Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Johnson.
Hi Catherine, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have always loved storytelling. Long before I ever thought about sharing my work publicly, I was writing or imagining stories. Writing has always been how I make sense of the world. I’ve kept a journal since I was ten years old, but for most of my life, I kept my writing to myself as a dream I hoped to pursue someday.
But someday is ambiguous, and now that I’m a mom of four, I’ve become proficient at seizing the moment and creating in any little pocket of time I can find. I live by the motto, “Practice your dream life now.” My dream was always to be a writer, so why not start living that dream today?
Social media became a way for me to share my writing and thoughts on motherhood in 2020. I had an Instagram account where I shared motherhood moments, parenting philosophy, struggles, and wins. It became a place for me to process my experiences and share my thoughts with others. Eventually, the changing social media climate and my concerns about sharing my children online led me to close that account.
I now have a fairly new Instagram and TikTok presence, @bycatherinejohnson, where I share glimpses into my life, my thoughts, and my writing. I use social media as a way to notice and share the beauty in ordinary life, every day.
The ideas of noticing beauty and practicing my dream life have become threads in almost everything I create. I share about motherhood, creativity, hobbies, books, and building a life worth slowing down for. Recently, I finished a short story and began sharing more of my writing on Substack, which feels like another step toward a dream I’ve carried for years: becoming a published author.
My biggest takeaway lately is that you don’t have to wait to achieve your dream life. I’m raising four boys with my husband, writing whenever I can, sharing pieces of my life and work, and living a version of my dream every day by doing so.
Success, to me, looks just like that – a continual progression found in ordinary moments.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Social media has been challenging to navigate. When I first started my Instagram account back in 2020, I was trying to optimize and utilize the algorithm to my advantage and really focus on growing. Trying to chase the metrics was overwhelming, and I found myself thinking, “What will succeed online” versus sharing what I actually wanted to share. Now I share what I want, when I want; I really believe my writing and content will reach those who need it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At the heart of my work is storytelling, whether that be through content creation or writing. I believe we can learn a lot about ourselves and life through stories, both written and spoken. I write fiction, personal reflections, essays, and poems, and create content centered around motherhood, creativity, books, hobbies, and everyday life.
A lot of content creators box themselves into one niche, but I have always gone against that way of creating because humans are multifaceted. My interests, thoughts, and views are multifaceted, and I enjoy sharing them. I don’t want someone to come across my work and see a perfectly packaged version of one small part of me. I want what I create to feel human and authentic.
I’m most proud that I’ve built my work around appreciating and sharing the joy and beauty found in ordinary life. A simple cup of coffee, birdsong, candles burning, or a flower picked for me by one of my boys can all be little magical moments if you take the time to slow down and fully appreciate them. I think our culture often encourages us to look ahead – to the next accomplishment, the next purchase, the next season of life – but there is so much worth noticing right where we are.
That’s ultimately what I hope sets my work apart. Whether I’m telling an imagined story or sharing something from my own life, I hope it encourages people to slow down, pay attention, and find something meaningful in the ordinary.
What’s next?
I am continuing to write! I have several books and projects I’m currently working on: a children’s book, an epistolary book for teen girls written from the perspective of an older sister, a collection of short stories and poems, and a historical fiction novel about the Romanovs.
My biggest goal for the future is to become a published author. I’m continually writing, learning, and working toward that dream, and I’m excited to see where each of these projects takes me.
In the meantime, I plan to continue sharing my writing through Substack and growing the community I’ve begun building through social media. I’m looking forward to creating more, experimenting with different forms of storytelling, and continuing to make space for creativity in the midst of raising my family.
There are a lot of things I hope for in the future, but I also try not to become so focused on what’s next that I miss what’s happening now. I want to keep working toward the big dreams while enjoying the life I’m living on the way there.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bycatherinejohnson
- Other: https://substack.com/@bycatherinejohnson
