Celebrating Creativity and Community with Artemisia Johnson: A Journey of Self-Expression

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Rob Lee
Welcome to the truth in this art. I am your host, Rob Lee. And today I have the privilege of being in conversation with a Texas native that has been living in the East Coast for the last 18 years. She began modeling in 2020 as a part of fulfilling a lifelong dream and feeding her creative spirit. She's a published model, multi published model, proudly representing the plus size and body positive communities.

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Rob Lee
Please welcome Artemisia Johnson. Welcome to the podcast.

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Artemisia Johnson
I'm so excited to be your. Thank you Rob.

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Rob Lee
Thank you for for making the time and coming on. And yeah, it's always it's always good to meet new people and chat with new people.

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Artemisia Johnson
Absolutely. I'm very excited. Excuse me. Being in my car, I had to step out of work for a little. Now I can talk with you, so thank you for having me.

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Rob Lee
Well, even more appreciative that you made that time, because we're all we're all doing multiple things right now.

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Artemisia Johnson
Oh, goodness, goodness. I try to you know, I find that I'm stretching myself pretty thin. This has been a challenge, but it's good. I'm excited. I'm happy for the opportunity.

00;01;19;09 - 00;01;39;00
Rob Lee
Absolutely. So before we get too deep and embedded in the conversation, I'd like to start off with asking you kind of about you. What's what's your story? Which sounds really weird asking that, but I think it's an entry point. What's your story? And what was where where'd you grow up? What was childhood like and some of those first creative experiences?

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Artemisia Johnson
Oh, absolutely. So I'm originally like we thought I'm originally from a small town in Texas, Butler, Texas. I am one of five kids. So I'm the youngest girl. And, you know, my parents are both my dad's retired from the army. My mom was in the Army. That's how they met. So we definitely grew up with like a really cool.

00;02;03;23 - 00;02;24;20
Artemisia Johnson
It's just I always tell people like my parents are weird but you know, in the best way, in the most fun way possible. So definitely creativity has been something that's a part of me from my earliest memories. My dad is a huge fan of music, so my whole life was always filled with music. He used to be a deejay back in the day.

00;02;25;05 - 00;02;46;10
Artemisia Johnson
His vinyl collection, like I would put his vinyl collection up against anyone collection. Like so, you know, our house was always filled with music. My mom, you know, not only does she have great technical skills, she can work on cars. My parents are both gardeners and farmers and, you know, just my mom painted, she did puzzles. She knows how to sew.

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Artemisia Johnson
So you name it like my parents are really just kind of renaissance folks. And I think they really embedded that into, you know, all of their kids.

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Rob Lee
That's that's great. So coming from that background and being around, like, creativity, it's it's one of those things where, you know, you you come up in it, you experience it, and, you know, as you grow up and move into your own life, have your own family. I would imagine that that's something that's fostered in your household as well.

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Artemisia Johnson
Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, you know, I can never quite do it as well as my parents did it. You know, they they set a really great example for us. But I really am big on with my own children, like be who you are, you know, like there's no limit who you want to be and who you are today is not going to be who you are five years from now, ten years from now, and nor should it.

00;03;38;24 - 00;04;05;24
Artemisia Johnson
So there's really not a lot of like limitations. You know, as far as what my children want to try, what they want to get into, all of my children have been able to be exposed to music, playing musical instruments, those types of things. Like two out of the three paints, you know really well. They write poetry, so, you know, I'm just really lucky that we've been able to continue that forward and, you know, another generation.

00;04;06;12 - 00;04;24;11
Rob Lee
Thank you. Thank you for sharing that. So so obviously in the intro, I talked about you getting started as a model back a couple of years ago and also so still fresh in the game. So I think having that perspective because some people like I've been doing this, I don't remember my first you, but you can remember that now.

00;04;24;21 - 00;05;02;22
Artemisia Johnson
Oh, clearly, you know, I was so lucky. Like, you know, I think a lot of times people have like horror stories or their first shoots and I, I think I was horrible. But like as far as the environment and the photographer, I had the opportunity to work with Don Henriquez, who's based out of the Bronx in New York, because I was living in New York at the time and working in the city and like just as fate would have it, have it or happenstance, had the opportunity to work with two pretty established like amazing male models, Chris Perez and Blake Baumer.

