Today we’d like to introduce you to Georgiana Johnson.
Hi Georgiana, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was always creative, as a young child I’d be under the table at Waldorf School, drawing for hours, deep in my imagination. I come from a creative family, everyone is in the arts. My father is a Director of Photography, I grew up on the film set of Alien vs. Predator, around zombies, aliens and face huggers! Extraordinary film sets of pyramids made with styrofoam, green screens, stuntmen and things like that. I starred in one of his films once, as Jared Leto’s daughter, Young Clara, in a film called ‘Basil’ when I was 9. At that point, I was at a different type of school, a lot more strict, so I wanted to be an actress so I could miss as much school as possible and get paid! It seemed like a genius win-win situation, but I wasn’t allowed to which I think was a good move in hindsight. My mother is a casting director so my house was a catwalk for hopeful, creative people auditioning every day. I’ve had the honour of meeting some brilliant artists in my life. What I love most about artists is they are so open and fearless, you can ask them anything, they won’t take the question personally, they’ll just answer your question honestly. And it’s usually a thought-provoking answer that moves the spirit. I think creativity is channeled from a higher power by the artist. Art, history of art, photography, creative writing and music were my strengths at school. I loved painting with oil paint, it was my true passion, so I went on to study Fine Art at art school, then later I studied Architectural Interior Design in London. I found painting to be too abstract and I wanted to learn a practical skill. I learned how to do all the technical drawings by hand with my tools, the compass and the square, and it felt so familiar. Transforming a house into a home is very satisfying. After five years of working in Interior Design, I decided to change my artist’s medium to food and babies. A medium that is more meaningful to me, as well as being more socially useful and less wasteful. But it still involves creating harmony within the home. Going to culinary school was bliss; playing with plants, delicious, edible creativity that gives you energy and health. I then became a teacher at my school for a year before merging my love of cooking with doula work out in the world. I loved teaching, ‘give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime’.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The road has been winding and paved with Gold, like the streets of London where I was born. The empire on which the Sun never sets. It has been somewhat smooth but not without its challenges. I grew up in London but I’ve spent my whole professional life in the USA. Being an immigrant from the age of 18 has been its own adventure, one that I signed up for wholeheartedly. Before moving to LA I lived in India, Thailand and Bali. I’m a long way from home and there are many differences in cultural norms between the UK and the US, especially when it comes to pregnancy, birth and health. Bringing a European flavour into the homes of my clients in the US has been my greatest challenge. Advocating for a more intimate, relaxed, connected style of parenting where we validate a mother’s instincts, cherish her, trust the power of her body and the ability of Mother Nature to hold her as she goes through her process. This is so important to me, that a mother and baby be treated gently. And also communication, some words mean different things in England compared to the US even though we’re both speaking English. So I had to adjust the way I communicated when I first moved here which caused me to develop a stutter during my first year, which I thought was interesting.
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 am a Doula and Private Chef. The word ‘Doula’ comes from the Greek ‘female slave’! These days, it means someone who helps someone through their creative process. There are all sorts of Doulas these days, business doulas, website doulas. I am an OG Doula: Birth and Postpartum, so I support a woman during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. My specialty is Postpartum as it’s hard to do both due to the fluid, unknown timing of it all. I absolutely love my job. I am working for my favourite artist, the female body. I love seeing a woman with her creation, so proud and at her edge. I think pregnant women and mothers are beautiful. I think childbirth is so cool. I have the capacity to be there for the enormous fluctuations of emotion that comes after giving birth, which is its own sort of savage art. Motherhood is sensual. I’m known for my yummy, healing food and my sense of humour. Not all my clients are spiritual but they appreciate the calm and protective nature I embody in their households. I’m most proud of my dedication. New mothers and families can face huge challenges spiritually, emotionally and physically. The joy is also all encompassing. Childbirth is mind blowing and surreal. I’m there to remain neutral at all times, hang loose, be adaptable and give them what they need. But The Work can only be done by them, it’s not ethical for me to rescue anyone because then I’m taking them away from finding their power. It’s about suggesting different things and letting the family choose what’s right for them, protecting their right to choose what feels good for them in their body. I’m a river guide, I’m not there to tell someone what to do. Every job is different.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My ancestors. Creativity is deep in my blood, it’s automatic. My maternal Great Grandfather, Colonel Arthur Varley C.B.E. was Mr. Advertising in the 50’s. He was Mad Man of London and was awarded his Commander of the British Empire award by the monarch at the time, King George VI. My GG was a man’s man and wasn’t afraid of a powerful woman. His wife, Georgiana Varley, my namesake, was the first woman in history to negotiate that her scholarship at the Royal College of Art be paid directly to her rather than via a mediator. My family has an award at the Royal College of Art to this day, called The Varley Awards, in memory of Arthur, Georgiana and his other fabulous wife Lady Elizabeth Montagu. Obviously, I feel very connected to Georgiana, she sadly died when she was 30 years old, leaving four children behind without a mother. I’m not sure how she managed to fit all that life into 30 years but she did, and she created beauty everywhere she went. She was a legend and made it into numerous history books as she was quite a handful apparently. Her birthday is a few days after mine and she loved to paint flowers like I do. When I feel uninspired or blocked, I think of my ancestors and what skills I was born into, it helps me remember what I can do and why I’m doing what I’m doing. I also belong to an incredible lineage of Yogis who are deeply devoted and connected to a very pure, higher power. Because of my spiritual practice, I have access to a clean and clear feeling energy that sometimes feels like it will never run out. It has helped me to be of service to others, to really see what’s going on and what needs to be done in order to achieve peace, harmony and the right environment for someone to heal.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.georgianalouella.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgianalouella
Image Credits:
Edoardo Simonotti
