Siri is a model, photographer and surfer living in Cornwall. She currently features as the muse in our first chapter 'An Ode to the Sun'. Siri embodies everything that this campaign stands for — laid-back beach culture, sunshine and leaning into creativity. In this interview - A Day in the life of - Siri chats to us about tuning into her own rhythm and how she prioritises slow habits as a freelancer.
What is the first thing you reach for in the morning and is that by choice or habit?
Oh, that's a really good question! I feel like my mornings, they are mostly similar but also never really the same. I do try and get up really early because I feel like you can get so much more out of the day. I reach out for either my journal or a book. I would try and meditate, but I feel like meditation and me, we're not very good friends right now.
If I had to pick one thing it would probably be my journal, I just write whatever comes up. I've picked this practice up from The Artist's Way...you have to wake up and write three pages long-hand of whatever pops into your head, I’ve been doing it for about three years now.
Love The Artist’s Way - it is so therapeutic! Our next question is, can you talk me through your morning routine on a typical work day?
I wake up super early somewhere between 5:30am and 7am, it is never the same. I pick up my journal or sit and meditate for like ten minutes but journaling is always part of it. Once it hits the hour mark of me being up, I'll turn on the coffee machine. The process of making coffee really tunes me into all the senses. My husband, he's quite a coffee fanatic. It was probably the best investment we've made for the house. We used to go out and drink so much coffee. The grinding of the beans, the small moments that go into making a cup of coffee…I can't quite put my finger on what it is but it is the care taken that is so restful.
Most of my mornings are quite slow until about 8am and then it brings me into making some breakfast before work. Because I'm a freelancer it's not like I have to sit on the screen by 9am and if I have time and depending on the energy levels in the month, I try to get a workout in. I go to a reform Pilates class and they have a 7am class which I love. I feel like all these self-care moments really set you up for the day or even for the week. Sometimes when you have a busy week these things can be so easily pushed back on the to-do list.
Do you find that little routine in the morning quite helpful because you're a freelancer?
100%, it's way too easy to wake up thinking that I have to open my emails to see what's happening and you're like “Okay, gotta do it now” but actually it can wait for a couple of hours, the world is not going to end!
So a problem we are constantly talking about at SSS is how do you create space in a world that glorifies hustle?
It is really hard because I feel like this world really runs on doing and productivity. If you have a moment to sort of sit down or have a break and the break is thirty one minutes instead of thirty you feel guilty…but I really think the solution is to pause and remind ourselves that it's okay to take the extra five minutes because in most cases the world is not going to stop running.
That should be our mantra for 2025!
It is easier said than done for sure! I think it is all about tuning into your own rhythm and what's right for you because everyone is really different. Some people have high energy in the morning and like a slow evening and some people are the opposite. I think it's just reminding ourselves that whatever works for us is completely okay despite what society tells us.
Do you think we, as a society, have forgotten how to trust our gut?
100%, me included. There are so many things I'm working on to decondition myself because at the end of the day we just don't have to live how our parents lived or how social media tells us how to live. The other thing I try to remember is that my days don’t have to be linear, they are like waves. Certain weeks will be slower than others.
Do you have any mid-morning routines that you use as a pause from work?
I try to set a playlist for an hour and when it runs out I tell myself to get out of the chair, to walk a bit or make myself a hot drink and go outside to get a bit of sun on my face. I mean I'm super guilty for just carrying on until I finish but it is something I am trying to bring more of into my life - short breaks. I need to give my eyes a rest as I work on the computer a lot.
What time of day is your inevitable energy slump and how do you overcome it?
I feel like it definitely hits around 2pm! Sometimes I think it's about being compassionate towards yourself because it's so easy to keep telling yourself that you just have to get over whatever this hurdle is and carry on but it is counter-productive because the work that comes out of pushing isn't always the quality that I want it and then I have to start again anyway so I guess it’s referring back to the pause…I really try to work with my cycle as well so when it is period time I really try to be gentle. If it doesn't work out, tomorrow is a new day. I think self-compassion is a really big thing that we often forget.
The next question is kind of two-parter - have you got any evening wind-down rituals and is there anything you do last thing at night to set yourself up for the day ahead?
Cooking is a really big part of my evening, I love it when my partner and I can cook together. He volunteers at a farm and last summer he had loads of tomatoes and he made this amazing, simple tomato sauce. I love making pasta from scratch - it is this really tangible thing. That is something that I'm strict by, whatever is in your mind put it aside for tomorrow and just relax into the meal. Then I do love a little skincare before bed!
We’ve got five short-fire questions, they're a little bit offbeat and designed to make you think about something that you've maybe not given much thought to until now! So number one - do you have a recent moment that's been made more meaningful by going into analogue mode? No screens, no technology, no cameras - totally offline?
Probably being here chatting face to face! Sewing is also a big part of the off-screen life for me although I do always have music in the background, so I'm not sure if that counts?! Oh and reading real books is a biggie!
If you ever feel like life is getting overwhelming, what's the one thing you can do to blow off steam, just to remind yourself to get off the train and just enjoy life?
When I feel overwhelmed I have to be horizontal, like lay on the floor! A workout or a swim always works too. Something that involves leaving my phone in a different place to me.
The next question is, what is the last thing that you memorised? Something that was so important that you committed it to memory instead of writing it down?
I think it was something in my book I was reading and it was that for one week notice your decision making and think about why you make certain decisions and where that's coming from and something about that really stayed with me.
Our next question is called Irish exit - what is the last thing you slipped out of in pursuit of a quiet night?
A wedding - but I won’t tell you which one!
Our last question is called languid luxury - what is something you have bought or done for yourself recently that felt like a total luxury in your quest for a slow moment?
The coffee machine and my Sun & Shine Studio cap. It sits on the hook in our living room and it is like a piece of art, reminding me to slow down.
You can find Siri on Instagram and check out her website here.
