This is my first blog. I never imagined actually starting a blog but with the new arrival of my baby girl and all the COVID-19 madness, I’ve found a vast amount of time on my hands to get it going.
I was born and raised in Southwest, Louisiana into a large family. I am the seventh child of eight siblings. Although we love and cherish our southern roots and culture, we also had the great opportunity of traveling the world together as we grew up. So a great love for traveling and nature was planted at a young age. I cherish my family and my friends and the majority of my inspiration comes from the experiences shared with them.
My full given name is Inez Elise Ange. I was called by my middle name, Elise, since I was a little girl and have gone by Elise my entire life. Every artist, upon completing their piece of art, signs the piece with their signature. When I went to sign my first completed art piece in college, I hesitated at signing “Elise” on it. I recalled my grandmother’s signature, Juno, on the bottom right corner of all her beautiful paintings I’d observed growing up. Her paintings are an intimate part of her that were left hanging on the walls of her children and grandchildren’s homes.
Being that I was named after Juno’s mother, Inez, I resumed signing that piece with my given first name. I subconsciously did so as a way to commemorate my grandmother and her legacy of artistic ability left behind. That was the first time I had actually claimed the name as a part of my identity. Inez was on all of my student transcripts. After that moment, I stopped correcting my professors and classmates when they called me by Inez. I thought it was pretty cool to be incognito with the name Inez in my own little art world, and the name Elise outside of that. I’ve signed every piece with Inez since then, and continue to do so today.
I had no idea what came over me the day I decided to pursue a degree in art. I actually had never taken an art class before college, (other than the mandatory elementary art) so it brought a great element of surprise when I found myself dropping out of nursing and walking straight over to the dean of the art department to change my major. I hadn’t told anyone I was doing this because I knew it seemed impulsive and illogical but I had so much peace and freedom when I left the art building, that I knew I was making the right decision. That peace I had got snuffed out pretty quickly during the humbling experience of trying to logically explain to my family and friends, my “gut feeling” to pursue a degree in art.
At the time, I had a little teen angst and wanted to be freed from something so “cut and dry” like nursing, and explore a more flexible outlet. I intended and honestly expected to become some artsy hippie, end up moving away, going to grad school or something, and kissing this little town goodbye. It was a pretty solid plan in my head but I see now how God works even in the midst of prideful and twisted motives.
Over the course of my life, my deepest desires had been mulled over by alternative options out of fear that God would never come through for me. For instance, I’d knew deep down that I had always longed to be loved and have a family one day. But that seemed so far-fetched and out of great fear, I had convinced myself of all the other life styles and liberating things this life could offer me. Being in college, where I was pulled in many areas, I left the door wide open for the enemy to use pride and selfishness to absorb my choices and blind my true desires.
With the guidance of the Catholic student center on campus and multiple Christ centered relationships, I started to realize the superficial world’s view of “happiness” wasn’t actually fulfilling.
The art degree was a failed attempt to be my escape. But God used the broken initial perspective to fixate me on the proper one he had in store for me. He introduced me to many concepts of vulnerability, humility, and trust during my college years as an art student.
He also introduced to me Amanda, a life long bff who was in art school with me and has walked with me on all of my artist adventures. She is my muse and inspires me everyday.
He revealed my truest identity in him and through that, what I really wanted in life became clearer. There were many crossroads I encounter in my journey with God. In choosing to seriously pursue him came with a great amount of trust that he would satisfy those deepest desires that had finally surfaced. But the crossroads always came with that alternative choice to continue down a path with the perception that there is always something greater and more satisfying this world had to offer.
I am glad I chose the path less traveled.
God introduced me to my husband, Stephen, a couple of months after I had sealed the deal on my “runaway” tactic in pursuing art. You could imagine the conflict of interest that had risen with a boy that threw off everything I had just convinced myself I had wanted. Slowly, after a lot of spiritual turmoil and a sprinkle of maturity, I let God have control over my life. And I found it was actually very freeing.
In the midst of my journey toward God, I found Stephen right beside me also striving to pursue his relationship with the Father. We, along with our community, challenged each other in many areas of growth and started to skim the surface of the many intricacies of God’s love. So much freedom and love grew from that journey. And with reluctant submission to God’s will; I fell in love with this compassionate man, we got married on October 5, 2018, and moved into a home not even 5 minutes away from my parents.
HAH the joke was on me.
On the last day of college, many chapters of my life came full circle. I gave my closing art presentation, a big pottery opportunity for the future was presented to me, and I had taken a positive pregnancy test.
Now, Stephen and I share in the joy of God’s greatest gift, Rosemary Elisabeth Carrier. She is Southwest Louisiana’s first baby of 2020. Rosemary is a tangible product of the multiple leaps of faith God has asked us to make and I couldn’t be more thankful for where that confused, eager to run, college girl ended up.
With a planted desire and a God given opportunity, I was blessed with all of the equipment for an at home studio. I now create all of my work from a little apartment behind my parent’s house.