A lot of people ask me: how did you do all of this Abla at such a young age? How much money did you make out of all of the fuss advertising people made about you? How can you be such a genius inspiring the inspirers? How can I be an internet millionaire just like you? How are you still visited by your late husband?
Questions questions questions… it’s not easy being so important and famous, but here are my two stitches of wisdom.
I’ve learnt that nothing lasts forever, except my late loving husband. He will always remain ‘late’. Everything else changes and expects you to change with it. For instance, look at how you deal with your everyday change – your hair. You comb it, cut it, dye it, remove it, gel it, trim it, wax it. Whatever you do, you’re responsible for it. It will always be part of your look, character, mood and, hence, you. Your hair is the daily change you are born ready to cope with.
It’s the same with me. I’ve grown from being myself to being a symbol. I’ve now become a brand and I have obligations. I can’t wait to need to dye my hair – I dye my hair even when I don’t have to. I’m dying for a living.
When your fan base grows to a certain level, it creates pressure, and you have to accommodate that. And just like society expects you to take care of your hair, the fans demand novelty, they seek freshness and they are insatiable. They simply can’t get enough surprises and have the appreciation of a cat and the memory of a fish. It’s a full-time job besides breastfeeding my little Boodie.
That’s why I always tell my friends in the advertising business, dye more often. And if you don’t get the shade right, dye again. You’ll eventually get it right. Even then it’s not for long, so you’ll have to do it again at some time.