00;05;03;00 - 00;05;24;26
Artemisia Johnson
And we all just kind of met each other through Instagram and put this shoot together and did like a nineties style kind of theme. They weren't rock stars, like super comfortable, super easy. I was a ball of nerve and I showed up at the wrong studio. My daughter and I had to, like, walk like six blocks to time.

00;05;25;01 - 00;05;48;07
Artemisia Johnson
Right? Like, it was terrible, you know? And I just I'm like, apologizing. I'm about to cry and mess up my makeup that I just paid $100 to get done. So I was just a wreck. But like those three gentlemen, really? And then additionally, the assistant, Daniela, like, they were so wonderful to me and I still stay in contact with all of them to this day.

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Artemisia Johnson
So I would say, like as far as first experiences go, I don't think I would have continued on the way that I've been able to if I wouldn't have have that like really great first go at it, you know. And I didn't, I wasn't surrounded by the supportive people that I was and they were just amazing. So yeah, it was, it was really great.

00;06;10;11 - 00;06;29;06
Rob Lee
So thank you for sharing that because yeah, I can think of certain instances where you're ball of nerves like whatever. People are always surprised when I share this with them that because I do so many podcasts, I have so many conversations, they were, Oh, you're great at conversing with people. I was like, I was like, I just figured.

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Artemisia Johnson
Oh, but yeah, if I get to make it now. Right.

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Rob Lee
But is when it's one of those things where I have to get on stage or I have to speak in front of an audience of people, it's a different energy. It's, it's a whole different vibe because it's a different skill set. And I am one to you talk about being in New York and kind of going into the wrong place.

00;06;49;07 - 00;07;06;26
Rob Lee
That's literally what happened to me when I was going up to visit a guest. I was going to for a gallery for exhibition opening, and I was like, Let me get two interviews in. So I ended up going and did these interviews and I'm like looking around. I'm like this place for this interview. And I'm like, Everything here look super expensive.

00;07;06;26 - 00;07;20;19
Rob Lee
Who did I talk? Who am I talking to again? And I was in Soho and I was like, Oh, oh. And I was like, not this can't be the place that's kept walking. And then I called the person. I was like, you know, where is your where is your place? This is the address. I was like, Oh, oh, I'm somewhere else.

00;07;20;19 - 00;07;30;07
Rob Lee
I need to get back there. This is actually the right place that I passed because I'm coming to the door all six foot four of me with microphones ready for conversation. Let's talk, guys.

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Artemisia Johnson
All right.

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Rob Lee
So what would you say is your greatest strength in in modeling? Like, you know, don't be all flip of say, you know, because of what I look like. But, you know, what would you say your greatest strength is as a professional?

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Artemisia Johnson
I would say, like, you know, it's funny that you say that. I would never say my look like that is definitely not like the first thing that I go to because I'm just not someone like I. It's not even about being humble. I just think I'm very self aware. Like, you can throw a rock and hit 500 women that are more classically beautiful than I am, you know?

00;08;10;14 - 00;08;39;26
Artemisia Johnson
So it's not a look thing. I think that what I've been able to translate and do is, one, be creative. I always go into each shoe that I'm planning or, you know, trying to creative, direct, like with a purpose and with something that we're trying to say. And like, I have fun with it. And I think that I try to always let my personality and it sounds cliche, but I do try to let my personality shine like I am not you know, I'm new to this.

00;08;39;26 - 00;08;59;03
Artemisia Johnson
I'm a rookie. Like I got into this a little bit older, so I don't think I have the same pressure that other models might have. Like, you know, for a lot of folks, it's like they're in their mind. They're one picture away from their big point. And I love that. And I think that's like amazing and I want everybody to win.

00;08;59;10 - 00;09;18;03
Artemisia Johnson
But for me, it's like I'm I have a pretty established career like this is modeling. It was literally just I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I wanted to. I've always wanted to. It's always been something that I wanted to try. And I think finally, with the pandemic in 2020, it was like, okay, it's coming now.

