When I get up in the morning and put on a pink or a green wig, I

From the voice of Nicki Minaj, artist of color and architect of identity, comes a declaration bright with both playfulness and power: “When I get up in the morning and put on a pink or a green wig, I see myself as a piece of animation. It lets me be the person I want to be, a person who’s not embarrassed to have fun.” At first glance, these words may seem lighthearted, the jest of a performer who cloaks herself in bright hues. Yet within them lies a wisdom ancient and enduring: the freedom to shape oneself, the courage to embrace joy, and the art of becoming more than the world expects.

When she speaks of “a pink or a green wig,” she is not merely naming an ornament, but a symbol of transformation. The wig becomes her armor, her crown, her mask and her unveiling all at once. In donning it, she claims power over her identity, reminding us that selfhood is not a prison of birth or circumstance, but a canvas upon which we may paint ourselves anew. She does not wait for others to define her; she takes up the brush herself. To see oneself as “a piece of animation” is to reject the static, to live instead in motion, color, and possibility.

There is also in her words the fragrance of play. She says she wishes to be “a person who’s not embarrassed to have fun.” Here is a profound truth: many are shackled not by chains of iron, but by the invisible fetters of shame. They fear laughter, they fear boldness, they fear standing apart. Yet Minaj, through her wigs and her performance, declares war upon that shame. She embraces fun as a sacred act, knowing that joy itself is strength. For what tyrant can stand against a soul that dares to delight in its own being?

Consider the tale of the Roman poet Ovid, who in his Metamorphoses wrote of men and women transformed into birds, trees, rivers, and stars. Though told as myth, his stories remind us of a deeper truth: humanity has always sought transformation, always longed to step beyond one form into another. Like Ovid’s heroes, Nicki Minaj dons her transformations not as falsehoods, but as revelations of the many selves that dwell within her. In this, she follows an ancient lineage—the lineage of shamans who wore masks to channel spirits, of warriors who painted their faces before battle, of rulers who clothed themselves in garments that signified power.

Her words also reveal courage, for it takes bravery to refuse embarrassment in a world quick to judge. Many walk in fear of ridicule, but she embraces the outrageous, the flamboyant, the playful. She teaches us that authenticity is not always solemn—it can be loud, colorful, and brimming with laughter. True dignity is not in hiding, but in shining. And in this way, her wigs, her colors, her performance, become more than decoration: they are declarations of freedom.

The lesson to be drawn is timeless: shape yourself with intention, and do not be ashamed of joy. You are not bound to the image others hold of you. If you wish to wear colors, wear them. If you wish to laugh, laugh boldly. If you wish to transform, do not wait for permission. For life is too brief to live in fear of mockery. The world remembers not those who blended quietly into the crowd, but those who dared to stand vivid against the gray.

Practically, this teaching calls us to small acts of liberation. Choose one thing each day that reflects your true self, even if it is strange to others. Speak with more laughter, wear something bold, or pursue a passion that others might dismiss. In these acts, you claim your identity, and you remind your spirit that it is free. Fun is not folly; it is fuel. To live joyfully, without shame, is to live with strength.

Thus the wisdom of Nicki Minaj’s words shines like a jewel: life is animation, and you are the artist. Paint yourself in the colors of your choosing. Cast off embarrassment, and let fun be your banner. For in joy lies power, in transformation lies freedom, and in bold authenticity lies the legacy that endures beyond the silence of conformity.