We recently had the chance to connect with Visuewelle and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Visuewelle , it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
Something I believe we all struggle with at one point or another is making big or hard decisions. Even if we feel confident about our choice, sometimes the act of defining it can still make us a little apprehensive. I believe it’s because we know that our choices have the ability to change our lives and even our fate. Did I choose right? Did I choose wrong? What we decide sometimes can affect more than just us individually. It also has the potential to affect those we know and love, and those who are close to us or who are apart of lives in some way. I believe that’s what makes it hard. Change itself is inevitable, and when we’re tasked with having to choose what changes, and when, and how… Well, that can become a challenge within itself; Even if it’s beneficial in the long run. Doing the hard things will always bring struggle and challenge, but sometimes that’s what’s required; especially if that means doing what’s right. My advice, lean into the struggle. It doesn’t last long, but that’s where you grow and really get to see what you’re made of.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hey Readers,
My name is Visuewelle (VIH-SHOO-WELL). Meaning Visual, just said and spelt more fabulously. We can thank my parent’s for that. Before we dive in, I want to say the BIGGEST THANK YOU to Voyage Magazine! This is my second time being featured on their platform and I’m truly grateful. Much love.
I’ve lived through quite a season as of recent, so this article couldn’t have come at a better time for all you readers out there. So where am I now? So glad you asked…
If I were to catch you up on some of Life’s Big Moment’s since my last feature on Voyage Magazine, I would share that I survived a pandemic, started seriously dating, got engaged, endured a broken engagement, traveled, got re-engaged (to the same man), got married, laughed, cried, sought counseling for the first time, concurred marital seperation, and started a podcast.
Not what you were expecting huh? Well, I’m full of surprises. Why did I share all of that? I could’ve just kept it clean and simple, but that’s not me. Nothing about my life’s story is clean or simple and that’s what makes it special. Some of the greatest artist, musicians, and novelist of our time were the kind of people whose lives were a mess, who were broken, or lost, or suffering in some despairing way. Yet through it all they persevered and created something meaningful, something timeless, and something beautiful. Why? Because they weren’t afraid to tell their story and share it with the world. Just like Jesus did.
My name is Visuewelle Pryor and it’s nice for you to meet me.
You see, I’m nothing if not honest. It’s in the sharing of my truth’s where I find strength, and in the sharing of my testimony where people have the ability to find healing, comfort, inspiration, familiarity, clarity and most importantly, CHRIST. We were ALL called to bare our sins, our short-comings, and our failures to one another – James 5:16. People think the life we live is only supposed to be showcased and talked about when thing’s are good. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Our lives are best lived when we give them away and share them. In doing that, we shine a light for those who might need to be encouraged by us, or by something we’ve been through. If no one’s told you yet, the point of our existence is to live our lives in such a way that help’s other’s and inspires them to want to know CHRIST.
WHICH BRINGS ME HERE…
I’ve always had a heart and passion for helping other’s talk through their problems and give sound Godly advice. It’s something I love to do and it comes natural. So much so, I had a plan to one day start a podcast where I could do just that. Ya know, create my own platform where I could speak openly about my life, my experiences, my beliefs. Really share my testimony with the hopes of making a real difference in someone else’s world. I had no idea at the time, but my podcast dream would soon become a reality, and to my surprise, “A Saving Grace” throughout one of the hardest seasons of my life.
HERE COMES THE BRIDE?…
I never really envisioned myself getting married before. I mean, I spoke about it loosely and hypothetically like most little girls and women do in passing moments, but I was never fully convinced that it would happen for me. I don’t know if it was because there was a high rate of divorce within my family, or if I just wasn’t the “Marrying Type”. Either way it wasn’t high on my list of life achievements and I was ok with that. So when it happened, and by happened I mean marriage, it was almost like a dream. I’ll spare you the details for the point of the stories sake, but to give some perspective to those who aren’t married, it’s not AT ALL what they paint it out to be…So here we are.
Before you continue reading, please keep in my mind that these are MY PERSONAL THOUGHT’S AND VIEWS ON MARRIAGE, and also some of MY MARITAL EXPERIENCE’S along the way. “Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone”. – John 8:7
Marriage. It’s one huge decision into the UNKNOWN. Even if there’s love, and history, and CHRIST, that doesn’t change the fact that you’re embarking on a journey that has no destination in sight. Yet the idea that’s supposed to comfort you along the way is that you’re doing it with someone who hopefully feel’s the exact same? I think to myself, how is that comforting? You both have no clue what life is going to be like, or how thing’s will work out. Even if you do your best, stay positive along the way, and make all the “right” plans, that’s still not a guarantee that the decision you made to attach yourself to a complete stranger for the rest of your so called life was the right one. Or is that what it’s really all about? The risk? I mean, can you ever really be that certain of someone? To the point where you make a decision of this magnitude? I’m not talking momentary confirmation either, I’m talking life long certainty. Or as the world like’s to put it, “Forever”. Most of us aren’t even that certain of ourselves on a regular basis, let alone what we want to eat for lunch everyday. But somehow choosing a person to mate with for the rest of day’s is eluted to be an easy task?
