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What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Regret not having slept earlier. What is the best advice you've ever received? Design your life and create work that matters to you. What do you never leave the house without? My beard. Pick three words that describe yourself Introvert, creative, offbeat. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement? Ignoring the pressure to conform and trust- ing my gut-instinct. My highlight reel is on my website – but I think achievements are merely by-products of the lifestyle you pursue and not an end in themselves. What is your guiltiest pleasure? Magnificently terrible puns. What is the most important lesson life has taught you? "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future" – Steve Jobs. Apart from property and cars, what's the most expensive thing you've ever bought? Education. What is one thing you wish you knew when you were younger? Life is not a rehearsal. You will never reach the idealised standards in your head - so do what you can with what you already have and share it with others. Who's your inspiration? People who listen to their inner voice, find their calling and pursue it without trampling on oth- ers. What has been your biggest challenge? Coming to terms with the fact that hard work and personal sacrifices do not guarantee tangible results. In fact sometimes they lead to failure which propels you to something else years later. That whole process can be a bit disorientating. If you weren't an artist/illustrator, what would you be doing? I would definitely shift into full-time drumming. Having said that, this aspect of my creative endeavours will assume a more visible role later this year with Weeping Silence. Do you believe in God? No. I do, however, own the gospel of the Fly- ing Spaghetti Monster – the deity of the only carbohydrate-based religion I know of. If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would it be? Steven Wilson (ex Porcupine Tree) – described by The Telegraph as "the most successful British artist you've never heard of." His music reso- nates with me on many levels and I would love to collaborate with him on album artwork or more ambitious audio/visual projects. What's your worst habit? Going into hermit-mode. What are you like when you're drunk? Sociable and sometimes actually funny. Who would you have play you in a film? A lobster on a treadmill in zero gravity. What is the trait you most deplore in others? Lack of empathy and lying. What music would you have played at your funeral? "Closure" by Opeth. What is your most treasured material posses- sion? My drum kit. What is your earliest memory? A primary school teacher telling me not to draw outside the lines. When did you last cry? See if you can keep a straight face while listen- ing to the beautifully soul-crushing "Heart Attack in a Layby" by Porcupine Tree. Who would you most like to meet? The hot singles in my area who are earning €5.000 weekly using this one weird trick that doctors hate. The internet keeps reminding me I should. What's your favourite food? Sushi. Who's your favourite person on social media right now? I mostly follow Instagram accounts from maga- zines like Hi-Fructose, Juxtapoz, Superwrong, etc to find new artists and inspiration. If you could travel in time, where would you go? It'd be awesome to meet the dinosaurs in per- son, I presume. What book are you reading right now? It's the weekly digest from brainpickings.com at the time being. Right now I can't really commit to a book without feeling guilty that I should be working on my exhibition. If you could have any super power, what would it be? The power to find the right people to help me complete all visual art and music projects I have in mind. What's one thing you want to do before you die? Finish an animated (oil-painted) short film I have shelved, maximise my potential, be of some contribution to society, and have as few regrets as possible. What music are you listening to at the moment? It's mostly either progressive metal, jazz/funk/ fusion or classical piano. For instance, today I listened to Opeth, Leprous, Devin Townsend, Haken, Vulfpeck, Hiromi Uehara and Satie. In the shower or when you're working out, what do you sing/listen to? In the shower I listen to myself agreeing with my own arguments. When I'm practising drums (my version of working out) I listen to the soothing, reassuring pulse of the metro- nome JULINU BY MARIA PACE suggestions by email mpace@mediatoday.com.mt Julian Mallia, aka Julinu, is a freelance illustrator, graphic designer and fine-artist specialising in meticulously-executed visual ideas. He was awarded the coveted AOI World Illustration Awards in 2016 and his work has featured in various local and international media platforms, and was recently included in Bloomsbury's 'The Power and Inf luence of Illustration', a book about contemporary illustration. He plays drums for metal band Weeping Silence and in April he launches his debut solo exhibition at Spazju Kreattiv, titled "Julinu's Radioactive Ravioli" – a pop-surrealist oil painting exhibition presenting a strangely familiar alternate universe THE Q&A maltatoday | SUNDAY • 31 MARCH 2019 2