Conversations with Sarahndipity Johnsen, M.Ed.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarahndipity Johnsen, M.Ed.

Hi Sarahndipity, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
The kindest compliment I’ve ever received is, “You have the biggest heart of anyone I have ever met”. I create and live from a place of love, compassion, and devotion. I’m grateful to spend my life passionately pursuing creativity and sharing that spark of joy with others. The last decade, I’ve been philanthropically supporting Coloradans through my children’s programs, music, books, curriculum, and television series.

From international fire performer to radio DJ, this life has been full of bold performance art opportunities. I enjoy weaving together the varied pieces of me to create an ever-evolving tapestry of art and love. Life is always flowing through its wild ups and downs, and I feel grateful to be brave enough to share with others (even when I know I may fail).

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Every project that I’ve worked on has come with its own set of challenges and perceived failures. After many years of fighting the obstacles, I’ve learned to embrace them. Some of my best work has sprouted out of the muck of failure.

I wrote my first book while healing through grief. I wrote my second book as a means of dealing with depression. I found many great tools while working through my “big feelings”, so it seemed natural to share those tools with others.

The wild challenges presented by a global pandemic brought forth some of the most creative work I’ve done to date. We made a green-screen studio out of our living room and filmed “Enchanted Planet”, an educational television show that was picked up by PBS. That sure wasn’t in the plans prior. Don’t be afraid to make lemonade out of the sour lemons that life often delivers.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
The creative arts are my playground.

In 2017, my first book was published, and I’ve loved creating books ever since. My first title, “From A-Z: Animals Get Funky”, was selected as a One School, One Book winner. We were able to partner with a local elementary school and support them throughout the year.

In 2018, twenty-two friends helped me create the “Animals Get Funky” album to accompany my first book. Years later, one of the songs has gone viral on a social media dance platform. Who knew one day that our sweet album could inspire dance in thousands of people around the world. I hope others take this as a gentle push to get their work out into the world even if they don’t think it is ready or “perfect”. Heck, I’m just learning to sing years after making a children’s album. Sometimes, we just have to brave up and do the big work!

In 2019, “Animals Get Emotional” was published as well as two coloring books to support the first two titles.

2020 brought a deep love of self-publishing to my door. I found an online design app that opened up my world. I was able to publish three titles that year. “Merry Hanukkah to Yule: An Inclusive Glimpse into our Shared Humanity”, “Bored Boar”, and “Affectionate Angelfish”.

At the start of the pandemic, I took all of my past creative passions and merged them into a television series. “Enchanted Planet” was born out of necessity and fuel by past creations. It never ceases to amaze me how all of our different skills and talents can merge together. I certainly wouldn’t have told anyone at the start of that year that I’d be a producer, director, and writer of a show on PBS by year’s end, and yet that is exactly what happened. We feature characters from my books in the television series. You never know when your past work can spark new creations.

Currently, I’m working on pre-production and fundraising for another season of “Enchanted Planet” while writing my 8th book.

My mission is to uplift humanity through creative arts, entertainment, and education. I’m excited to see what will happen next.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I’ve been dancing since I was born. One of my first powerful memories is dancing at a summer festival. I remember the joy of spinning around with cool grass under my feet and giggles filling the air. A gentleman noticed my joy and offered me an ostrich egg as a gift. He told me to always keep dancing. Over 40 years later, I still have that beautiful gift. It sits in my office as a daily reminder to work from that place of true joy and freedom. I am so grateful to that gentleman for witnessing my joy, and I’m blessed to witness and inspire that love of creative expression in others.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.animalsgetfunky.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animalsgetfunky/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnimalsGetFunky/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/follow_delight
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_IrK0PExklVs4ZcwjlINtQ
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-99344798
• Other: www.wecreateheart.org 

Image Credits
Summer Estella Photography (all photos besides PDF poster under additional photos) Heather Redding (personal author photo) Heidi Marie Designs created the PDF poster for Tools for Emotional Well-Being