Meet Kat Johnson

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

Hi Kat, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

Finding a purpose is a Big Thing. And it’s not that one’s purpose won’t evolve over the years–certainly to be expected. But i can say I’ve found great purpose and satisfaction from not only being an active artist, but in expanding that desire to support other artists and promoting education and encouragement to the next generations. The more I became involved in my small but vital artists community, the more I saw a need to nurture creativity in others and expand the horizons available to them. While running a non-profit gallery, I found opportunity to help nascent artists find their footing. I’ve created a scholarship program to encourage local high schoolers interested in a range of arts arenas. And, with groups who work with young children, I help fund reading and creative class projects. It’s been a stretch of my essentially introverted self, but strong feelings and a realization of a capabilities have pushed me to pursue and follow through efforts that have been highly rewarding.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Since relocating to California’s high desert after a long career as an advertising writer, I’ve been fortunate to be able to devote my time to creating found-object assemblages. The Joshua Tree area has a vibrant, very eclectic arts community–and I’ve flourished creatively with the inspiration of its natural beauty, rich history and spirituality, as well as taken on roles with non-profits in gallery management, fundraising and more.
My work (which a fellow artist kindly deemed “poetry in a box”) veers toward the lyrical, provocative, sometimes playful. Arcane figures, stones masquerading as hearts or clouds, evocative tintypes, rusted hardware and bits of wire, totems of luck…they show me where they want to go in each piece, creating their own tale of mystery and wonder.
Continuing to exhibit in a number of galleries in our desert area, I’ve also had work in several venues in my native Los Angeles, including the very off-the-beaten-path La Luz de Jesus. Also, yearly, I participate in the highly popular Hwy 62 Open Studio Art Tours event–one of the largest of its kind–that runs the first three weekends in October.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

How did i get here, as David Byrne memorably inquired? Following my gut, for one. A confluence of events got me on the train from big bustling city to small desert town, business copywriter to no-holds-barred artist, old friends and family to total stranger. And the leap of faith was monumental. But clarity, intuition took me the distance.
Once here, I made myself known. What a difference a small community makes–and i got involved, approached organizations that interested me, became a part of my world in a way I’d never felt able before, contributing, creating programs, making a name.
And, of course, the inevitable: I don’t give up. Challenges, elation, disappointments, success all have their day like the seasons. But the sense of rightness and devotion to my art prevail.
To anyone wishing to make a change, to follow a new path, I can only say have courage. Make a choice that your heart believes in. And, as a scrap of paper taped above my very messy studio table says, Do Your Best Work.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

I was very lucky growing up to have the home that other kids wanted to hang out in. It wasn’t the modern teak furniture my Dad made in the living room, or the jungle hut he created for me in the backyard, or even the incredibly cool Tiki-themed den. It was the generous, engaging, always-had-your-back parents who created a welcoming vibe that I and my friends alike thrived on. In an age when women were just on the cusp of forging careers and finding alternative ways to live, my parents raised me to feel fully capable, free to make my own way, whatever that way might be. They supported my decisions early on to follow interests in music, art and creative writing. They were my rock: not one to crush me, but one upon which i could climb and reach anything.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @katjohnsonart