Life & Work with Chandler Johnson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chandler Johnson.

Hi Chandler, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello. My name is Chandler Johnson, and I’m currently the Art Director for the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. I would love to tell you that my path to where I am now has been a straight line, but in reality, my path has been a series of checkpoints that have inspired me to move to the next point regardless of the direction. Initially, I was a speech nerd in high school. Well, in addition to playing football and other sports growing up. I only took a speech class because my dad believed it would be helpful in the long run.

Once I took the course, I fell in love with how the teacher taught, which made me want to take more classes with him. Then, I took his Forensics Speaking course and fell in love with the activity. Although I grew up loving KU and the Jayhawks, my passion for Forensics led me to Kansas State University. For the next five years, I competed in collegiate Forensics and double majored in communication and journalism, emphasizing electronic media. After I finished the checkpoint of getting my bachelor’s, I still felt inspired by the Speech community and wanted to be a graduate coach, which led me to Illinois State University. I got my masters in communication, but I quickly realized that academia was not the place for me. I didn’t want to spend my life dissecting theories but enacting them in real-world scenarios. I’ve always been creative, but I’ve been fortunate to take classes throughout my college career that have helped give me the skill sets to accomplish specific creative endeavors. I took a web design course at Kansas State University that helped me understand how much visual communication is as important as written or spoken communication. One of my journalism teachers taught me the art of editing. So, after a rough first semester at grad school, I started working on my craft as a designer while trying to get my master’s. After two and a half stressful years, I finally graduated from ISU after two, and it led me to the next checkpoint. I returned to Kansas City and was fortunate that an international nonprofit based in the city called Unbound hired me. I spent almost six years fine-tuning my abilities as a designer. I felt like a boy King at Unbound because they believed in my abilities (even though I wasn’t ‘classically’ trained) and trusted that I could be an asset to the team, but I knew I was still young in my design knowledge, and I was hungry to learn more. Finally, it was time to move on from Unbound, and I landed the job at the KC Chamber, my current checkpoint.

The only reason I share my entire story from high school to now is to highlight that our lives are typically not a straight line but a series of cosmic moments that help us leapfrog from one moment to the next. And, I would encourage everyone to embrace those unique connections because they might lead you to something more beneficial in your life. You can be a unique asset in this world. Communication and Journalism have significantly impacted my creative beliefs and design style; I don’t take that for granted. I got here because of all the connections and wonderful people I met along the way that helped me get here.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No way! I don’t think anyone has a smooth road to get where they are. Some may have it easier than others when comparing lives, but they’re always challenges for everyone. I was and probably still am, in various ways, considered an outsider. I didn’t go to college to major in graphic design. I am a Black creative, Which you don’t see many people of color in traditional design spots. I am a Taurus and can be very stubborn in my opinions. So, I work hard to try and balance how my uniqueness may contribute to the team differently, and I strive to listen to different ideas from mine because I know what it means to bring something different to the table. Being an outsider can be a beautiful thing, but it can also be incredibly lonely. You don’t fully feel understood. You’re constantly second-guessing yourself. You’re trying to understand the dichotomy of the group, and you want to fit in without losing the unique parts of yourself. If you give up those particular parts to fit in with the group, you’re doing a disservice to yourself. All those things and more are floating around in your head while trying to do your job. Being an outsider is not simple; I know it will be an endless journey to balance all these thoughts in workspaces.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I would like to believe that I’m a Renaissance man; I have my hand in many creative fields. As the Art Director at the KC Chamber, I focus on designing materials for our programs and events. The chamber is a busy workplace with its hands in seemingly everything that will make Kansas City a better place for everyone. Throughout my short career, I have been very fortunate to work at two organizations focused on helping create a better society, whether internationally or locally.

While my work has been fulfilling, I’ve been very proud of my endeavors outside the workplace. One of my proudest moments is creating the Pick Progress project (pickprogressproject.com).

Pick Progress is a project focused on sharing stories of Black individuals and highlighting elements of Black culture. As an individual still trying to understand my blackness, I wanted to highlight how our culture is not a monolith. So, I interviewed over 30 individuals and posted their stories. Each post spotlights two items: 1) perspectives and opinions from traditionally underrepresented individuals in the greater American narrative. 2) a plastic afro-pick (or afro-comb) designed with a Black empowerment phrase on it (e.g., Black is beautiful).

I’m proud of this project because it allowed me to utilize my journalistic knowledge for the interviews and my creative abilities when creating the website and learning to 3D print each Afro-comb. Furthermore, I was able to start a Kickstarter which raised over $10,000 to make Afro-combs for viewers to purchase. That is one of the projects encapsulating my goal of being a conduit to make beautiful things that help improve society. This project also came one month before the pandemic and, more specifically, a few months before the murder of George Floyd. So, the project was a therapy for me to navigate all my feelings regarding the topic of police brutality. I also hope it was a tool to help other people process the inequities surrounding people of color.

We love surprises, fun facts, and incredible stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I have no idea what I’m doing. Haha. But seriously, I think there’s a little truth to that statement. I think people believe that my creativity and determination come very easy to me, but I am just as self-conscious as anyone else. One of the beautiful things about my journey and the checkpoints that have gotten me here has been that it has allowed me to understand my identity better.

My website is kalimizzou.com, and most of the things I do on the Internet go by the moniker of Kalimizzou. Many people think Kalamazoo, Michigan, inspires Kalimizzou, but it is a highbred nickname I chose when I was a kid trying to make my first Gmail account. When trying to get a creative job, the name Kalimizzou felt right as my portfolio identity. Kalimizzou is a bridge between two parts of my personality and two parts of my upbringing. I was born in Missouri but grew up most of my life in Kansas. In my opinion, these states have two distinct personalities: one is like Dr. Jekyll, and the other is like Mr. Hyde. One state feels more controlled, while the other sometimes feels more chaotic. When designing and being creative, I’m trying to balance these personalities within me. I love bold colors and straightforward texts. Or, I love dynamic lines with minimalistic colors. Those are two examples of me trying to project my personality: Kalimizzou, a flow of chaos and order.

Pricing:

• Single Page Websites: $1000+
• Full Websites: $2000+
• Photograph: $350
• Graphic Design: $250+

Contact Info:

• Website: http://kalimizzou.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kalimizzou/
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/kalimizzou/

Image Credits
Photo of Chandler Johnson, by Ben Lamb