Interview with Sofia Novakova — Chameleon model/ Nerdy athlete
Sofia Novakova is a 24-year old model residing in Los Angeles, California.
How would you introduce yourself to our readers?
You are what you do and think every day. I am naturally curious about many things and the era that would describe me best would be Renaissance- universal man, whose day can span from inventing a parachute in the morning to as far as observing stars at night. I was born in a little spa town in Slovakia, but immediately relocated to the capital city Bratislava. My roots are deeply encraved in me, which I feel intensely while travelling. This is one my biggest hobbies and I found that out when I was 18 years old taking up on Camino de Santiago. This pilgrimage has opened my eyes and awaken an adventurer in me, that is ever hungry for new experiences.
My family is my life. I love every one of them, my mom is a strong and intelligent woman but most importantly she is kind, which gave me a lot to look up to growing up. My sister is a little devil with a good heart and challenges me every day. I used to love summers going to my grandparents’ house lost in the mountains of Slovak paradise. Being able to kind of “grow up in the nature” gave me the sense of true meaning of what is important in life and firmly set my priorities to focus on.
I think it’s great to combine knowledge and sports, like Greeks used to. I’m an athletic artist, I love to paint using duck-tape and sprays, box, run in the forest and do yoga in the morning listening to Maori songs by Kiri Te Kanawa or Nahko Bear. James Franco is similar- he is crazily witty, almost like an intellectual nerd but at the same time he makes this face and says “You’re peanut butter and jelly!” Most of my life I’ve done things that had something to do with art, theatre, film-making and education.
When, how and why did you first get involved in the modeling industry?
It started as an idea in high school, when by best friend Klara got a Canon camera for birthday. She wanted to do a photoshoot and since we both loved fashion, we decided that we would be first-timers for each other- her as a photographer and me as a model. Which made sense really because she was more introverted and I was an exhibitionist, who would dance Hip-Hop all the time.
What are your personal and professional goals? Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?
What you make of your days now, creates series of consequential moments, that will form your future life. I have finished directing my first promotional sports video for my exercising group MITS -military training simulation- which I founded in order to get together a community of women who would like to just go in the forest and have a helluva good work-out. Seeing positive feedback makes it meaningful to me. Myself in ten years may be blurred, but my goal is quite clear. I want to be of contribution and leave a mark for future generation- kids of today will one day be the young adults dealing with the same issues as we are now, and to make it just a little nicer or easier for them would be a good way to go. I would like to make films and art that would articulate my observations and be of positive influence. I will do what it takes to incorporate exploring the world and having a peaceful home and a family. That’s what I need in personal life. And book. I wanna write a book. I love books.
How often are you modeling and what does it usually consist of?
I model every now and then, depends on the project. I need to find the person behind it smart and stimulating, someone who knows what he is doing and to whom I can relate to. I do videos and short movies too, because it is more organic and uses mediums such as movement, spoken word or music. It touches different areas like sport, lifestyle, enviroment, love and others. The possibilities are endless.
Please tell us about the best and/or worst experiences you’ve had so far in modeling.
Everyone I worked with was amazing. My latest shooting was with Stefan Merriweather, LA based photographer and we went to work in this remote beach called the Wedge in Newport and it was awesome. It was all surfers and big waves and empty beaches. Reminded me of Hawaii.
Have you had anything funny, embarrassing or completely out of the ordinary happen during your modeling career?
I had to put on an alien costume and dance with it.
Is there anything you would change about the modeling industry if you could?
Just put more honesty to it.
Do you practice any sports and what do you typically eat? Please elaborate on the importance of nutrition and exercise in your life.
I love this question.
Yes. Nutrition and sports- very big role in my life. I definitely put a lot of effort and thought into my every day diet and the way I schedule exercise. I wake up quite early in the morning, do my yoga for 30 to 40 minutes, eat breakfast which is oatmeal poured with hot water with cinnamon, bit of butter and honey. Usually I eat a lot of soups, tomato, cabbage or curcuma. I also like buckwheat that I put in pan along with lot of vegetables. I don’t eat that much meat, but I use onions, olive oil and lemon a lot for cooking. I additionally use vitamins if I work out a lot, magnesium, B6 and C will do. I go running three times a week at least and then there’s boxing…my grandma hates it, says it makes my shoulders wide, but I have just naturally well developed upper body.
Please share something people don’t know about you.
When I get cold feet I warm them up using hot water from the sink. It once happened in the kitchen too. I have repetitive dreams. I like to put salt on the bread that already has honey on it.
Would you change anything about yourself?
I am changing a little every day, I read a chapter per day from selected motivational books in the morning to set a good base-stone for my day. The more I read, the more I realize there is maybe not necessarily a lot to change, but definitely a lot to improve. My urge to speak when others do, for example, or be more patient, forgiving and you can always be more kind. That’s the best.
What is your favorite thing to do alone?
I put on earphones, get naked and dance like crazy to the remix of Party Up by DMX.