00;09;18;03 - 00;09;36;08
Artemisia Johnson
Remember, like, is you going to die or is you gonna throw out a mop? That's great. That's really just kick started it. Yeah. So it's really just kind of that like all or nothing attitude that I have for like, do it, have a great time with it. I know I'm old, I know I'm fat. Like I know these things about myself.

00;09;36;08 - 00;09;39;17
Artemisia Johnson
So, like, like, let's party like let's have a good party.

00;09;39;17 - 00;09;48;04
Rob Lee
So I need to take that word piece is going to be able to for so I know I don't y'all know me.

00;09;48;27 - 00;10;06;07
Artemisia Johnson
Yeah. Like it it really is what it is, you know, it's like you can, you know, you can be humble all you want and. Yeah, do I think I'm, you know, a fun, great person. Of course. But like what it comes down to it just having my first, she was like a dream come true. Like that was a fulfillment, you know.

00;10;06;24 - 00;10;18;02
Artemisia Johnson
So being able to look up and have all these photos in this catalog, in this portfolio, like I never would have dreamed that in a million years when I was a kid, you know? So it's just been really beautiful.

00;10;18;12 - 00;10;40;01
Rob Lee
That's that's really cool. Thank you. Thank you for sharing that with me and hers. Who are some of the models that inspired you? Like, you know, we all have. So in this whole podcast space, right, people tell you when you're building out your podcast and what it looks like, you should look at least consider other podcasts. So what do you want yours to be like?

00;10;40;01 - 00;10;56;21
Rob Lee
Which ones do you maybe want to take from and how they approach questions or how they even plan out a show? And I think that that's worthy of like looking at like who are some of the models or who some of the people have great style. They kind of influenced you, whether they're, you know, plus size or not.

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Rob Lee
But who who are your your people?

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Artemisia Johnson
So number one, and I say this every single time, Erika, Lauren, I just admire her like and I saw her in a fashion to figure catalog when they used to send the catalogs out in the mail like a mailbox. I saw her for the first time in a fashion to figure your mail or probably eight years ago. And it felt like, you know, obviously it wasn't like looking at a mirror.

00;11;25;24 - 00;11;47;03
Artemisia Johnson
I mean, this girl is ridiculously just perfection, you know, as close to it as possible. But it just felt like for the first time I saw someone that reminded me of myself, you know, and I just thought she was so dope. And I started following her career ever since. And so I had the opportunity, like, through the person who got me started in modeling.

00;11;47;15 - 00;12;12;15
Artemisia Johnson
Caroline, the Hollywood one woman, she actually knows Erika and they're friends. And she introduced us. And so I was able to like have a whole conversation with her, like a face time. And she's done really some mentoring for me and pointing me in the right direction. And so top like hands down, number one inspiration is if I call Lauren forever, like it will always be Erika.

00;12;12;15 - 00;12;20;01
Artemisia Johnson
Lauren And I'm normally not like a fan girl, but big fan girl energy. Like, I just think she's amazing.

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Rob Lee
You got to know yourself. I mean, that's that's a thing.

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Artemisia Johnson
Absolutely. You know, and I told her, I'll fight somebody on the street about you know, I do. I just think she's amazing. I think what she's been able to do with her career, I think and also just staying very true to who she is. You know, I just think that's awesome. And I really admire her, really look up to her.

00;12;43;08 - 00;13;08;10
Rob Lee
So how has it been representing for the plus size and body positive communities? And if you will, could you describe that community? Because it comes off at times where we're now cool with with it, but the history of modeling, fashion, all of that stuff wasn't always cool. And it's like two steps forward in some regards and a few steps back.

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Rob Lee
So as a person that's like in that industry and representing for the folks within it, tell me what it is from your vantage point.

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Artemisia Johnson
For me, it is honestly again, we're talking in cliches, but it's truly how I feel. It's an honor. Like it is really dope to be able to like be celebrated for just being what I am, you know what I'm saying? And I'm someone who's always had, I think, like ownership over myself, like, again, self aware, like I don't that girl like you.

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Artemisia Johnson
Awesome. And I know I don't have that like video vixen body or that like, curvy girl body. Like, I have a mom bod, like I got a supermodel, you know what I'm saying? Like, you know, I've had a couple kids, like, what do you want me to say? So it's really great to be embraced and have people see the beauty in that because I think it's beautiful, you know, and I think it's amazing.

