If you’re an Orange is the New Black junkie, you’re probably already counting down the days until the ladies of Litchfield return to Netflix on June 9. Until then, indulge in a Q&A that the series star Taylor Schilling (who plays Piper) gave to The Cut on the poetry book she’s reading for inspiration, honest expression, why not curating “a self” is key to her wellness practice, and more. Some highlights, below.
What wellness means to Taylor…
“Wellness is definitely an inside job. For me, nothing exists on the wellness spectrum unless my mind is settled and my personal life feels rich, spontaneous and also grounded. Then other things fall into place. Without feeling my own presence, I don’t feel very well. When all that is handled, then there can be other fun things going on.”
How Taylor starts her mornings…
“I have a few books and items I collected over the years that are important to me. A lot of them have a philosophical or spiritual bent to them. Right now,The Alchemist is on my nightstand. I’ve read that a gazillion times. I like to read through it in the morning. There’s a lot of literature I read from programs I attend that are important to me. I sometimes read some poetry in the morning. I really like Mary Oliver’s new book (Upstream) — stuff like that.”
On makeup…
“I have to be honest with you. I don’t spend that much time thinking about my makeup. I have the luxury not to. When I have big events, I have an amazing team who does the whole deal. It’s such a part of my job that I revel in when I don’t have to put anything on and can go to the gym, be sweaty, and hang out all day.”
