I’m marking my territory. Right here on this page. Because I want you to know that I am an artist and I’m sensitive about my ish. Yes, I’m a complex, poetic soul that loves God and life, and recycles your favorite music lyrics in my literary abode. No I don’t need a thesaurus or a dictionary. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? I’m not a copy cat or a cat’s copy. Just a girl whose been listening to radio morning shows for way too long.

I hate middles and endings. I love new beginnings. And for those of you who like to read the final chapter before starting a book… well mmmph. I’m writing this so you feel like you have a jumping off page, a beginning, a moment that you can remember, that I introduced me for… well, me.

I love lilies. And white roses. These are my favorite flowers.

And I flex between the two, transition between them when I see fit. I’m kind of like Beyonce. I have an inner shero (Sasha Fierce) that will confidently bust out a Naomi Campbell walk in the middle of a lingerie store. But behind that shameless extrovert is a deep thinker that finds peace in solitude. It’s that convoluted side of me that stays grounded while continuously pondering about the world. That’s when I’m a white rose. Full of composure. Full of grace.

I’m an art-fanatic living way too far above the Mason-Dixon line. I was born in the South, lived there my whole life before having the opportunity to go study behind the gates of an Ivory Tower. I’ve learned quite a few things in my few years of living, number one being to always keep your chin up, baby girl. I love digital media and tech. I love serving my community. And I love black people. I hope to fashion some career out of these three passions one day — like you I’m still trying to defog the bathroom mirror and see the dream for what it clearly is.

I also have learned to live life by faith. No, I’m not a Bible-thumping verse-spitting believer whose looking for a pool of water to save the next heathen in. I’ve just come to realize that God has a way of working out EVERYTHING — even when you’re at your worst and you’re unsure of what tomorrow may bring. So I’ve stopped planning what my life will be like in 5 or 10 years. I’m focusing on being present. I’m worrying less. I know what I like. I know that I’m still growing.

I know that I’m still here.

Most days I’m a a sword lilly – just like the rest of you, victoriously living and battling through this inexplicable thing we call life. Lilies are my birth flower. They symbolize sincerity and strength.

And that’s what these little notes, these floras, dancing in the wild shall be. Stories offered sincerely with love because it is in our candid moments that we come to realize our self-truths. And that little old thing called strength. I know you have it within you, but with each tale that I share here — those humorous, those deep, those complex, and those that run smooth and easy like gumbo on rice — I hope to build up a bit of courage within each of you. To roar like a lion. To stir that inner voice. To answer the call. To never give up.

Yes, baby girl, to never give up.

Liane