00;14;03;14 - 00;14;18;16
Artemisia Johnson
So to have that love kind of reciprocated has just been it's overwhelming at times, you know what I'm saying? I'm I'm like my homegirls and stuff. They joke me like, oh, my God, you're a sex symbol. You know, first of all, I'm always been the sex symbol.

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Rob Lee
Right, right, right.

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Artemisia Johnson
I'm up who I am I diaper bag like I it it never gave that. I was like, that's funny, you know. Now my ex-husbands would argue with me about that, but in my mind, you know, that's what it is. So it's just now you have to have a thick skin like this for the week. And I truly believe this isn't for someone who waffles on who and what they are like.

00;14;46;07 - 00;14;59;11
Artemisia Johnson
You got to be you got to be dug in like a dick because folks are going to come at you like one day people are going to be telling you, Oh, my God, you're so gorgeous. You're so sexy. This is that. And then the next day it's like, I hope you die, you fat cow, you know?

00;14;59;11 - 00;14;59;17
Rob Lee
Yeah.

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Artemisia Johnson
So you got to be ready to like you have to have a good sense of humor. That's the only way I get at it. I'm not someone who's going to clap back. I don't care, you know? But yeah, it's really, really, really cool. The people that I've been able to work with, the photographers that I've been able to work with, like, how can I complain?

00;15;18;06 - 00;15;20;09
Artemisia Johnson
You know, it's so awesome.

00;15;20;09 - 00;15;43;15
Rob Lee
That's cool. That's cool. So no, but I, I just can kind of see like some of those qualities based in this conversation. It kind of sets you aside this, this self-awareness, this sense of humor. I mean, I definitely do the self-deprecating thing. That's that's my sense of humor. Like, oh, I always joke, like, man, I need to meet some people who get into, like, fashion, mean these curtains turned into a suit of.

00;15;43;17 - 00;15;44;27
Artemisia Johnson
Grace but.

00;15;45;18 - 00;15;48;00
Rob Lee
It's just a lot of me is just kind of defying.

00;15;48;22 - 00;16;12;17
Artemisia Johnson
Like I'm like, you know what I'm saying? This is a lot to carry around, you know what I'm saying? And I think that when you have that self-deprecating sense of humor, people like, No, you're beautiful. You like girl, I never thought I wasn't beautiful. And I didn't I never thought I didn't love myself. Of course I love you know it's that I like call a spade a spade, you know, like I am big.

00;16;12;17 - 00;16;39;27
Artemisia Johnson
I am bigger than the average woman. Honestly, I'm bigger than the average man, you know, like and that's okay. And, like, I'm not going to shrink myself down or I'm not going to you're not going to catch me feeling bad about this like it is what it is. So you just have to be cognizant of who you are and you just have to be able to if there are things about yourself that you want to change like but don't do that because other folks are telling you that's what needs to be done.

00;16;40;03 - 00;16;43;26
Artemisia Johnson
Do it because it's really something that you want want to put effort to totally.

00;16;44;12 - 00;17;04;04
Rob Lee
Is is this a clip that I find really funny? It's this this this British. I think he's a rapper. And they were doing they were working out. And one of the guys asked him, like, what size pants do you wear? And he's like, Sounds 52. He's like, Where do you stop? Where does Mans find the size 52? And he was like, you know, this, this, this, this place, this street or what have you.

00;17;04;04 - 00;17;07;28
Rob Lee
He's like, I'm fat, not poor. And like, what are you saying? What are you asking me?

00;17;07;28 - 00;17;26;00
Artemisia Johnson
You know, like, get it together, you know? And it's just like, you know, to each their own, you know, to the folks that would never look twice at a fat girl. I'm not for you. You know what I'm saying? Like, don't look at my. I'd be like, your daddy is probably looking at my IG, but like, I feel like it's mine, you know?

00;17;26;08 - 00;17;45;10
Artemisia Johnson
So I don't get caught up in who doesn't like me or who doesn't support me. That doesn't even cross like my mind. You know, I don't like everybody. I don't necessarily, you know, I don't go out of my way to not support somebody, but it just it's just weird to me. It's weird energy with that.

