When she’s not on the General Hospital set playing Sasha Gilmore, Sofia Mattsson keeps busy with her new high quality hand bag business (which she created with her sister Helena). With General Hospital is back in business we can only hope everything else gets back to normal, as well – including her business venture.
Were you ready to get back to work?
Sofia: YES! I’m so excited! I’d really been missing everything about it – the cast and crew, the acting. I really love General Hospital and playing Sasha and I’m so excited to get back to work.
More than four months at home, what have you learned about yourself?
Sofia: I’ve learned to relax more. I’ve always been super active and felt the need to be productive all the time. But it’s healthy to just relax and do nothing sometimes too. I’ve also realized how nice it is to cook at home. I used to eat out a lot but quarantine lead to a lot of cooking which was really fun and I learned some new dishes. My favorite is Ratatouille!
Were you ready to get back to work?
Sofia: YES! I’m so excited! I’d really been missing everything about it – the cast and crew, the acting. I really love General Hospital and playing Sasha and I’m so excited to get back to work.
Your business was going strong, and then the shutdown, has your mail order business remained strong?
Sofia: It’s been experiencing a drawback just like any retail business, but since we’re a cause driven brand I think we’re doing better than some. During quarantine the focus on environment has grown even more, and Ava Carrington’s pursuit for animal welfare and sustainability aligns with that.
Just the name alone, www.AvaCarrington.com – so classy!
Sofia: Thank you!
What is your go-to online shopping place?
Sofia: I love Reformation, their mission of sustainability really aligns with my values and they have really cute stuff. And Amazon, of course!
Have you over-shopped on Amazon while sitting at home?
Sofia: Yes, definitely! I especially ordered a bunch of board games to play during quarantine and workout accessories for home-workouts.
Have you deliberately picked a day to dress up, even if you have no place to go?
Sofia: I’ve been dressing up to a degree just because it helps my productivity at home and helps differentiate between day and evening. But I definitely spent a lot of days in sweatpants, too. When it comes to hair and makeup, I’ve been letting my skin and hair rest which feels so nice for a change.
Have you found any wide open spaces for you to get fresh air and keep moving?
Sofia: It’s been tricky. I’ve been going on a lot of walks and runs to keep moving but I’ve been having to zigzag between people to keep a distance. But it’s all worth it to do your part to help keep everyone safe and healthy.
Any new tv shows you’ve discovered?
Sofia: Not a lot of TV shows, but I’ve been watching a bunch of old classic movies that I hadn’t seen. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Thelma and Louise were some of my favorites so far.
Once this is all over, and everyone is free to travel, where would you love to go?
Sofia: Sweden. I usually go at least once a year and was going to visit this summer. I really miss my family there!
How would you have normally spent your summer?
Sofia: Enjoying outdoor activities with family and friends. I had a trip to Sweden and Italy planned. So I would’ve gone there and then also tried to do some short road trips in California to enjoy all the beautiful beaches here.
I hope your beautiful smile hasn’t gone to waste, what’s the last good laugh you’ve had?
Sofia: I feel very fortunate to be laughing a lot every day!
Do you have a favorite mind and body exercise you recommend?
Sofia: I like Julia Cameron’s exercise called ‘morning pages’. You start every morning by writing three pages of continuous thoughts, whatever crosses your mind. The trick is to never stop and think or analyze, but to just keep writing. That way it will tap into your subconscious thoughts as well. It’s not meant to be a properly written text and you’re not supposed to read it after. It’s a great tool to clear your head, check in with your true feelings and clarify thoughts.