Ana Scotney is carving a path as one of Aotearoa's most in-demand actors with roles including Shortland Street, The Breaker Upperers, Wellington Paranormal and Educators. Wellington-based Scotney is also a writer and short film director and has won multiple awards for her solo theatre work. She is currently starring in the feature film Millie Lies Low. Here she talks about achieving balance in her life.
My morning routine consists of any of these three, depending on how I'm feeling when I wake up.
1) I'll go down to the harbour for a dawn swim with my team from our WhatsApp group, The Washing Machines.
2) I'll sleep in and have a coffee with my housemates, where we have a hasty urban summit and deep dive into a discussion about the events of the day. We cover politics, pop culture, and everything in between.
3) I'll head out on a morning hīkoi down to Tomboy on Majoribanks St, Squirrel on Allen St or Customs on Ghuznee St to read the news, free write and draw and do some emails. My ideal morning is all of the above in that order, subbing out the third coffee otherwise I become unhinged!
I am less concerned about optics and more concerned about how things make me feel. I prioritise comfort above all else, which is why I'd say that my true presentation kink is fragrance. I don't think anything feels better than smelling beautiful.
My friend Nate Taare makes fragrances through his project @ofbody and I was fortunate to receive a custom perfume by Nate called Ngahere, inspired by the smell of the forest after rain. It literally smells like damp moss. When I'm touring or away from Aotearoa, it immediately makes me feel at home.
I also keep lavender essential oil in my handbag and my little Curionoir Cellar Feels on hand. Good smells encourage you to breathe more deeply and smelling hot is way more endearing than an outfit in my opinion.
