As a creative person, I have a muse who shows up whenever she feels like it. Not during business hours, not when I’m at my desk, not when I’m caffeinated and prepared like a responsible adult. No — she prefers
Author: carolelsanek
LAST NIGHT I HAD THE STRANGEST DREAM
LAST NIGHT I HAD THE STRANGEST DREAM
It arrived like a messenger with mismatched shoes, humming an old pop song, and carrying a message I didn’t know I needed yet.
I was walking through the first house I …
When January Comes in Swinging
It’s Wednesday morning, and the news is full of warnings about the polar vortex barreling toward most of the country — including Greenville, SC. The kind of cold that makes you rethink every plan, every errand, every piece of food …
Last Blog of the Year
As the year comes to a close, I’m resisting the urge to summarize it neatly. This hasn’t been a year that fits into clean conclusions. It’s been a year of reworking, replanning, and re-seeing — and, at times, being forced …
Beginning Again in a New Corner of the Internet
This week I stepped into a new space —
a place I never expected to love,
and one that surprised me with both its beauty
and its potential.
Pinterest.
I used to think of it as a collection of recipes …
December 3rd Happy Birthday Dad
Today is my father’s birthday.
Every year, this day carries a softness — a pull — a quiet place in me where memory still breathes.
I don’t talk about him often, but he’s stitched into my life in ways most …
Pussy Galore, James Bond, and the Night I Learned What Awkward Really Means
This story comes from my real life, told exactly as I lived it.
My experiences, emotions, and language may not reflect everyone’s comfort level, and that’s alright — we all walk different roads.
I share these moments because they shaped …
The Blue Has Landed
on Amazon.com (finally)
After all the waiting, she’s here.
There’s something magical about seeing your work finally standing tall in the world, shining in that unmistakable blue. Months of effort, edits, and quiet hope now live on Amazon’s virtual shelves, …
The Stripteaser
The Stripteaser
Sitting at the starting line, heart pounding, gut twisted tight like the strap of my helmet, I could feel every nerve humming. There’s a hush right before launch, a silent dare between fear and adrenaline.
And I always …
Grace Isn’t Gentle
Grace Isn’t Gentle
I didn’t stumble into survival. I clawed my way here, barefoot, bleeding, fire at my back and silence ahead.
The world called it strength. I called it stubborn breath.
Grace didn’t arrive in light. It came through …