00;17;46;01 - 00;18;11;00
Rob Lee
So in terms of like support, right. Let's let's talk about like how important that's been. You've had, you know, friends, you've had family, I believe one of your daughters is in the in the lane or what have you of doing some of this creative stuff. So being a creative is is a choice that we all make and it can be a very lonely it could be a very ego crushing thing.

00;18;11;00 - 00;18;24;18
Rob Lee
And as you touched on a little bit earlier, some of these folks who are trolls and all of this stuff, so so tell me how important it's been to have, like, supportive people in real life to combat some of the nonsense that you see maybe in online life.

00;18;24;26 - 00;18;47;09
Artemisia Johnson
Right. Like so for me, again, like credit where credit is due, I would not I would not have an Instagram page. I would not have a following. I would not have ever been able to make it to a shoot if it weren't for my daughter. You know, I came to her with this dream, like when we were in New York and told her, Hey, this is what I want to do.

00;18;47;19 - 00;19;16;23
Artemisia Johnson
And she has literally and I think she was like 13 at the time. She has done everything to support me like my daughter is a published hair and makeup artist for the work that she's done with me. And like this girl you're talking about pulling up YouTube videos, going to the lamb, the Lancome counter with me, going to the mat counter with me at the mall, like picking the brains of the people that work there to figure out makeup, to you name it.

00;19;16;23 - 00;19;45;19
Artemisia Johnson
My daughter has done it. She like learned how to do different braiding techniques in my hair, just like everything she's done it in order to support me. And so it's like, how fortunate am I to have that type of support from my child? You know what? I'm Sam, so it would not be possible without her whatsoever. And then her brothers, where they come in is, you know, my my oldest son, he does a lot of styling for me.

00;19;45;25 - 00;20;07;29
Artemisia Johnson
So when I have a shoot that I'm putting together, he's like, No, mom, wear this. Don't wear that. Like he'll put looks together for me. And then my baby, he is my critic. He keeps me grounded, you know, he's the one that my girl that I'll look good on. Oh, you know, but each one of them has such an integral point, like part to play in this process.

00;20;08;06 - 00;20;31;13
Artemisia Johnson
And a lot of it was having very honest conversations with my kids, like, Hey, your mom is going to be on the Internet in like, my jobs. Are you okay with that? Yeah. And at no point have my children ever made me feel guilty or made me feel bad about what I'm doing. Because they know. They know it's my dream and they know it's a goal that I have.

00;20;31;19 - 00;20;35;25
Artemisia Johnson
So, you know, the older two are kind of like clout chasers. Like they're.

00;20;36;14 - 00;20;36;23
Rob Lee
Either.

00;20;37;15 - 00;21;04;00
Artemisia Johnson
You went to this event, like, did you get anything from like, you know, that kind of thing? But yeah, it's really it's it's just it's been awesome. My parents still struggle with it sometimes. My mom is like your nipple, you know, she like that moment. But my mom is the original person who put the idea in my head like she was the one who when everybody else, when I was a kid growing up was calling me fat and ugly and all these other things.

00;21;04;07 - 00;21;20;20
Artemisia Johnson
My mom was like, No, you could be a model. You could model for lane blindness. You could do this, you could do that. So it's just been awesome to have that. And like you said, it counteracts some of the negativity that I may get when I've got so many people in my corner, they're like, No, you got this.

00;21;20;25 - 00;21;26;09
Rob Lee
Yeah, it's, it's that's inspiring. I mean, I want to stop modeling for for good and plenty, you know, I just want to let.

00;21;26;10 - 00;21;29;23
Artemisia Johnson
Them do that, you know what I mean? And my baby, you know, you.

00;21;32;08 - 00;21;33;16
Rob Lee
It is, you know, just.

00;21;35;11 - 00;21;45;07
Artemisia Johnson
All good things. Like, you know, like I keep saying, I'm like if the Food Lion grocery store chain would just sponsor me, if I could go on the Food Lion like you.

00;21;45;20 - 00;21;57;13
Rob Lee
I mean, because I can't my hands aren't good. I've done a few too many, like, construction jobs. So my hands on Grace, I can't be a hand model. I said to be a face guy is like, you're going to go get one. It is one black spot, but that's about it.

