The Genesis: A Look At My Author's Journey

Stories have always been a part of my life.  In the earliest memories of my childhood, I can recall back to the times when my sisters and I would come into our parents bedroom and nestle up beside our mom, and she would tell us tales that she would create on the spot, about the adventures of the three of us. That was when I was introduced to the power of words and got a glimpse of how I could illustrate with them to create vivid pictures, through story, in the imaginations of my hearers.  My mom shared  with me, a sweet memory of my youth; she told me that she had had a conversation with  her friend and coworker, Miss Carol as I would come to know her,  who in meeting me as a toddler, said that I was very imaginative.  My mom later echoed a similar sentiment, and said to me "Ari you're a writer."  My  response to her was, "Mommy, I don't know how to write."  She then reassured me that though I didn't know how to hold a pen to paper yet, the gift was still there, waiting to be developed in me. She said, "You write with your words."  That, I think,  set me on a path of discovering my love for writing.  At this point, I admittedly have an embarrassing amount of journals, almost all of them filled to capacity, and in them are myself expressed on paper at my most vulnerable. In those pages, I am my most transparent, authentic and true. The tapestry of their content, reflects the ebbs and flows of my life's most trying and triumphant seasons. Nevertheless, it is me, fully exposed to myself. Through the exercise of writing, I am able to do a bit of introspection, and better understand my world and the world around me. I've coined the phrase, "I think with ink." Writing is my most natural form of creative expression, and in a lot of ways, it is my safe space. 

At heart, I am a logophile, which by definition, is a lover of words. I have tried my hand at many types of writing namely: poetry, music, and journalism.  I began sharing my writing more publicly, when I was in high school. I joined the poetry club and would perform pieces that I'd written at an event called Coffeehouses.  Then, when I was in undergrad, I studied Communications, and was introduced to Journalism, in which I majored. During my freshman year, I enrolled in a 300-level course, called "Feature and Magazine Writing." Despite the fact that I was the youngest person in the class, the only freshman in a room of juniors and seniors, I never felt more at home.  One the first day of classes, my professor Mr. Shealer, said, "Everybody has a story, it is the job of the journalist to find the story, and to tell it well."  That one statement, ignited a passion and fire in me, and helped me to channel my focus. I learned the importance of being intentional with my choice of words, and by doing so, building a story, one word, one true sentence at a time. The goal of my writing is that it is authentic to me as the writer, and evokes and imparts something into the readers of my work.  As a Communication Studies major, I also learned about the field's five objectives: objectivity, autonomy, public service, immediacy, and ethics. I henceforth, govern my writing by these objectives, as a standard practice.  I dabbled in writing music as well, as an amateur lyricist, writing songs for myself to perform at the campus Coffeehouses/Poetry Nights and even for the Gospel Choir of which I was apart! 

As the Founder and Chief Serving Officer of my Faith-based, Brand Development and Social Media Marketing company, Simply Ari Media, I work alongside the Holy Spirit, to help creatives and start-up companies develop, hone, and share their brand voice and brand story consistently across digital spaces and platforms in the most organic, unique, innovative, and creative ways possible.  I am blessed to say earnestly, that I love what I do. I love being able to tell the stories of the world. I am humbled and grateful for each opportunity I have, to be welcomed, for a few precious moments, into the lives and spaces of those with whom I interview and serve; and aide in the process of getting their stories and messages out to the world through my platform.  In 2019, I felt an unction in my spirit  from the Lord, almost as if He was saying to me, "Now it's your turn [to tell your story]."  In obedience to what I believe I'd heard, I began penning my own narrative: one that was birthed out of my intimate relationship with the Lord along with my experiences.  This first book, is a compilation of just a fraction of the insights that the Lord has revealed to me over the years in my time of devotion spent with Him.  Just as He is the Author and Finisher of our faith as believers, He too, is the true author of this work, I am solely a vessel, who humbly said "yes" to the the request of His heart. 

It is my prayer and most sincere hope that it resonates with you in a deep way and that it inspires you on your journey of becoming all of who the Lord has called and created you to be.  
​
  

---