Now let’s be clear, I’m not ragging on marriage. I probably come off like I’m anti-marriage because I’m sharing things that most people keep to themselves, or may not feel the same about; and That’s ok. However, I do think that’s apart of the problem. The statement’s I’ve made about the realities of getting married are extremely valid, and I’m sure similar thought’s have passed through the minds of many men and women who have faced and who are facing the proposal of marriage. However, if these thought’s haven’t crossed your mind yet, or before, then I don’t believe you’ve given the concept of marriage the proper attention that it deserves. Now would be a good time to do so if that’s the direction you plan on going in someday. Most importantly, making sure it’s what YOU want to do and not what other’s are pressuring you to do is Numero Uno. Did I mention I’m part Spanish? I am, but that’s not important at the moment.
While the rules of marriage are simple, it’s the stuff that happens after you get married that can make or break you. But that’s not what people are thinking about, and it’s definitely not what they’re talking about are they? Couples on the verge of marriage and their family and friends are usually too swept up in the thought of what could be, the wedding plans, and their present feelings about the one they love.Which I’m not saying is wrong, but that’s only one part of it. Look, I’m not trying to deter anyone from getting married, Nor am I being disrespectful, but as someone who’s had this experience and is still navigating through the high’s and lows of all that it can bring, I do feel compelled to speak my truth on such a monumental matter. Is marriage beautiful? Yes, but far too often that’s all that’s celebrated. The love, the glitz’ and the parties. I believe it paint’s a false reality for the young women and men who think they want to spend forever with someone just because their heart tells them that they love each other. It’s truly so much more than that. God himself tells us in JEREMIAH 17:9 “That our heart is deceitful, and sick. Who can understand it”? This should be a clear sign to not base important life choices on what you think your heart is telling you or making you feel.
YOU DON’T TRULY UNDERSTAND OR RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF SOMETHING UNTIL YOU’VE EXPERIENCED IT…
The truth is that marriage has just as much beauty as it does ugly. Just as much pain as it does joy, and just as much good as it does bad because the two people who make up the marriage are flawed, imperfect and complete sinners who influence the relationship entirely. You don’t have to be 60 years old or have been married for 30 years to know that truth.We’re human’s, living in a fallen broken world. Marriage is not some fantasy like that world paint’s it out to be. So why aren’t these the types of honest conversations that parent’s are having with their children? Why isn’t this the social narrative that’s being plastered across our T.V.’s and cell phones? Why aren’t these details being pronounced proudly within the churches? Sorry, not sorry, but telling people that marriage is “HARD” and “WORK” isn’t good enough. Life itself is generally “Hard” and that also requires “Work”. You see what I mean? We can’t just celebrate the process of getting married and then condemn people when their marriage start’s to fall apart. There’s so much more that goes into that. I mean, how do you expect something or someone to find success without first truthfully illustrating all the possibilities of what it could be? Yes, anything worth having will be hard at times and it will also require work, but it’s the INDIVIDUAL WORK ON ONE’S SELF that matter’s most and should be PRIORITIZED FIRST before getting in any relationship, yet alone a marriage for that matter. But NO ONE is talking about the IMPORTANCE of that! I believe this is where it starts.
Now, whether you’ve properly been informed about the gift of marriage, wether you feel prepared for it or not, and wether you’ve thought passed your feelings of love, In the end it’s up to you to choose if you want to spend “Forever” with someone. We’re the one’s who have to say I do. In spite of the information/Mis-information, advice, and counseling you receive before and after from your friends, family, and pastors. You’ve got to be the one to decide. In most cases, you close your eye’s and hope for the best. You pray, even if you never prayed before that everything you heard, and learned and worked on up until this very moment in your life was helpful, honest, and impressionable enough to push you over the edge confidently, and into the capable and loving arms of the person WHO YOU CHOSE to spend the rest of your life with. Sounds easy enough right?! What they don’t tell you is that the general confidence you felt going into marriage only lasts so long after you get married. Either it start’s to wear off, or you just start to see the person you married for who they truly are. That’s when thing’s start to get “real”.
