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

Ayanna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents were both artists and creatives themselves, so a lot of my core identity as a creator is rooted in what they taught me. I feel my whole family enriched my life with memorable experiences in art and history during my formative years. I am from Brooklyn, New York originally and creativity is found in every corner of the borough. My father is African-American, and my mother was German-American so I come from a mixed cultural household as well.

The three of us would listen to old funk records, visit the Cloister’s in Manhattan, draw in sidewalk chalk, read stories, get noodles in Chinatown, and sit together for a family movie night once a week. Even my more macabre interests as a teenager come from my dad and I bonding over a shared love of horror films. My mom and I would read fantasy book series together and she taught me to always keep all my smarts about me, as it was one of the things that “no one can ever take away from you.”

My passion for art, music, film, history, nature, writing, and knowledge I absolutely have both of my parents to thank for. Despite some tragic turns in my childhood, those are some of my favorite memories that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Decades later now that I’m a professional and have discovered my own creative voice, when I paint I often will listen to João Gilberto, Ella Fitzgerald, and The Miracles while recalling the warmth in those moments. My parents certainly did their fair share of wrong, but I’m grateful for all that they did right.

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 Ayanna Jacqueline Johnson, I am a fashion print designer by professional trade, and a freelance illustrator and writer in my spare time. I currently work in the womenswear industry, co-designing print and pattern for retail brand Ann Taylor Factory. My design work in textiles has sold in stores all across the country, and over the past 7 years I’ve worked for Macy’s, Bed Bath and Beyond, Walmart and several more brands.

I grew up reading manga and constantly watching animated films and shows, so much that it’s what I would draw the most. I would read Disney animation books, and experiment in photoshop as a young kid creating stylized fan art of my favorite film characters. This driven interest eventually led me from High School to the Savannah College of Art and Design where I studied sequential illustration, storytelling art in sequence. I published in anthologies during my undergrad, made many connections with peers and professors, and learned the storytelling trade. All of my creative work since serves to tell a story whether that’s in comics, prose, or apparel collections.

After graduating and figuring out what I wanted to do with my career, my stepmother introduced me to the world of surface design. After having my first job interview and getting rejected, I decided to spend time building a new portfolio of patterns and graphics. I added a surface design addendum to my studies, and eventually I entered the fast-paced but rewarding realm of textiles, designing artwork for baby clothes, accessories, home goods, athletic sets, and womenswear. I’m very proud of my tenacious ascent into the fashion industry when previously I would have never imagined it.

My personal artistic work outside of any office I’m still finding my niche for, but regularly I paint, draw, and write at least a couple times a week. I attend concerts, galleries, figure drawing sessions, and take hikes to relax my mind while also informing my creation. Some of my short and long term goals are to teach figure drawing, publish a horror comic series I’ve been writing, and write an autobiographical novel.

Duality and accessibility are some running themes in my work. I create work that’s both light and optimistic, and at other times my art takes a darker, more raw edge to it. Through fashion, painting, and writing I hope that I can inspire others to embrace vibrant, childlike freedom, while also processing and learning to live with the visceral darkness life throws our way. Both are incredibly important to me.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I feel as a whole, non-creatives don’t understand exactly how vast the creative world is and how much we have artists to thank for human progression throughout the years. I’ve met several people who only note painters famous in pop culture when they hear the words “creative” or “artist.” I often hear Picasso, Da Vinci, or Van Gogh mentioned by most when the subject of artists comes up.

Out of the box ideas, an “X factor” and human relation are how I think of the creative world. Art is everywhere from the shoes we lace up, the food we eat, the scripture we read, the chairs we sit on, the advertisements we see, and the applications we use. Visual art, music, sound design, lighting, industrial design, architecture, animation, game design and so many more all fall under the creative umbrella.

Years ago, I was at the MoMA in Manhattan with family and the Kikkoman soy sauce bottle was in a display case. A family member I was with questioned why this would be here in the museum. The industrial designer of this bottle created it in the 1960s, and the popular design hadn’t changed 50 years since. It’s a testament to the longevity and butterfly effect that art has on us all.

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

A lesson I had to unlearn while creating, that I’m still actively unlearning, is to not be afraid to either start out with a mess or make a mess in the process. Art does not have to be perfect or fit neatly in a box to be valid, and a lot of times mistakes enhance creativity rather than detract from it. Imposter syndrome and overthinking is a struggle I feel most artists have, and the lesson I’m replacing these anxieties with is a page out of Nike’s book, “Just Do it.” It takes 10,000 hours to master your craft, and life is too short to stress about scrutinizing our own art. To me there’s no better feeling than looking back and seeing how far my art has progressed.

The more unrestrained your creativity is, the more unique to the creator and interesting it is. I used to have so much anxiety about how my drawings would be perceived that the doubt would hinder me drawing anything for years. Now I regularly make illustrations, and encourage myself to still make art even if I’m exhausted after work. Some days I feel rusty and hate the paintings I make, other times I’m very satisfied with the spontaneity and happy accidents I come up with. Either outcome, I’m happy I at least made something worthwhile.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ayannajjohnson.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_antlion
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayanna-johnson-77b83295/

Image Credits
Ann Taylor Factory, 2024.