00;21;57;28 - 00;22;16;13
Artemisia Johnson
You got it. Like, honestly, I mean, and seriously, like I've got a face I say all the time. Like every day I come up it doesn't mean I don't have insecurities, but I come up every day with a new insecurity. Every day I'm like, you know, do I look like, Oh, you know something? Whatever. Does it look like I'm going bald?

00;22;16;16 - 00;22;36;08
Artemisia Johnson
Like, so you have your things. We all have our things. And I'm very honest and open about that, you know, and those struggles, especially when my counterparts in modeling are 22 years old, you know what I'm saying? It's hard not to be like, dang, my boobs used to sit up that high. No money, no.

00;22;36;19 - 00;22;37;05
Rob Lee
Oh, no.

00;22;37;28 - 00;22;47;15
Artemisia Johnson
Oh, yeah. But you just do what you do. And like I said, it's not possible without my kids that are around me that are like, cheering me on.

00;22;47;25 - 00;23;08;06
Rob Lee
That that's really it's really great. It's really inspiring there. What is the most exciting part of modeling for you? Like you've mentioned that kind of first shoot and you mentioned like, you know, being able to have have your kids play a role in the whole process for you. What's the most exciting aspect of it for you right now?

00;23;08;18 - 00;23;11;28
Artemisia Johnson
Do you want my Miss America answer or do you want a real, real answer?

00;23;12;13 - 00;23;14;03
Rob Lee
The real, real answer We like the real, real here.

00;23;14;05 - 00;23;37;19
Artemisia Johnson
Real, real answer is is when when they run that money, like when I get paid for my services. Yeah, that is the most, you know, I mean, like my time is valuable, everyone's time is valuable. So to look up and I don't care if it's like I don't care if it's a food stamp card, my, like, I don't care if it's 50 bucks.

00;23;37;19 - 00;23;37;29
Rob Lee
Yeah.

00;23;38;09 - 00;24;10;11
Artemisia Johnson
Get paid because someone is like, I love your look and I want you to be you in front of my camera or for my brand. Amazing. You know what I'm saying? Like, yes, this is a passion project. Yes, I would do it for free, but it's great when I don't have to write. So like I agree and really and truly like and the best part is and a lot of stuff that I do that's like fear free, it's more like black owned businesses because I want to continue to see and promote and have that visibility in our community.

00;24;10;11 - 00;24;14;18
Artemisia Johnson
So but yeah, when they want me that money, I love that. I love that for me.

00;24;15;01 - 00;24;39;14
Rob Lee
Yeah, I, I have to do that thing at times where I use references. Like when people are like, how much does it cost to do X, Y and Z because I clients and so on them like it costs them. I was like, also, I've been paid in donuts before and I'm not kidding you. I've been paid in donuts or sort of in-kind sort of like, Hey, you can have our space to put on this event and so we're not going to charge you.

00;24;39;22 - 00;24;42;14
Rob Lee
This is the language, this is the relationship that we're in.

00;24;43;01 - 00;25;00;25
Artemisia Johnson
And we build that and we work together. It's the barter system like for me, like a dream. I don't know if somebody had access to someone who does voodoo and like if you could turn my baby daddy into billy goat and like, I can model for your brand, like, all of the things that I want to see happen, you know?

00;25;00;25 - 00;25;18;22
Artemisia Johnson
And so it is, it's always great, like to build that. And again, it doesn't always have to be money. It can be the clothes, it can be the products. Because I would have spent the money anyways. Like I would have worked with people that I wouldn't, that I wouldn't buy or patronize them, you know?

00;25;19;01 - 00;25;19;10
Rob Lee
Yeah.

00;25;19;23 - 00;25;20;29
Artemisia Johnson
So it's good. It's good.

00;25;21;16 - 00;25;32;16
Rob Lee
So, so this is the last real question before which with these rapid fire ones, let's say in the next three years, what do you want to have had accomplished in modeling and in feeding your creative spirit?

00;25;33;02 - 00;26;02;09
Artemisia Johnson
So in three years I'll be 40 years old. So I would love to look up over the next three years and I think the ultimate goal for me would be being able to secure some type of partnership where clothing access, beauty products, whatever are more accessible for people both within like the black community and also people within the disabled community.

