21 Questions: BLANDA

Blanda is an artist, plain and simple, and by looking at her work it’s clear that this is not only a talent but also a form of expression on everything she does. When she is not busy painting and prepping for her exhibit, taking place in Berlin, she has most recently been working on a curated collection with Topshop featuring 5 of her prints (available at the Topshop 5th Avenue store NYC). Get to know our favorite Gallery Girl in a speed-round of 21 Questions

1. What gets you up in the morning? My 7am alarm after snoozing it twice

2. What’s your personal life philosophy? I doubt that I could sum up my life philosophy in a short paragraph. I usually prefer to discuss such things in the form of a dialogue over a bottle of wine. All in all I can tell you this much though, I believe that most things in life are out of our control but we do get to chose our reaction to them. I think that happiness is a paradox because trying to strive for a supposed state of constant bliss directly contradicts that same mindset in the present. Bottom line: just focus on the good, go with the flow and enjoy the ride.

3. Your biggest virtue? I am really damn loyal.

4. Your biggest vice? We just met! At least buy me a drink before I talk about my vices.

5. Do you have a party trick? Tie cherry stems into knots with my tongue. (it sounds way sexier than it looks)

6. How would you describe your style? Comfortable and highly mood-dependent.

7. What would constitute a perfect day for you? Get up (obviously), work out, have an opulent breakfast in great company, paint, work, create, think, read and then round off the day with an amazing dinner, possibly a movie and go to bed early so I can repeat all of that the next day.

8. Knowing what you know today, what advice would you give your younger self? Chill the f out and don’t be so hard on yourself. Stop along the way to smell the flowers, the world will keep on turning even if stuff goes wrong sometimes. Just roll with the punches and know that everything is just as it should be.

9. What would your very last meal entail? It would be decadent beyond measure probably. I admittedly haven’t given the subject much thought, though…

10. Three people—dead or alive, real or fictional—that you’d like to invite to dinner? Dante, Frida Kahlo and Alan Watts! That would make for a pretty interesting conversation, don’t you think?

11. If you were a song, which one would you be? 3:45 no sleep by the Cardigans

12. If a movie were made about you, who would play you? Steve Buscemi in drag. I love him.

13. Turn ons? Intellect and talent

14. Turn offs? Crocks (Unless you are Mario Batali you don’t get to get away with Crocks!)

15. Your spirit animal? Most likely some sort of a cat/deer hybrid. Preferably a cool-looking Minotaur version with a deer body and a cat head and tail.

16. Your favorite flower? Light blue Peonies. But, I don’t discriminate I love flowers in general.

17. Tell us a secret. When I was 4 years old I knocked out my front 5 baby teeth in a bike accident. I was a little rascal and apparently back on the bike the next day. So no emotional scars there. Just the first kid in school with a gap-toothed smile in all the pictures.

18. Your favorite quote? “Let things come to you” I read it on a tea bag.

19. What is your current state of mind? Fairly optimistic with a chance of pensiveness

20. An embarrassing moment? That one time I tripped and rolled down a very long staircase into the dining area at my friend Heather’s wedding.

21. Your proudest moment? When I walked away from my corporate job to pursue “my own thing” (Yes, that is literally how I worded it when I gave my notice)