Fatma Saltwater on culture, motherhood, fitness, joie de vivre and self-determination

Fatma Saltwater is a creative mind with African roots, a culture lover, a passionate mom, and a fitness enthusiast. In this interview, she tells us about her career, her values, mantras, and future plans.

As a 26-year-old mom and freelancer, she always has a colorful daily routine in which she successfully fits everything in. Including exercise, a healthy diet, cultural rituals, and her own projects. Here, she shares how she manages to juggle it all, the values ​​she follows, and what has shaped her loud, colorful, and strong personality. We look forward to more!

1. Dear Fatma, we're looking forward to an interview with you! You're a mom, stylist, fitness enthusiast, and creative director, and you describe yourself as artistic and open-minded. Please introduce yourself again and tell us more about yourself!

Exactly! You've done a great job researching the professional part – now a bit more about me: I'm 26 years old and live in Cologne with my little gang! I was born in Kenya, and I spent the first five years of my life there until my mother and I emigrated to Germany.

2.  You were born in Kenya and work as a stylist. How did you get into this profession? And how has your career developed since you're also a creative director? What does your day-to-day work look like?

I actually found my way into styling by chance. I'm not sure I would have come up with it on my own! No one in my family has pursued an artistic career, so (despite my love of fashion) such a career seemed very unrealistic to me. I completed a one-year internship as an event manager at SNIPES.  And shortly before the end of my internship, I received a very surprising job offer from purchasing. It was a permanent position as a stylist for the Snipes online shop. The reason given was: "You're one of the best-styled people in this company, so we want you on the team." That's how it all began, unsuspectingly! I'm still very grateful to this day – because this permanent position practically saved me from having to study fashion management! After a while, I quit and have been working as a freelancer since 2017. I work in everything from streetwear to high fashion – and I'm still learning a lot. At first, I only did the styling – until I had my own ideas and concepts about who would fit into my team to ultimately implement the editorial/my concept, and I'm really enjoying it right now!

When I can't get paid work and have some spare time, I really enjoy planning freelance editorials – it allows me to be as creative as possible, which I absolutely love! My daily routine then consists of team scouting, team inquiries, picking up samples, location scouting, fittings, finding a shoot date, selecting images after the shoot, sending them to the respective magazine, and finally returning the samples!

3. You describe your style as "high fashion & streetwear"—what does your style mean to you, and how did you discover it and your love of creativity? Instagram clearly shows how colorful, unique, and beautiful your style and interior design are.

I describe my style as a way of life, as I've always dressed according to my feelings. As a small child up until my 18th year, I didn't have the freedom to dress as I wanted – it really hampered my creative development. Therefore, how I dress doesn't just mean "streetwear & high fashion," but  encompasses a lot of emotions that guide me to these looks and to the design of the apartment.

4.  Now that you've become a mother yourself, how much has your wonderful son Jamal turned your life, and perhaps your professional world, upside down? And how do you balance being a mother, family, and work? Please tell us what a typical day looks like for you and how it may have changed during the coronavirus crisis.

For me, being a mom is a never-ending rollercoaster of emotions. Some days everything is relaxed – normal everyday life fits Jamal's mood perfectly, and other days it doesn't. It's something you have to get used to. It's crucial to understand what's going on, because that's how I can usually quickly resolve misunderstandings or brief moments of "overwhelm." But as the older sister of an autistic brother, I'm used to that – I'd almost say I have a high level of sensitivity! My son's psychological and physical development has greatly broadened my understanding of children in general! But what I love most is cuddling – the best part of the day! Because of the coronavirus, we've had a lot of time for that. Now the routine is starting again. Jamal is with his grandma 2-3 days a week, and these days give me plenty of time for my job. Even spontaneous job requests are easy to handle thanks to our hero grandma!

5. You radiate so much positive energy and zest for life! On Instagram, however, you also talked about toxic (family) relationships. Among other things, you also talked about having to separate from those people. How do you feel about such events, and what advice do you have for other people who might be facing similar problems? How do you maintain your wonderful, cheerful attitude?

