FRIENDS OF JENNY PENNYWOOD: 2 QUESTIONS WITH ALESSANDRA OLANOW
photos courtesy of Alessandra Olanow
Your single most precious object on earth. What is it?
I have a photo of my mom in this weirdo frame from her home in the Dominican Republic. It’s super ornate and clashes with my aesthetic, but I just absolutely cherish it. In the photo, she has a very stoic gaze, which reminds me that my mother was also a complex and layered woman, though I often saw her through the lens of being my parent. After she passed away, I initially kept it in my car on the dashboard, but I’ve since created a little altar in my room where I keep the framed photo. My angel Mariana - I miss you mom.
Lately, we’ve been inspired by the concept of “un-squareness” as inspired by our perfectly imperfect, unsquare napkins. How do you relate to the concept of being “unsquare?” In other words, how or where do you creatively live outside the box or defy a certain rule (or set of rules) as a means to live more freely or fully in your own authentic design.
Wow, I love that idea “unsquareness.” I can very much relate to this concept. Having grown up in a pretty traditional household with rigid expectations, it was almost ingrained in me to follow the rules and color inside the lines. In some ways, it’s great to have discipline and boundaries, however, I reached a point where I felt creatively stifled and afraid to do things that seemed out of the ordinary. It took some time and self-confidence to realize that I could take a different path. I could trust my instincts to do things my way and have my own point of view. I try to create space and freedom through diversity in my days, projects, and friendships. I like to constantly challenge my comfort levels and step outside of the box, understand why it’s a box, and have an attitude of, “Hey, maybe this box feels like being a circle today?
Thank you to our friend Alessandra for taking the time to share. To learn more about Alessandra & to see her illustrative work, visit her on Instagram at @aolanow.
