April Creator of the Month: Doug Johnson
Doug was born in Prince Albert and grew up in Saskatchewan. He first became interested in photography when his older brother Don gave him a small Kodak camera when he was 14. When they were kids, it was expensive to get film developed and his mother struggled financially to support this hobby.
His passion for art and photography was put on pause until his family moved from Saskatoon to California in 1965. He describes this move as though he were “landing on a foreign planet.” During his time in California, he met someone who would become a very important person and mentor in his life: famous cartoonist, Charles Schulz. He was inspired by Schulz’s ability to capitalize upon his creativity and talents and ultimately make a living out of drawing cartoons.
Doug describes one pivotal memory from his time in California: he was walking along a San Francisco street and a man offered to sell him a 35 mm single lens camera for $25. The minute he started looking through the lens, he remembers thinking: “I’ve got to do something with this, it’s magical.” Thereafter, he took night school courses and learned how to develop film and print pictures. Eventually, he made his way back to Canada and attended Toronto Metropolitan University (formally known as Ryerson) in Toronto. Doug pursued a successful career in photography for advertising and fashion in Toronto for many years after his degree.
For Doug, art seems “built in,” he describes that “manipulating a camera is second nature to me.” as he continues to express himself visually through photography.
The photograph he submitted to the Creative Collective depicts him and his mother prior to her passing. When he moved to Chilliwack to take care of his mother, he realized “we don’t have that many pictures together.” He describes that the image shows closeness between son and mother, and feels that it is one of the most powerful photos he has ever taken.
“If creating things make you happy, that’s a great place to be. Because you can still be creative in a multitude of forms. I’ve been considering taking up painting. Surrender but don’t give up. Odd position to find yourself in. My creativity has taken up the slack where my physicality has lost.”
- Doug Johnson
