instagram: _fabiopadoan_

Mail: paroladifabio@gmail.com