28 days --- 56 ways to be Young, Gifted and Black: Izaiah Johnson

How do you spend your days?

I'm a morning person. I wake up at 5:30am everyday. No matter what. Drink water. Stretch. Workout. Make breakfast. Text/call my mom. Head to work. If I don't work that day, then I usually get coffee and read a book. I'm kind of an ambivert. So depending on how the sun is shinning, I might hangout with friends or enjoy the day to myself. I try to smile a lot and laugh at myself. Take a moment to write about experiences, both current and past. I generally end my day with a glass of wine or three.

What brings you joy?

I absolutely love reading, researching art, and drinking wine. I have this slight obsession with learning about black people that are featured in historical European art. Visiting my mothers house on Sundays because it always smells like fresh flowers. The excitement of starting a new book. Watching the first Harry Potter film over. I work in the commercial photography field, so that also brings me joy knowing that I do work that I'm passionate about it.

What is liberation to you?

Liberation to me means to be in a continuous pursuit of happiness. Even if the odds are against you. With little or no regrets. That could mean something so small, like smiling to get through my hardest days. Or it could be something grandiose like going on a vacation to clear my mind and experiment something new and exciting.

I just want to be happy at all cost.

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