I'm a very emotional person, and first and foremost, I had to learn not to always judge things 100% based on feelings, and especially not to be in such a hurry. Over time, I've developed a very good "objective awareness"—meaning I assess my emotional state from the outside and organize my thoughts more consciously. Toxic relationships vary greatly—so I can only speak for myself when it comes to advice—because that really only fits my well-being and my situation. But I'm happy to talk about what helped me recognize the problem: What ultimately helped me make a CUT was a profound examination of myself, what enriches me in life and what brings me more joy.  stands in the way. I see people's actions and don't excuse their behavior by labeling them (relative to the situation, of course), and I especially see the trauma they inflict. I wasn't really raised in mindfulness, so this was a huge hurdle for me. The in-depth conversations with my husband also helped me understand a lot, because we were both raised very differently! All in all: I value life very much and am naturally a very grateful person, meaning I have a very positive attitude – I think that's also kept me going.

6. What important life wisdom or mantra would you like to pass on to your son?

1. Learn to love yourself first before you decide to love someone else, because only then will you recognize your worth and, above all, what and who suits you.
2. Never to accept injustice and always to stand up for yourself and the people who are important to you (and only if it is compatible with your mental health situation).
3. You are not less of a man because a woman is your role model - don't judge by gender.

… I could list 100 more…

7. Do culture, special rituals, and cultural backgrounds play an important role in your life? And if so, would you like to share some of them?

Culture is very important to me, especially if you come from a very cultural country yourself. My cultural ritual as a small child was the annual trip to Kenya! Even when my mom couldn't come with me, I often flew alone. These annual trips to my homeland had a profound impact on me as a person and taught me a lot. Europe, or rather Germany, is a very materialistic country – when you're young, you can quickly lose track of what you really need and what you don't. That's why I think it's so important to get acquainted with other cultures in order to better understand the different definitions of "value." Jamal's current cultural ritual is learning Swahili so he feels less of a stranger in Kenya and, above all, can communicate. I think languages ​​bring a lot of understanding for different behavior – which, in turn, prevents a lot of misunderstandings.

8. We've just launched our first mara mea Yoga I Active Collection and are looking forward to lots of mindfulness and fitness. You're also a big fitness enthusiast. What's especially important to you when it comes to exercise, and what's a must-have for you?

Back training is a must when exercising! As a mother, you often unconsciously carry your child, and who hasn't experienced it... when your child doesn't stay still in your arms? Sometimes one or two vertebrae pop out. The realignment doesn't always go smoothly.  smoothly - that's why I recommend training your back muscles well!

9. What role do exercise and nutrition generally play in your everyday life? Do you always manage to eat healthily, or is it okay to indulge occasionally?

Exercise and nutrition are very important to me. While exercise is good for my body, my main focus is really my mind! As a working mother, everyday life can be very stressful – an hour of cardio at home with good music always helps me relax! I'm very mindful about what I eat; it's important to me to know what I eat and what it does to my body. I've also discovered a love for cooking – as you might see on Instagram! I used to have "cheat days," but I actually canceled them. I felt like if I didn't stick to them, I'd done something really bad. Now I eat according to my gut and when I feel like it!

Conclusion: better for the mind, at least for mine! 

10. You're currently building a website, and we can't wait to see what great things you'll show there! Is there any more creative and fitness content we can look forward to soon?

Oh yes! I'm excited too, but don't ask me how! The homepage was actually only supposed to be for my portfolio, but I've been toying with the idea of ​​a blog for years. I was never really sure because I didn't know which direction I wanted to take. Over time, I realized that that's not what matters; I should just do it the way I feel. So, it'll be a "public diary"—topics like street style, kids' fashion, parenting, mindset, and interior design will be featured—in other words, everything that shapes my life! The sports content will remain on Instagram for now!

11. Last but not least: What is your absolute favorite mara mea product?

My absolute favorite mara mea piece is the love spell maternity top in olive ! I've always been missing such a practical, beautiful workout top!

Dear Fatma, thank you for your open and honest words. We're excited about your new blog and all the beautiful and inspiring insights!  <3