We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Arielle Harris. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Arielle below.

Arielle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

When I was growing up , I had alot of feelings. Happy , sad , anxious and scared but the feeling that overwhelmed me the most was shyness. If I was upset , I would tell my sister and she would tell my mom but there were things I was even too shy to tell her. When I was in the third grade I was being bullied by a boy in my class. Arsenio, would push me , knocked down my chair after I stacked it on the desk during dismissal and even tripped me when I walked to the teachers desk. Every morning my mom would let me know if she was picking me up or I was walking home by myself. On this particular spring day, my mom told me I was walking home by myself, Arsenio followed me as he often did on these days. I ignored him and went to go pick a few flowers for my mom. Arsenio pushed me in the dirt, every time I attempted to get up he pushed me again. I tried to ignore him but after a few times I started to get frustrated and begged him to stop. Just as I was about to cry, my mom appeared from around the corner. Arsenio immediately tried to play nice with me , my mom told him to go home before she called his mom. I was so happy to see her I cried but embarrassment stopped my tears and my heart started to beat so fast as my mom began to question me. I told her I was too scared to tell anyone that I was being bullied at school. She told me “ if you are too scared to tell me something, write me a letter”. My mom introduced me to writing my feelings down on paper that day . My first poem was a love letter to my mom. I will never forget that day for so many reasons, the biggest reason of all was , this is that day I became a poet. From that day on , I never kept a secret from my mom .

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Arielle Harris . I am poet from The Bronx. I was first introduced to writing my feelings down on paper by my mother when I was in the third grade. Since that day I would write poems on pieces of paper and keep them in my desk at home. I was first published in my high school newspaper when I was junior and senior. I went on to publish my first poetry collection in 2016 “I write about the things I can not say out loud” based on a heartbreak I was going through, the story is told through this collection of poems. I went on to published “ Things we don’t say at the dinner table” in 2020. This collection was my take on uncomfortable conversations I’ve had and the things I wish I could have said. My third collection will be released in the spring, I have titled it “ work chronicles” based on my experiences in a toxic work environment. Outside of writing, I also host workshops that teach inspiring and current writers how to use writing as a form of therapy. Writing has been so rewarding for me but also therapeutic. I want my readers to be inspired to tell there own story. There are no rules to self expression through writing ! Anyone participating in my workshop will always feel like they are exactly where they need to be Even if you aren’t a writer I encourage everyone to join. My next workshop will be in the late spring following the release of newest collection. I also do 1:1 coaching, people usually contact me through my social media to book a session. It’s important for everyone to tap into their creativity! I’m here to facilitate and support those who wish to use writing as a form of self expression

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I released my second collection, I received so many mixed reviews. Some were very positive while others were very discouraging. I spent so much time and poured so many resources into this project. Some people didn’t understand my perspective while others thought the title was misleading. I found myself in defense mode. Constantly having conversations surrounding the idea that , poetry is subjective. People will find multiple meanings from one piece. For a while I was stuck , I honestly didn’t write for a while. Until one of my colleagues invited me to perform at The Bronx Collab for a series of spoken work sessions called BX Love Letters. Being around other poets inspired me again. I went back to the basics and created a social media account for my poems, I was able to reach more people and inspire many other writers. My passion was reignited and I had a tougher skin.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Inspiring others is the most rewarding for me and when someone says “ I know exactly how you felt writing that”.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arie_writes_poetry?igsh=Yzl4ZHgzaDc1a3V2&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/5KdZLZpPgCAivH1i/?mibextid=WC7FNe
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arielle-harris-38b100204?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app