[I am Woman-Words, Thoughts and Reflection] Carmen Leigh>>>Wonder Woman

[Sasha Shantel]

I am extremely lucky to move in circles with inspirational and hardworking individuals who are actively working hard to make their dreams a reality. The subject of this Q&A is wonder woman Carmen-Leigh. If you don't know who she is, where have you been hiding? Welcome to the wonderful world of Ms Leigh, be prepared to be in-spired.

Hi Carmen, for those who do not know you, which is a major shame really :)What is your name and what do you do?

Hi, my name is Carmen Leigh and i'm mostly known for being a Model. I'm a Model and Entertainer as I also sing, DJ, present and act.

How long have you been active within the UK entertainment industry?

I've been involved since the age of 7 as I was a street dancer growing up. But i've only been modelling, coming up to 2 years and DJing for 2 months.

Have you always wanted to follow this career path? if yes, what was the attraction and if no, what did you want to do instead?

I initially wanted to be a singer and a performer. I was apart of my primary and secondary school choirs. However, I had a lot of un-professional people around me and I seen stopped singing completely.Several years later, I then started modelling and now, it's like i've done a complete turn because i'm back to where I started from and i'm singing again.




em>What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Wow! Thare's been so many things. I performed in the theatre production 'The Real McCoy'alongside some of the most respectable black UK actors like Leo Muhammad, Eddie Nestor, Robbie Gee and so many others, which was great and very exciting. I've appeared in music videos for Goodfellaz and Sway ft Akon, I've had many features in magazines such as Yo! Raps,Thisis69,Flavour Magazine,Creative Vanity. The list is endless. I also sold out my first ever calendar this year which was such a great achievement.

What has been the lowlight of your career so far?

There hasn't been any lowlight's really except the normal things that you come across when striving for success and that's people closing doors in your face, telling you, you can't do something and people hating on you. But, I always attempt to turn a negative into a positive. The way I see it is, i'm clearly doing something right for people to hate as I know I haven't offended anybody or physically hurt anyone on my travels. In my opinion, when people hate it's a sign of weakness and envy.

What is your view on UK talent? Do you feel that UK models/Presenters etc can compete with US talent?

Yes I do. The US are extremely acceptant to UK talent but we just need to study the industry and the game and do it right. The US do things very different to the UK. However, this doesn't mean we should then copy the US. Infact we need to strive to create something new and innovative, projects that both the US and UK markets can admire, appreciate and be inspired by. The US are very much open to change,whilst the UK isn't. It's a shame that sometimes you have to be accepted stateside first before the UK can accept you, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles.

The UK Urban modelling industry is becoming very competitve. What would you say makes you stand out from the crowd?

The fact that i'm not just a Model is what makes me different. I sing, DJ, present, act and do so much. I'm not heavily reliant on modelling especially as modelling in the Urban scene can only take you so far. The urban modelling scene doesn't have to be so competitive, there's room for us all, but I guess some people can't see beyond the urban scene and because of that all they do is compete. I'm not competing i'm chasing my dream.



As a Model, amongst other things. It is vital to stay in shape and lead a healthy lifestyle. What beauty/exercise regime do you follow?

I don't really have a regime to be honest. I have a personal trainer who I train with 2-3 times a week and i'll also head to the gym on my own once a week. I try and eat healthily but I can give into temptation quite easily. It's deserts that get me everytime lol. With beauty regimes, I always wash my make-up off thoroughly after a shoot or whenever i've had to wear great amounts of foundation. I also make sure that I exfoliate and moisturise my skin. This is done twice daily. I also drink plenty of water.

You are clearly confident and passionate about what you do. How do you maintain your positivity and drive?

I used to read a book called 'The Secret' by Rhonda Byrne. I read that book religously and read it about 10 times (no exaggeration). It's an inspirational book and has stuck with me ever since. I also have the right people around and I don't let peoples negative words and behaviour get to me. I honestly tend to ignore them. It's not easy, but I always remain focused and know exactly where it is I want to be, do and have. If I allow people to poison my mind, I won't get to where I want to be. Not geting there really isn't an option.



Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

I see myself modelling for major campaigns, performing worldwide and working with some of the best moguls and entrpreneurs out there. Most importantly, I see myself as a huge success in the US and Europe. ou have to think big!!


Do you think that the availabilty of work for black models has improved? or do you think there is still room for improvement?

There is definitely still room for improvement. There isn't a lot of paid work available for black models and a lot of models still tend to do loads of free work. Because of this, Many artists don't want to pay for models to appear in their videos because they know that there is plenty of girls who will do it at no cost.

Where can people keep up with your movements and up and coming events?

People can check out my work and be kept up to date with my appearances and where-abouts by visiting my website http://www.carmen-leigh.com and by joining my mailing list. They can also find me on the following sites:
http://www.twitter.com/MsLeighBaby
http://www.facebook.com/MsLeighBaby
http://www.youtube.com/MsCarmenLeigh
http://www.myspace.com/carmenleigh_online

In addition to all of that, I can also be heard on my weekly radio shows on Deja Vu FM, 10am-12pm - (http://www.vulive.co.uk)and on Delight FM, 2pm-4pm every Saturday (http://www.delightfm.com)

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions Carmen.

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Posted By Sasha Shantel to I am Woman-Words, Thoughts and Reflection on 5/31/2010 12:11:00 PM