I’ve all the time admired these individuals who possess a agency, unwavering understanding of what they should really feel calm, centered, supported—and easily, good. Their rituals recommend a self-knowledge and belief that they’ll construction their days across the habits that floor them. And nobody embodies this greater than Amanda Gunawan. Because the founding precept of OWIU, a Los Angeles-based structure and design agency, and founder behind the sister model, OWIU Items, Amanda has blended her passions along with her work to construct an all-encompassing, inspiring life utterly on her personal phrases.
However somewhat than leaning poisonous—as American work tradition typically does—Amanda’s dedication to her profession feels holistic and totally built-in into her design-centric life. As she says of her work within the dialog forward, it’s “very a lot an embodiment of the best way that I function my life.”
Amanda Gunawan Shares Her On a regular basis, Inspiring Rituals
Born in Indonesia, and having grown up in Singapore, Amanda now resides in LA, a metropolis she credit with a lot of her skill to seek out artistic power in all that she does. The staff visited Amanda in her vivid and ethereal house, marveling at how the house totally encapsulates the individual behind its design.
Learn on for insights into Amanda’s every day rituals and her non-negotiable wellness practices that gasoline her curiosity, keep her power, and her push ahead in life, every single day.
What’s one thing you’re dedicated to doing each single day, it doesn’t matter what?
Meditation, every single day with out fail, and motion within the type of bodily train, which I suppose is a type of energetic meditation too.
How does the design of your house mirror your priorities and targets?
The areas I design are all the time considerate and intentional. I by no means desire a house to really feel suffocating or to speak one thing in an overt manner. These areas are all the time calming and centering as a result of a sense like that’s what I discover sustainable within the long-run. I really feel like I simply described the whole lot that might outline my ultimate state in life.
What’s the very first thing you do every morning?
The very first thing I do after I get up is begin the day with a meditation. It actually helps me set the tone for a way I wish to go into the day.
Are there any every day or weekly “chores” you all the time get pleasure from?
I really like Sundays when I’ve to meal prep for the week forward. I’ve a lot enjoyable planning the meals I’m going to have for the week, going grocery procuring, making ready the components, and getting the whole lot able to prepare dinner to save lots of time through the week. I get pleasure from meals lots and it’s essential to me that I’m not simply consuming for sustenance. My meals are all the time essentially the most pleasant a part of every day so I take a whole lot of satisfaction in ensuring that I’m all the time consuming scrumptious meals. It makes it all of the extra pleasant figuring out I get to take credit score for them.
My meals are all the time essentially the most pleasant a part of every day so I take a whole lot of satisfaction in ensuring that I’m all the time consuming scrumptious meals.
Is there a scent you employ to meditate?
No. I truly strive to ensure there isn’t and love the sensation of sensory deprivation after I meditate. I do, nonetheless, love the scent of tuberose. In reality, I solely ever purchase perfumes with tuberose in it. It’s my scent! And I prefer it as a result of it’s my grandpa’s favourite flower. He used to develop them in his yard and would go away recent tuberose throughout his home. I’ve my fondest recollections in that home, working round and enjoying all types of video games with my cousins, subconsciously taking on this scent and associating it with emotions of happiness up till as we speak. It serves as a supply of consolation to me.
Does music play a component in your every day life?
Sure. It most positively does. Music retains me energized, relaxed, centered, glad, excites me, accompanies me by way of the every day heartaches of life after which will get me by way of them. I positively can not dwell with out it!
How do you retain your self energized all through the day?
I incorporate a number of motion into my day. I be sure I get a run in, and if it’s not a cardio day, then I be sure I accompany no matter exercise I’m doing with 10k steps. I even have two extraordinarily energetic border collies who won’t ever let me get by way of the day with out exercising them. In that manner, they maintain me accountable too. Don’t be shocked in the event you discover me taking out my curler blades from the trunk of my automobile and curler blading my two canine across the workplace. Typically, it’s a must to do what it’s a must to do. That and meditation—even a brief 15 minute one mid-day can actually perk me up.
The place do you flip for inspiration whenever you’re feeling creatively blocked?
Books! I’ve slightly library in my home/workplace and it’s nearly inconceivable to not resolve any sort of artistic block after spending a while there.
There are occasions I merely exit and simply totally absorb Los Angeles. That’s the most effective half about residing in a metropolis, there’s all the time one thing occurring—you simply should look as a substitute of see. Head to a espresso store and other people watch, go see some lovely structure, go to a museum or window store on the coolest new spot. There’s all the time one thing to be taught. Inspiration is actually in every single place.
That’s the most effective half about residing in a metropolis, there’s all the time one thing occurring—you simply should look as a substitute of see.
What do you do to prioritize well being and wellness?
As a result of I run my very own firm, I’ll by no means run out of issues to do. I make my very own to-do listing and so I’ve discovered to go about my day by seeing it as a collection of priorities. Some days, it could be completely different however on most days, my priorities shouldn’t change. Well being and wellness is ranked on the very high for me so I not often sacrifice the issues that correspond to that. For instance, meditation and train contributes to well being and wellness and is due to this fact one thing I not often miss. I additionally strive my greatest to prepare dinner my very own meals in order to not order out an excessive amount of. I really like home-cooked meals as a result of you recognize precisely what’s going into your meals.
What’s the most effective profession recommendation anybody ever gave you?
That you’re not actually residing except you’ve failed, except you might be residing life so cautiously that you just may as properly not dwell in any respect and. You higher be taught to get used to failure and cease viewing it so negatively. As a substitute, welcome failure as a chance to be taught and develop
How would you describe your work/life stability?
I’m actually one of many worst folks to ask about work/life stability as a result of there may be none for me. I really like my work a lot that it not often appears like work—it is vitally a lot part of my every day life. I’m all the time immersed in it, and the work that I do for OWIU (our design agency) may be very a lot an embodiment of the best way that I function my life.
Each time somebody asks me what I like doing for enjoyable, I type of clean for a second making an attempt to consider one thing that’s not associated to my work. I feel I’ve simply someway made all of my hobbies and passions a subset of my profession.
What’s the most effective spot in your own home?
My meditation room. It’s actually quiet and comfy, it has the most effective mild, and I someway really feel very peaceable when I’m in it.
Title one vogue or self-care product you’ll be able to’t dwell with out.
I’ve been loving DamDam’s hydrating essence mist for lazy days as a result of it’s so straightforward to make use of and also you don’t want to use the rest however sunblock after.
You might want to unwind after a protracted day. What’s your go-to methodology?
I shut the door of my meditation room/library and spend hours in there simply flipping from ebook to ebook with lo-fi music enjoying on the audio system, the AC turned on, beneath a cuddly blanket.
What’s your favourite time of day and why?
Mornings. There’s something concerning the morning mild that I really feel is so good in your psychological well being. I’m positive there’s science backing this up, however I haven’t appeared it up and simply comprehend it in my intestine. Having the ability to watch the dawn and the world get up is such a ravishing feeling.