I DID WHAT I FELT WAS RIGHT…
Contrary to popular belief, over the course of my relationship, I did everything I could and knew how to do to manage my feelings and emotions, to listen to my spirit and intuition, and to give the necessary time needed before I made the choice to do something I’ve never done, let alone ever thought I would do. If anything, I over analyzed myself, the advice from my parents and loved ones, the consequences of my actions, and everything else that you’re supposed to consider before you make a life altering decision of this caliber. I mean how else do you truly prepare for something like that? How do you know that you’re ready for the “NEXT LOGICAL STEP” when you’re in a relationship?…and how do you know when “it’s time”? But since these are matter’s of the heart, isn’t this the part where we let LOVE lead the way and remain hopeful that all of our question’s will be answered?
ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR…
After my engagement was called off, I took sometime to heal and process all that had happened. About 4 months worth, was that long enough? Probably not, but in that time I still had feelings of love and longing, I had questions. Naturally, emotions were high. Most of all though, I had the constant tug and pull to move on for good, or in the famous words of Aaliyah to “Dust yourself off and try again”. I wanted to do both. So I did. Did I make the right choice?… Hard to say.
During this time of Marital re-exploration, I found myself in a permanent state of processing and digesting and reconfiguring. Playing back everyone’s advice and everything that happened. It was exhausting, there were times when I just wanted to disappear. Not die, but just not be here. There was a lot happening to me internally and the past and present voice’s and conversations from close friend’s and family were starting to haunt me. I don’t know if you gathered this yet or not, but I feel better when I talk, and share what’s on my heart. Getting things out in the open and off my chest is freeing, healing, and helps me put things into perspective; In spite of what some might think.
During my time of derealization, I had so many mixed emotion’s rushing through me, I just needed to off-load it all. I can’t recall the exact defining moment, but I was at my lowest when I started recording my voice audio conversations on my phone. This was the first time that my actual voice could catch up with my thoughts in my head. Once I hit record, the words just flew right out of me and wouldn’t stop flowing for what seemed like hours on end. After projectile vomiting my revelations over a voice audio, I realized that I somehow felt better. It was the same feeling as finishing a hard workout, or laundry, that you didn’t want to do in the first place. A feeling of relief and mental clarity. Those of which I hadn’t felt or had in a long time. So I continued to audio record these conversations whenever I got the urge. When I couldn’t sleep, when I was taking a bath, after a run, an argument, in the car. I was shameless about it because it was freeing. It became a form of therapy for me. That, and crying out to God day and night of course. But then it hit me! THIS WAS THE BIRTH OF MY PODCAST and I had inadvertently been recording my podcast episodes all along and didn’t even realize it until now! The mental clouds in the sky of my brain started to open up for me, and that brought forth excitement and anticipation for what could be. A part of me felt alive again.
THE EPIPHANY…
These personal conversations I was recording touched on all kinds of different topics. Life, marriage, God, spirituality, feelings, friends, family, you name it. I thought to myself, I’m not the only person in the world dealing with this stuff. If me speaking openly about what I’m going through into the little speaker of my phone has helped me find healing, and purpose, and inspiration, and hope, and peace again; I knew that it had the ability to do the same for those experiencing similar things, if not more. These recordings went on indefinitely until I finally got the nerve to create my podcast show. As the audio recordings and the production of my show progressed, so did the state of my mental health, and in some ways, my marriage. You see, I wanted to start a podcast to use my voice in a way that helped other’s, but the irony here is that this God planted this idea inside of me long before I knew what would become of it because he knew that I would need this outlet to make it through one of the most gut-wrenching seasons of my life.
Everyone reaches for something when their world is turned upside down. Instead of me reaching for worldly thing’s and creating toxic habits, I chose to turn my pain and experiences into purpose and use it in a way that not only saved me, but that also helps other’s, and in the end points them to God. What people don’t realize is that this podcast platform saved my life in so many ways. It’s not about the views, and the likes, like some may think. It’s about knowing that I have the opportunity to be there for people whom I’ve never met in a season of their life when they might need to hear what it is that God has placed on my heart to share. I’ve come to realize for sometime now that it’s not about us. It’s about how we use our gifts and talent’s to give back, be of service, and inspire other’s to do the same. You see, I know that God has kept his hand on me throughout my life and that’s why I’m so open and forthcoming about who I am and what I’ve been through. I wouldn’t be here otherwise if it wasn’t for his grace, and mercy, and forgiveness and unconditional love. So I share my testimony proudly without regret because that allows me to bring praise and glory to his name and shine the light on all he’s done for me. Matthew 5:16 Says “Let your light so shine before men, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”. Once you encounter God in an undeniable way, you’re changed for the better.
