Risk, Ritual, and the Book that Chose Me

image credit: @the.book.design on Instagram

After numerous attempts to avoid this book, I simply couldn’t run any longer. I’d taken myself out on a much-needed self-care date in the city, and I knew the first thing I deserved was some new books.

I bopped around Barnes & Noble, breathing in the scent of fresh pages, and just as I was on my way out—there it was, staring at me. I already had a nice stack of books in hand, but I knew if I didn’t pick that one up right then and there, I’d regret not starting right then. The thrill of taking risks is becoming one of my favorite things. It’s time to get these books done.

Even after I brought it home, I still tried to avoid it—the new stack of TBR just sat there, staring at me. Every few TikToks, someone was talking about the book, sharing art they’d created after reading it. Then I felt that familiar ache in my throat—it’s time to tell more stories. This book will help get me there.

I’ve always felt spiritually connected to all forms of art. That early discernment towardmedia is what’s kept me grounded throughout my life. I’m incredibly selective about what I tune into and when. I believe everything has a deeper meaning—and that timing, especially when it comes to receiving answers, is everything. There are books I bought years ago that I only opened recently, and they were exactly what I needed. Divine timing is real. And that means it’s time to dive into this and share how the process is shifting the way I think about creating.

I started reading early and fell in love with stories. I just know Pizza Hut hated to see me coming every month during those 100-book challenges. I was obsessed—breezing through schoolwork because my teacher got new books in and I had to read them before anyone else. My mom can tell you how I used to drag her to the library, begging for as many books as they’d let me borrow. I could lose myself in any world, dreaming up alternate endings to my favorites. I found freedom in creative expression—it was always there, alive in my little mind, just looking for a way to get out.

When I discovered creative writing—I realized I could pull the chaos from my head and pour it onto paper—I fell into a deep, passionate love I couldn’t shake. I took a writing class in high school and wrote this really dark, angsty piece (you know, teenage stuff). But when I read it back, it brought me to tears. I took that poor character through hell—and then gave her just enough hope to hold on until she saw the light for herself. That felt like a superpower. I wrote everything that came to mind, and by the time I finished high school, I’d written my first book. I’m currently refining the manuscript so that I can finally maketeenage me proud and publish it for her!

I’d been swimming in so much doubt earlier in the year about what I wanted and what my true passions were. What did Chanel feel called to do? Growing up, I tunneled through the Southern Baptist church, to COGIC church, to Nondenominational church—and now I’ve arrived at a deeply personal relationship with myself, forging an intuitive, intimate spiritual path. Along the way, I’ve gathered a lot of wisdom. I am my own church, a living temple. I live and breathe spiritual alchemy in all its forms, and my art will always reflect my life lessons. “Creating has always been the goal.” I don’t freeze when I start to work on a prompt or a chapter anymore. Now I ask myself: What can I create that will make others feel what I’m feeling? What experience can we build together?

I love writing I can get lost in—and telling stories that pull others in, too. I watch movies, shows, and anime with the eyes of a storyteller, always asking: What’s the symbolism alluding to? Where is the foreshadowing beginning to plant its seeds? My hunger for plot twists is practically insatiable. As I learn to break free from perfectionism, I’m realizing this: inspiration is endless. It’s everywhere, waiting to be noticed—and the more I surrender to it, the more it finds me.