Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Noelle Diane Johnson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Noelle Diane thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I knew early on as a kid how much I loved theatre and performing. My early years consisted of pouring my energy into dance classes, vocal recitals, and school plays. The first time I was recognized for my talent on stage I was in 7th grade and got an award for my participation in theatre-related activities. In high school, my love and seriousness for the craft increased with more access to classes and after-school activities, and I decided to move to Philadelphia to be an actor.

I ended up at Temple University and took a bit of a detour doing theatre admin and offstage work for over a decade and have only just recently realized that my original intention is still very much alive. I went back to grad school in 2022 at Villanova University to reconnect with my creative side and explore what acting after realizing I still very much had this dream during the pandemic. After a lot of prayer and consideration, I feel that I was given the green light to pursue a creative career and have committed fully to the process this past year.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I think the most important and identifying thing to know about me is that I am always evolving…always.
My guiding affirmation in this season of my life is: “It is safe for me to evolve”.

I like to say that I am like a river, constantly moving, refreshing, shifting, adjusting to what’s new. It is safe for me to become something new, to myself and others, to explore different aspects of myself, and to defy limitations. Something that has been important and guided me creatively and artistically has been an intentional journey towards healing and, more recently, accepting and embracing the growth I have experienced through this journey. I am in a space of allowing myself to thrive and not always feel like I need to be fixing, healing, or overcoming. That said, because of these intentions, my artistic practices, services, methods, and how I show up as an actor and artist are constantly evolving.

Things that are important to me currently as an actor, artist, and creator:

-Integrity and truthful storytelling:
One of my greatest strengths as a performer is to be able to get to the truth and get to the truth quickly.

I believe deeply in the healing power of storytelling, particularly when it illuminates a truth that others shy away from or find difficult to face. I also work as an Intimacy Director (coordinator) and lean into the fact that intimacy is truth, is honesty, is vulnerability. I enjoy providing and exploring tools for myself and others that create safety around intimacy on and offstage. while also telling the most authentic and genuine story.

-Scholarship:
I believe that theatre, performance, artistry, and storytelling are some of the most effective ways to not only teach, but also to create environments and dynamics in which people want to and find the joy in learning. Knowledge is power, and it is a power that no one can take from you once you have it. I am an adjunct professor at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ, and have multiple ongoing research and scholarly projects centering Black women and our embodiment on stage, the spaces we take up in the industry, and the importance of representation in canonically classical contexts.

I have also created methodologies based on healing and creating safe and self-liberating spaces for marginalized artists and creators. I am deeply proud of this work and the changes I’ve seen it make in the spaces that have used it.

Devised, Solo Performance, Clown, Spoken Word Poetry, and Dance/Movement:

Among others are the ingredients to the recipe of my original works, including a Solo Show titled “Stories in My Mother Tongue” which I will perform on Theatre Row in NYC this Novemberd, 21, 2025 as a part of the United Solo Festival. I believe that this particular mix of ingredients offers a unique artistic perspective and creates an access point that cracks open a door for a new perspective.

At this point in my artistic career, I am most proud of my evolution. I am proud of the fact that I can and will continue to reinvent myself and showcase this evolution through my work as an actor, artist, performer, content creation, and my bringing my vision to life!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson that I am currently unlearning in a cellular way is that it is never too late to get started. While I am still relatively young, I am older than most of my peers and colleagues at this point in the journey of pursuing acting and a full-time creative career. I think the deepest part of this lesson for me is simply the fact that it takes the time that it takes for you to get to where you are. It takes the time it takes, and there is beauty in the arrival of the moment you are in. It is individual and unique and not worth being compared to anyone else’s because it simply can’t be. Someone else’s story cannot be my story, and vice versa, so a world in which I don’t embrace the time would also negate what I have to share with the world.

This is a lot easier said than done, especially when looking around you and seeing what has or hasn’t come to fruition, especially when you’ve spent so many years getting ready and now you are, but the process of learning this is building muscles I didn’t know I needed to continue down this path. I am deeply grateful for God’s perfect timing in it all.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I specifically want to answer this question as someone with just under 2k followers because, while my following is relatively small compared to some other creators and influencers I deeply admire, my following is mighty. I want to encourage anyone else out there with a relatively small following that has gotten serious about branding, self-promotion, putting out quality content out and sharing your life and perspective with the world…it works…keep going.

Align yourself with who you are authentically and allow yourself to go through the pain, turbulence, and turmoil of allowing yourself to be truly seen, the ups and downs. Go through the hours of editing and cutting footage, the filming in public and having people stare at you for having the audacity to, the being super excited about a post for it to flop, because it truly is worth it.

I am still in the beginning stages of my content creation journey, but I have seen a true shift in my engagement and how it impacts the other aspects of my creative career that I am intentional about my content and building an audience on social media. I am allowing it to take time, to truly find my voice, and to take breaks when I need and am guided to take breaks. I am excited about how this part of my artistic practice will continue to grow, and I hope that my journey can also encourage others not to despise small beginnings and the joy that can come from the work that is done in them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://noelledianejohnsonactor.com
• Instagram: @noelledianejohnson
• Facebook: Noelle Diane Johnson
• Linkedin: Noelle Diane Johnson
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@eyesonelevation

Image Credits

Shot 1 (Clown Nose): Nicole Souza

Queen Blue Outfit/Red Dress/Pink Suit: Paola Nogueras

Raisin-Robe/Sweater Vest (Purple Couch ): Kristy McKeever