00;26;02;16 - 00;26;25;10
Artemisia Johnson
Really being able to be a part of that bridge and really being able to work with a brand or a person or a photographer that really is highlighting and and just showing, continuing to show the amount of beauty that we have within these different communities that maybe doesn't look like you're the textbook like every day magazine, you know, spread that you would see.

00;26;25;19 - 00;26;35;22
Artemisia Johnson
So I would just I would love to be a part of more artistic shoots. I would love to be a part of more shoots to have a statement. And that, you know, are rooted in a lot of the values that I have.

00;26;36;14 - 00;26;37;09
Rob Lee
Thank you. Thank you.

00;26;38;04 - 00;26;39;20
Artemisia Johnson
Of course.

00;26;39;20 - 00;26;41;14
Rob Lee
So now it's time for these rapid fire questions.

00;26;42;07 - 00;26;43;21
Artemisia Johnson
Drop below me.

00;26;44;02 - 00;26;53;27
Rob Lee
All righty, let's see. Name two hobbies you have out that you're interested in or hobbies or interest that you have outside of modeling.

00;26;54;13 - 00;26;56;25
Artemisia Johnson
Basketball and baking.

00;26;58;02 - 00;27;00;05
Rob Lee
You know that just leads to other questions then, right?

00;27;00;20 - 00;27;01;10
Artemisia Johnson
Of course.

00;27;01;17 - 00;27;03;11
Rob Lee
What's what's your team? What do you bake?

00;27;03;27 - 00;27;29;29
Artemisia Johnson
So I am disenfranchized with professional sports. You know, until we see more representation in general managers, in more more coaches, more DMS, more owners that are black and are representative of the people that are playing the sport. Well, I have had my own like protests against professional sports in general. I'm tired of seeing, you know, black men and black women get their heads busted open.

00;27;30;14 - 00;27;52;13
Artemisia Johnson
But we're not the ones like really calling the shots and making the decisions. So but I always used to follow, you know, like college sports with my dad. We were always March Madness. I would say Caron Butler is like my favorite, like college athlete going into the NFL, are in the NBA of like all time. I love products like.

00;27;52;13 - 00;27;53;11
Rob Lee
A poll I support.

00;27;53;11 - 00;27;58;26
Artemisia Johnson
Personally. Yeah, yeah. Like personally and professionally. I love Cameron and Butler down.

00;27;59;17 - 00;27;59;25
Rob Lee
The top.

00;27;59;27 - 00;28;19;16
Artemisia Johnson
Dude be my man wanted to be my man so yeah there's that. And then baking. I am like a sucker for chocolate chip cookies. I am always and forever on the hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. That is my that's my signature thing. That's what I like to make the most.

00;28;19;16 - 00;28;31;27
Rob Lee
Okay, you're luring me in. We're. We're about the same age. You mentioned chocolate chip cookies. Come on, now, let's. You know, it's just too many things happening here. How many hours of sleep.

00;28;31;28 - 00;28;33;03
Artemisia Johnson
Is like, I'm best friend?

00;28;33;04 - 00;28;34;19
Rob Lee
We might have. We might have.

00;28;35;15 - 00;28;36;23
Artemisia Johnson
We did. I think we do.

00;28;37;02 - 00;28;39;12
Rob Lee
How many hours of sleep do you get? On average?

00;28;39;12 - 00;28;39;27
Artemisia Johnson
Seven.

00;28;40;15 - 00;28;41;24
Rob Lee
Same time. Yeah.

00;28;42;03 - 00;28;43;00
Artemisia Johnson
Yeah, yeah.

00;28;43;19 - 00;28;50;22
Rob Lee
Let's see. Speaking of which, what is the first thing you do in the morning when you wake up? I good.

00;28;51;25 - 00;29;05;15
Artemisia Johnson
I have a very simple. I guess it's like prayer or a mantra, but I always say, y'all be with us together and apart. And that's what it's basically my children and I and the people in my family. Like, I want the creator to be with us when we're together and also when we're separate from each other.

00;29;06;01 - 00;29;11;01
Rob Lee
It's good. It's really good. It brings things in perspective. Then it's kind of like, let's just start this off, right?

