I got to take part of Echo’s showcase. I hope you will watch, subscribe to her and tell her you found her through Married in Arkansas ~Lisa. I did get to play 2 song. One of my newest poetry music and my remix of my theme song.
Tag: new-music
Breaking Boundaries: Storytelling Beyond Race
My latest Suno AI song. Please let me know if you like it by giving me a thumbs-up 👍 and share
Echoes, Identity, and the Courage to Create Anyway
When I first envisioned the video for Echoes of Her Lipstick, I wanted it to feel like memory itself—soft, sad, tender, a little smoky at the edges. A love that lingers, even in silence.
When I listened to the voice I imagined a man of color as the singer of the song, he became that visual—a figure mourning the woman whose lipstick he still sees in the mirror—I found myself hesitating.
Not because the story didn’t feel right.
Not because the image wasn’t beautiful.
But because of the voice inside me that whispered:
“What will they think?”
I’m a 55-year-old white woman from Arkansas. I grew up poor, in a time and place where life was often segregated—not just in neighborhoods, but in thinking. I didn’t grow up with friends of other races. I didn’t grow up seeing people who looked different from me in person and very seldom in romantic stories or music videos unless they were carefully “matched” to a certain expectation.
And yet… here I am now, creating something that didn’t follow those old expectations.
The Fear I Didn’t Want to Admit
If I’m being honest—and I always try to be—that little voice wasn’t coming from strangers. The voice in my head came from white women like me. The ones who might quietly disapprove, or unfollow, or ask behind closed doors, “Why’d she have to use that man?” And a deeper fear, the ugliest one:
Will they think I’m trying to be something I’m not?
Will they think I’m lowering my morals?
That last one stopped me cold.
Because the truth is—telling stories that reflect the full beauty of humanity isn’t lowering anything.
It’s raising the standard.
Why I Left Him in the Video
Because the story didn’t ask for a race.
The grief didn’t care about color.
And the emotion—the real, raw ache of losing someone—was human.
He belonged there because the tenderness on his face matched the emotion in the song. Because his emotions on his face moved me. (And, yes, it is an AI image). Because love is not limited by what we look like—and neither should memory be.
And then came the comment. Just a simple comment from someone who watched:
“Where have you been hiding? You have amazing taste.”
That was all I needed.
What This Means for Me Going Forward
I’m not trying to be a political voice. I’m not trying to provoke. I’m just trying to tell the truth in art—even when it’s messy. Even when it pushes me out of my comfort zone.
If that broadens my audience beyond the bubble I grew up in—good.
If it makes someone feel seen who usually isn’t—even better.
And if it rattles someone who’s never had to think about these things before? Well, maybe that’s the start of something new for them too.
So I left him in.
And I’m proud that I did.
Because this is who I am now—
A storyteller.
A late bloomer.
A lipstick dreamer with something honest to say.
Final Thought
If you ever find yourself second-guessing your creative choices because of what people might whisper—listen harder to what your heart is shouting. Mine was shouting.
“Tell the story anyway.”
💋
Lisa
Married in Arkansas
You’re the Best Deal of My Life
How do I love you? Let me say,
Through every find, through every day.
From flea markets to Sunday drives,
With you, my love, my heart still thrives.
I loved you when the world seemed wide,
Through trailer hauls and deals to find.
Through laughter loud and moments small,
You've been my greatest prize of all.
I will love you still through every year,
Through every joy, through every tear.
Side by side, through thick and thin,
I'd choose you over and over again.
I loved you in our younger days,
Through all the dreams, through all the maze.
From "Look what I found!" to "Just one more,"
You made my life worth searching for.
I loved you in the quiet nights,
The stories shared, the wrongs made right.
Through winding roads and steps we've climbed,
My love grows stronger every time.
I will love you still through every year,
Through every joy, through every tear.
Side by side, through thick and thin,
I'd choose you over and over again.
We’ve built a life, a love so true,
Through ups and downs, we made it through.
With every joke, with every sigh,
You're still the twinkle in my eye.
No map, no plan, just you and me,
A love as wild as it can be.
Through every sale and every find,
You're still the best deal of my life.
I will love you still through every year,
Through every joy, through every tear.
Side by side, through thick and thin,
I'd choose you over and over again.
Through every storm, through every mile,
Your hand in mine makes it all worthwhile.
After all these years, through thick and thin,
I'm still right here, just like I've always been
Fearfully Created
I want to share YouTube channels that I follow on my website. I wrote this song with the intention of sharing it with the person who I wrote the song for in the first place. I was unsuccessful in contacting her, so I am sharing it here with you. I did rewrite the song and thought about posting it in my YouTube channel, but I don’t think I will. This song is something I want to share but I don’t want to put out into YouTube land just yet.
This song would be considered personal, and it may have the makings of being a song you could hear on the radio even though it was created with Suno AI. The radio is not a place for AI voices but a place for real people’s voices. I don’t know if there would be any musician out there that would like this song or not, but if you are that one person, contact me.
I did create a video for this song, but I can only share the audio and a picture for visuals.
Fearfully Created
Welcome into her world, where the hills meet the sky,
Where love fills the rooms and dreams never die.
A simple kind of life, yet so beautifully made,
This is her story—Fearfully Created.
Her name is Merina, in the hills she resides,
East Tennessee mornings, where the sun opens wide.
In a double-wide mobile, with love in each room,
Her husband and four kids make her life bloom.
The laughter of children, the bark of a dog,
The morning dew shining through the Tennessee fog.
She’s not chasing perfection, just living with grace,
Finding purpose and joy in her sacred place.
Dogs at her feet, chickens roam in the yard,
Acres of freedom, though some days can be hard.
She turns her little world into a work of art,
With a camera in hand and a homemaker’s heart.
Fearfully created, her life’s on display,
Cooking, cleaning, and making it a brighter day.
Redecorating corners, making memories true,
In the heart of her home, there’s always something new.
Her kitchen’s her canvas, where flavors collide,
Homemade meals with love served on the side.
From sweeping the floors to painting the walls,
Her home tells a story in every hall.
Cooking, cleaning, making every day bright,
Turning small moments into treasures of light.
A life full of purpose, a joy celebrated,
This is her story, Fearfully Created.
So watch her journey, take a seat, stay awhile,
Through the lens of her life, she’ll make you smile.
Fearfully created, her story unfolds,
In the foothills of Tennessee, where her heart is whole.
This song and lyrics are copyrighted by Lisa Sanders.
Married in Arkansas 