31 year old South African model Lesala Mampa (LM) is
interviewed by Tapiwa Rubaya (TR).During the interview Lesala Mampa
shares some of his greatest moments since he ventured into the modelling
industry.
He further explains how he manages his calendar as a model and a physiotherapist at the same time.
TR:who is Lesala Mampa
LM:I am a 31 year old visual artist hailing from Tlhabane, Rustenburg and currently residing in Cape Town.
TR:What influenced you to venture into the modelling career ?
LM :Family and friends in my varsity years encouraged me to try out
modelling, but my self-image back then was rather low and I didn’t quite
see what they saw in me.
Then a fashion designer friend of mine, Yvette Van Den Burg, required a
male model in 2009 for her fashion line. That was my first experience
modelling and I fell in love with the art immediately. She, as I do,
loves creating artistic imagery and that is how I got hooked.
TR:You are a model and a physiotherapist.How do you manage to handle the two professions.?
LM:It used to be quite a juggling act balancing all the work. But now I
have lightened the load quite substantially by following my heart and
doing professional modelling full time and physio work part time.
TR:What is the most hardest thing in the modeling industry?
LM:The challenging part I find one struggles mostly with in this
industry is staying true to oneself. The fashion and entertainment
industry have a glitz and glamour appeal which can easily strip you of
your identity and leave you quite empty even if surrounded by all the
material desires. However if you stay true to yourself, working for the
love and art of it, you find not only will you be abundantly successful,
but you’ll find yourself full and rich with inspiration.
TR:What do you love about your job mostly and why ?
LM:Meeting and for lack of a better word, playing with various creatives
making art. I have been inspired by so many photographers, designers
and make-up artists; being witness to someone’s imagination and see it
materialise and better yet, being part of that process, magical.
TR:Who or what is your role model in life ?
LM:One of my favourite quotes is by author and healer Alana Fairchild
which says, "In choosing that which honours you as you are, rather than
trying to force yourself to be something or someone you are not
naturally meant to be, you will gain so much energy. As you honour
yourself in this way, you honour the Divine, for it is the Divine that
lives in you, as you, and created you to be as you are...”
I find that those who are able to truly live their dream, inspire me to no end.
TR:Last year during the Abryanz Style and Fashion
awards.Your name was nominated in the list of Best African male
models,what did it mean for your career ?
LM:It was an honour to be nominated and I truly appreciated the gesture and resultant exposure.
TR:Was it your first modelling Fashion Awards nomination in your career ?
LM:Yes it was my first and hopefully not my last in my career.
TR:Fusion models,is your modelling agency. Since you became a member how has your modelling career been ?
LM:Fusion is a fantastic agency that has allowed and inspired me to tap
fully into my creative self. I have booked exciting and challenging work
which has developed my skillset as a model. I look forward to our
future relationship.
TR:What are the advantages of having a modelling agency?
LM:In this industry having a support system and family is needed and
welcome. Furthermore, agencies have great relationships with various
clients and are able to book you really exciting, quality work. They
also deal with the technical admin with regards to payment and booking
dates etc., leaving you to just concentrate at the work at hand. The
better your relationship with your agency, the better your growth and
success in the industry.
TR:which country do you love to travel at as a model?
LM:I’ve had the privilege to work at the Victoria Falls both on the
Zimbabwe and Zambia sides for an editorial which was really fantastic.
But still working hard to hopefully travel abroad soon for work.
TR:What are your future plans?
LM:I have finally started work on my acting career, having always
enjoyed and participated in drama at school, it feels like home. I hope
to immerse myself in classes and workshops to start creating art on
film. I would also love to travel, we all have layers and sides to
ourselves unexplored which are discovered while out of our comfort
zones. I don’t like comfort zones; there is no growth there. I would
also like to write, not entirely sure what, but I trust it will be
healing.
TR:Any word of advice to those who look up to you.
I come across many a Facebook status or Tweet that read, “Why is there
so much hatred in our country/the world?” Or “Life is hard.” Or “This is
bad and that is bad, everything is bad…”.
You create your own reality and everything that comes into your life experience is put there by you.
Everything you consider bad, or horrible or terrible is, as teacher
Abraham Hicks would say, contrast. We live in a world of contrast and
variety. Those experiences are there to show you exactly what you do not
want to experience in order for you to then desire exactly what you do
want.
The problem is that we get lost in those “bad experiences”. We react to
them and then define them as such. Forgetting that the law of attraction
is absolute - whatever you desire, think, want, believe, ask for comes
to you…not only the good stuff, whatever you desire, think, want,
believe and ask for.
God, the gods or the Universe, however you were brought up to know the
Creator does not filter life for you; it’s called free will. This is the
wonderful; loving creative power we have been given. From love, in
love, through love, to love we manifest what we desire, whatever we
desire, this is creation. (Refer to quote at question 6)
If you keep defining your experiences as bad, they will always be bad.
If you keep defining where you live, country, world as bad, you will
attract those experiences into your life. So if you keep saying, “That
person or that place is irritating/horrible”, “I never have enough
time/money”, “I am broke, I am poor”, “Nobody ever said it will be
easy”, “This is reality, I’m being realistic”, “Life is hard”, “This
isn’t working”, “Nothing ever works out for me”, “I can’t”, then all
those will be. Because it is what you believe, think, and say that is
attracted into your life experience.
So my advice: change your thoughts, reprogram your thinking, redefine
what is real to you/your reality, redefine what you want in your life
(everything single thing in your life) as good, as happy, as love. Do
what makes you feel good, do what makes you feel happy and passionate.
Then watch as you attract, no not attract, rather watch as you allow
abundance, love, success, and happiness into your life experience.
TR:It was a pleasure interviewing you.
LM:Thank you sir. With love and gratitude.
Instagram: @lesala_mampa Facebook Page: Lesala Mampa
TR:Currently you are the first runner up for Mr Ideal Nigeria,what are your plans?
