We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Doris Johnson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Doris, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?
The sort of legacy I am hoping to build is not grounded in fare wellness (if that makes sense). Many people think about legacy as being something physical, but I look at in terms of what may happen tomorrow if the world loses me. I will not have this whole brick and mortar project to offer up. Not tomorrow. I would love to be in a position to do that but as it stands, the best thing that I can offer is my knowledge, my determination, and my resiliency. (I think) Even if I possessed those things…those tangible things, how long might it last? When I am gone, people will say that I was someone who knew how to smile through the rain, loved her pens and notebooks, and tried to find humor wherever a smile or laugh was needed, and I was determined…always. I used to tell a friend that I wanted to be remembered for more than being cute and funny. I want my mark to be so much bigger than that. Please understand my struggle, my plight, and how I was not one who took no for an answer. I want people to look at the art that I left behind, accept that I was aware that I was marching to the beat of my own drum, and I did it my way. And then laugh at some of my funny stories. My dreams are so colorful that I hope that the legacy I leave behind are foot steps and open doors!
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 Doris. While that may not be the most interesting thing about me, it is definitely the start. My mother named my two sisters and I after her. Of all things I have become, having been a survivor of domestic violence remains to be my gateway. When I was in that predicament, I had aspirations and I lived many facets of my life today, in my head. I always wanted to save people when I couldn’t save myself, so I started a virgining non-profit that will assist women in transition with material assistance. Eventually, I would like to provide transitional living for women looking for a fresh start. These things are important to me because I once left the hospital with nothing but the clothes on my back. Had it not been for my sister, I would not have gotten the personal things I needed to start again. Over the years, I have volunteered at a domestic violence shelter in my area, spoken at many churches and organization about my experience and how they can make it out. I had the pleasure of speaking at Wayne State University. While in that relationship, I wanted to become a psychologist. I went on the get a master’s degree. I wanted to sew…and now I do. I’m no Vera Wang at all, but my products make me proud. I wanted to write books while I was there. Since then, I have written and collaborated on 14 projects or more. And I am going to continue to write. It is my happy place! I am an advocate for epilepsy which also came by way of domestic violence. I am a radio talk show host where I blab all about my experiences. What sets me apart is that my life is definitely not a one stop shop. I’m proud to be humble and down to earth. People who meet me based on who they thought I might be, are impressed with how “human” I am. I want people to know that in order to get what you want, you must decide to have it.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
When I was a young woman, I met and fell in love. The words he said to me initially were treated as treasured gold. The words he later catapulted towards me cut like a thousand knives. A strong, lively college student turned into a helpless and hopeless victim of abuse and single mother. I dropped out of college. Those love taps turned into punches and slaps. Waking up to breakfast in bed turned into being awakened by a monster who used to be my person. His moods were unpredictable. I had to work with black eyes wearing sunglasses indoors and overdressing to hide the many bruises that I wore. He drilled in my head that I was unlovable and stupid. It’s still difficult to hear myself say that I was raped continuously in the house that I called home. The beatings lead to me now having a seizure disorder. When he last attacked me, he snatched off a part of my vagina. I didn’t realize how broken I was until I freed myself of his reigns. I lost 5 days of my life at the onset of seizure when I had thirteen in one day. I learned to smile these plastic smiles to create and maintain a balance in my household where five children were watching. Those sets of eyes helped me to find the strength to start again.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Currently, although I am working on many creative projects…(as an epileptic myself) my goal is to teach children with epilepsy to feel better about functioning in public, and to love themselves with every part of who they are and who they can become. I anticipate the children’s book I wrote will be turned into an animation this fall. I am excited to share that the production is in its finishing stages! In addition, I am working on the re-telling of my personal story, Nocturnal: The Girl Between the Sheets. (2025)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.everythingdoris.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingd0ris/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everythingdoris/
- Linkedin: https:// Twitter.com/everythingd0ris
- Twitter: https:// Twitter.com/everythingd0ris
- Youtube: ttps://www.youtube.com/@dorisjohnson
Image Credits
DaNai Alyse
Robert Gordon
Anthony Morgan