00;29;11;26 - 00;29;14;06
Artemisia Johnson
Absolutely. Absolutely. Start the day in gratitude.

00;29;15;14 - 00;29;17;29
Rob Lee
Just three words to describe your style.

00;29;18;08 - 00;29;25;18
Artemisia Johnson
Oh, I'm colorful, sexy and fun.

00;29;26;07 - 00;29;37;06
Rob Lee
And go, I got two more. Are you true to your the are you true to the way your astrological signs describe?

00;29;37;18 - 00;29;58;10
Artemisia Johnson
Yes, I am. I'm a Virgo. And I would say I learned about like deacons in the signs. Okay. And so, like, I've I've been like knee deep in this. So I am Virgo Third Deacon, which is like a Taurus and like true to the letter. Yes.

00;29;58;20 - 00;30;02;05
Rob Lee
I was I was getting that vibe. I wasn't sure I was like Taurus.

00;30;02;05 - 00;30;22;03
Artemisia Johnson
Not sure. Yeah. Yep. I'm stubborn, you know, but I love Esthetic. I love, you know, just the pleasures of life and the beauty of life, you know? But I am very like, meticulous. And, you know, I really try to do everything with excellence.

00;30;22;21 - 00;30;31;26
Rob Lee
100%. So lastly, so your namesake, right there is a plant that's your your name comes from right.

00;30;32;06 - 00;30;33;26
Artemisia Johnson
At Silver Mount Artemisia.

00;30;34;02 - 00;30;43;01
Rob Lee
Ah huh. And it is used to make highly potent spirits like absinthe, Jefferson's milord, and even vermouth. What is your go to drink?

00;30;44;03 - 00;30;50;17
Artemisia Johnson
I am a Tito's girl, so I'm a Tito's in tonic. But I like it dirty with, like, a ton of olives and lime.

00;30;51;02 - 00;30;58;17
Rob Lee
Okay, that's. That's that's it. I mean, I love vermouth, so we're out here, but Tito's. Tito's, Tito's is good. Tito's is really.

00;30;58;17 - 00;31;04;07
Artemisia Johnson
Good. You know, I'm from Texas. And so we stay true to Tito. I was. But yeah, I'm a Tito's girl all day, every day.

00;31;04;17 - 00;31;08;20
Rob Lee
The only Texas drink that I do is I'll do so I'll drink. I'll drink the ranch water. That's kind of my thing.

00;31;08;28 - 00;31;10;24
Artemisia Johnson
Ever had that? I don't even know what that is.

00;31;11;08 - 00;31;17;06
Rob Lee
It's. It's like Topo Chico and to kill it with, like, a bunch of lime juice in there. Yes. Delicious.

00;31;17;07 - 00;31;24;09
Artemisia Johnson
Well, that just means that when we celebrate this podcast, you have to give me some ranch water. Like water on you.

00;31;24;15 - 00;31;41;21
Rob Lee
Got it? Got it. Yeah, you got it. So with that, I want to thank you for being on this podcast. It's been great and I want to offer up to you the opportunity to telephone folks, where to find you, where to look at your your, your work and all of that good stuff. The floor is yours.

00;31;42;02 - 00;32;08;11
Artemisia Johnson
Oh, my God. Let me plug myself. So my daughter does a lot of my IG. I'm just like, there, but so you can find me at Miss Johnson again. So period Johnson again on IG. That is my main social media platform. That's the best place to find me. You can find me on Artist of the Day on Pinterest like and you could see my cookie recipe out here, out here on the Pinterest.

00;32;09;08 - 00;32;22;12
Artemisia Johnson
And I think I'm on Facebook, too. But that's really just so my mom can see me and artist in the Johnson on Facebook. Yeah, the hundred people from my high school that follow me like we're all on there together.

00;32;22;12 - 00;32;23;06
Rob Lee
That's really funny.

00;32;23;06 - 00;32;24;08
Artemisia Johnson
My third grade teacher.

00;32;25;29 - 00;32;46;27
Rob Lee
So so there you have it again. Thank you for being on this podcast. And I'm Rob Lee for Artemisia Johnson, saying that there is art creatives, models in and around your neck of the woods. You just got to look for.