THE TAKE AWAY…
Wherever you find yourself in this season of life, even if you never saw yourself there, lean into it and embrace it. It might be hard, it might be scary, it might almost kill you, but in all that mess, trust and know that God is birthing something in you that won’t only excel you in the long run, but that’ll also help serve as a testimony for other’s along the way. Your testimony isn’t being lived out just for you to keep it all to yourself. Someone out there needs to hear your story so that they too can find strength to keep fighting another day just like you did. So that they can know the truth about the BIG and IMPORTANT thing’s in life before they make any decisions. There are people out there who God has called you to minister to or help save in way’s you don’t know yet. So DON’T you dare quit on your pursuits and DON’T let anyone or ANYTHING stop you from doing what YOU KNOW God has placed inside you. People will always judge you, talk about you, and take offense to the things that they don’t fully know about or understand. Most of the time, it’s the people closest to you, but respectfully, who care’s. You’re not living your life for them. So don’t allow all that to distract you and keep you from MOVING FORWARD! It’s your journey, and your vision and that’s between YOU & GOD. SO RALLY ON AND TO HELL WITH EVERYTHING ELSE!
I might be a motivational speaker but I don’t have it all figured out. Lol. Believe me when I say that no one does. We never arrive, If we did, we wouldn’t need God. We just continue to rise to each occasion as they come, and trust that God is working it all out for our good in the end. For me in this current season of my life, that’s one podcast episode at a time. My Podcast Show “READY OR NOT” is filled with meaningful conversation, biblical wisdom, and my personal experiences. You’ll find uplifting guidance, practical advice, and honest reflections in each episode. From the beauty of Christ, to dating, marriage, relationships, and personal development, these very raw and open conversations are designed to help you heal, find clarity, provoke the norm, and guide you along discovering your purpose. My channel is where creativity meets faith and where honest expression is celebrated. If you’re seeking wisdom, love, encouragement, community and inspiration for your spiritual and everyday life, then “READY OR NOT” Podcast is just for you!
If you want to keep up with me and my journey and find out what Big life event I’m unpacking next, FOLLOW and SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube Channel at FREEGAME WITH VISUEWELLE. There you’ll find my Podcast and other way’s that you can stay in touch with me Socially. You can also listen to my podcast and FOLLOW my show on APPLE PODCAST. Just type in READY OR NOT WITH VISUEWELLE. I appreciate all the love and support in advance.
LASTLY…
A MESSAGE FOR THOSE CONSIDERING MARRIAGE, OR THOSE WHO ARE ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED – When done right, marriage can truly be one of life’s greatest blessings. Maybe I’ll share my whole story one day, But for now, my advice to you is to give yourself the individual TIME you need to grasp what a choice like this fully entails and requires of you. Don’t be hasty, nor be led by your heart. Don’t ponder on what other people, or the world, or even what your family has told you about marriage. Instead, truly sit with it and seek God wholeheartedly on if this is something you ought to pursue or not; and if God approves of the person you chose. THEN, WAIT FOR HIM TO ANSWER YOU. Once He answer’s you, everything else will be clear. But don’t make a move until then. You must know there’s no such thing as “Forever”. Each day you get is a gift, so each choice you make is vital because you never know how it will affect your life or when it’s going to be your last. Choose wisely, and wait upon the Lord. He will never fail you.
PEACE BE WITH YOU…
I hope after reading my story you feel inspired in knowing that the sharing of your story brings glory to God, and that you didn’t go through all you did in your life for no reason. Your testimony is your super power, and it has the ability to do more than we’re allowing it to. When you start using your life to shine for God, everything else will follow. LEAN IN! Thank you for taking the time. Love you <3
As I always say, Be Encouraged, Be easy, Be love, Be light, Be Real, Peace.
Visuewelle.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The part of me that said yes to everyone. The part of me that put everyone and everything else before myself. The part of me that was focused on building and helping and advancing everyone else’s businesses, plans, and dreams. That part of me has officially died. It’s finally my turn. I’m choosing me now and I’m saying NO to everything and anyone who doesn’t align with my prayers, purpose, and destiny.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering and loss will bring you close to God in ways that success could never. Having endured pain, and brokenness produces purpose, character, hope, especially when endured for Christ’s sake. As believers we are called to follow Christ’s example of suffering. It refines us, humbles us, and allows us to experience what true love looks like, and feels like. It’s that Pain and suffering that keeps us close to God, and that allows his glory to shine through us for all those to see.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
I CAN’T BE ANYONE ELSE! YOU EITHER LOVE ME OR YOU PRETEND TO LOVE ME. THERE’S NO IN BETWEEN AND I’M OK WITH THAT. Life’s too short to be anything other than yourself. You are 1 of 1. You have no idea who’s life you could impact and change just by keeping it real! “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good”. – Genesis 1:31. So you best believe I’m going to live my life like I know it!
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
You’ll never know your true purpose in life until you come into relationship with God your creator, and stay in constant connection with him.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @freegame_with_visuewelle
- Facebook: Visuewelle merari
- Youtube: @FREEGAMEWV
