Kalani LeSane shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Kalani, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Right now I feel like I am being called to find and choose myself. For so long I have been afraid of choosing myself in fear that I might inconvenience others. I have come to a place in my life where I feel like choosing myself and finding the best, most authentic version of myself if an absolute necessity.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Kalani LeSane but you will find most of my art under Kalani Klyah. I was previously known for my page called ChalkyThoughts where I wrote quotes in chalk on sidewalks around Colorado. I have shifted my focus recently and begun a new project called “365 Days”. For this project I wrote 1 poem, every day, for the next 365 days. The poems are mostly written to encourage my growth and healing journey. I am writing poems about past trauma, current trauma, who I am and what I want to become. It is as if readers look at my life through my eyes and get a glimpse into a more vulnerable side of me.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be I was a young girl whose dream was to change the world. I wanted to a national spokesperson who highlighted the importance of mental health and emotional intelligence. I was determined to disband the idea that to survive you had to be closed off, shut down, cold and insensitive. While I still believe these things and practice them myself, the world around me has told me that my sensitivity, empathy, and warmth makes me weak.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
As a child I was often in between homes and didn’t live with any of my siblings. My mother was a struggling addict and my father was in prison. There was something different about feeling like an orphan but having parents that were still alive, just not there. They didn’t choose to be better for the sake of their children. This caused abandonment, attachment and trust issues. It also triggered severe depression and anxiety. With time I learned it was never me, it wasn’t that they didn’t love or want me. What they did was a reflection of their inability to choose and love themselves. While it caused me pain, it was never due to me not being enough. Having a child of my own has helped me heal those traumas and put in work daily to address my depression and anxiety so that he doesn’t have to experience childhood trauma or a toxic home environment.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I chose this question out of curiosity on what the responses from my friends would be. Upon receiving answers I learned that they feel what matters to me most is my mental health, my personal growth, staying true to my values, feeling at peace and being the best mother, friend and partner I can be. Receiving these responses has validated me in a way I didn’t know I needed. When you work on yourself and put healing at the forefront, you don’t always know if others can see it. It was a beautiful reminder that I also have friends that truly see me, hear me, and understand me.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What light inside you have you been dimming?
I often find myself dimming down the spontaneous and carefree light that shines inside of me. I can come across as introverted and not willing to take risks or do things at the spur of the moment. Growing up without stability made me very focused, I preferred to stay out of the mix as I grew older and do everything by the books and completely planned out. Deep down I’m someone who loves an adventure, I’m very social and fun to be around but struggle to let that out.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: KalaniKlyah https://www.threads.com/@kalaniklyah?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
- Facebook: Kalani Klyah
- Other: TikTok: Kalani.Klyah
https://www.tiktok.com/@kalani.klyah?_t=ZT-8zBR4Dn8x2V&_r=1
