I didn't think that a little column in the corner of my blog allotted enough room for me to fully introduce myself and explain the purpose of this blog, so I had to open a new tab to give all my followers and viewers an in- depth analysis. When I wrote my first post for this blog, I ruled against introducing my real name into the blogging world. Now I suppose that it wouldn’t hurt to use it for biographical purposes. My full name is Ariyanne C. Johnson. I know it’s a mouth-full. I have an extensive array of nicknames bestowed on me by various relatives, friends, and aquaintances, but for all intents and purposes I'm known as "Ari."
I was born seventeen years ago on February 28th in Charlotte, North Carolina and was welcomed into the world by a large and loving extended family. For the first few years of my life, I was the living testament of the "it takes a village" theory. My entire family was extremely involved in my life. My mom was a loving single mother with a full time job, but I was never in want of affection. God blessed me with a beautiful older sister, a great aunt that functioned as the grandma I never knew, and a godmother that worshipped the ground I walked on and was always just a call away. When I was about nine, my mother retired and devoted her time entirely to me.
Under the guidance and care of these amazing people, I grew up "programed" to excel. I've always lived in a house in which an "A" is considered normal, a "B"means you have to work harder, and a "C" is absolutely unacceptable. Anything lower is should never even be mentioned. Outside of the classroom, I was taught to embrace whatever talents and interests I had and use them to the fullest extent. I found that there was one thing I loved above everything else: the creative arts. My imagination was always my greatest strength and it found its outlet through constant drawing, acting, reading, and writing.
When I was ten, my mother and I relocated to Bluffton, South Carolina to be with my dad. I finished elementary school in public school, but my parents both decided to continue my middle school education in a small private school. The move was extremely tough on me. I felt like I had been plucked from home and left to roam in an alien land filled with foreign people. I was never accepted in middle school, and it was during that time that I began to look to art even more; particularly reading. English literature came to me during this time in the form of Pride and Prejudice, and after that I was hooked. Even after I returned to public school for high school, it still remained a major love of mine that very few people were able to share.
That's why I started this blog. There are few kids my age who love reading the way I do, but the thing about reading is that age doesn't matter. Through this blog, I've connected with people from various nationalities, age groups, and walks of life. Yet, when we're all commenting on the same post, all I can see is what we have in common. Lit Lovers & Corset Laces has become an escape for me; a place where I can come and share a part of myself and where others can do the same. I don't have to feel weird or "nerdy", I can just relax and talk about books. It's just that easy. Here we can all be proud and unabashed lit lovers.
--Ari
