We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joha Harrison a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Joha, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

The first time I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path was in elementary school. We had art competitions and the winner would get a blue ribbon, and it would be on display for the whole school to see. From 1st grade up until the 5th grade I won a lot of blue ribbons. This was the first time that I saw something that I was doing that was separating me and acknowledging me for my efforts. I’ve always tried to get away from the school – to – job paradigm; although I never actually declared it, this was the first time I saw a way out of that construct.

Joha, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Well, Im an artist, a photographer, and filmmaker, but focusing more on art. I create large scale paintings and small ones, create photoshoots and candid work, and documentaries. Im fluent in all of these artistic endeavors, while I’m focusing more on art at the time, I can always do two at a time. So I won’t turn down a project, I’ll just balance my time and make both projects happen, for me being in two artistic spaces; they feed off each other. Ill use abstract painting ideas in my filmmaking and photography in my art, it has become a fun process.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One day I was in San Francisco, back when I used to work for the Giants. During this time I painted on stone tiles that you would find in a mansion because that’s the only thing I could afford to paint on. (I would go to the tile stores and they would let me go through their dumpster and take all the stone canvases that I could take home). So I was in the design district in San Francisco, and I went to every showroom that was in the San Francisco Design Center with my painted stone tile in hand as my resume, and asked could I show my art in their showroom. One lady had a conversation with me and offered me a job. I gave her the painted tile as a gift and we’re still friends to this day

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Ultimately, my mission is to create a life where I can have my family with me. In the beginning of the second era of my artistic life, there was no goal or mission but art was a form of expression and in more ways than one; it saved my life. From that point, art was therapy for me, it allowed me to take my mind and focus it on expressing myself in an artistic way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.johaharrison.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/surrenderwasapose/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uycbz6GlXIA&t=310s
• Other: A link to a book I made https://www.blurb.com/b/8579599-surrender-was-a-pose-volume-3

Image Credits
Profile Picture of Myself – Caravan Film Crews Inclusion – Davies Imaging Group