Today we’d like to introduce you to Clare Johnson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My career and passion projects have centered around two key themes: design and community. I like to say that my mission is to “design environments for meaningful connection.”
My story starts with my family – my ultimate source of community. I grew up in a family that cherished togetherness, simple joys and time in nature. Our family vacations were typically planned around which National Park we were visiting and as the daughter of an avid gardener and farmer, it comes as no surprise that I now find myself designing and speaking about the importance of time in nature and its therapeutic benefits.
I studied Landscape Architecture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a concentration in the social and behavioral factors of landscape design. After school, I worked at the Chicago Botanic Garden in the Horticultural Therapy Department, where I studied and became certified as a Healthcare Garden Designer. While at the Garden, I designed and planned therapeutic gardens that were created to engage a wide range of populations in horticultural activities as a form of therapy. It was during this period that I refined my skills regarding the appropriate garden elements, plant materials and programs needed to promote the greatest therapeutic outcome. It was also during this time that I formed Flourish Together, my personal business, specializing in the consultation and design of therapeutic, restorative and accessible spaces.
My experiences and passion projects have led me to where I am today: a therapeutic landscape designer, team member at Christy Webber Landscapes, and the Co-President of Slow Food Chicago. In my coveted spare time, I love to tend to my garden, shop the local markets to visit with the farming community and gather loved ones around a table of delicious food.
Great, 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?
I make no secret of the fact that I’ve led a very fortunate life. I grew up in an incredibly supportive family and community and was lucky to have the opportunity to pursue higher education. With that said, I had to work hard to find my footing in my career. When I was first emerging as a professional, I was coming into the working world at the low point of the recession. Jobs for Landscape Architects were few and far between so when the offer to work for Chicago Botanic Garden became available, I jumped at the opportunity. The job allowed me to work with therapists, healthcare professionals, and some of the greatest horticulturalists and botanists in the Midwest to research, design, and present on the therapeutic qualities of nature. It wasn’t the path I envisioned for myself coming out of school, but it illuminated my purpose within the field of landscape architecture to create and promote restorative and accessible green space for all people.
A challenge facing this design specialty is the funding and prioritization of accessible green spaces, as well as the alteration of human behavior. It is challenging to promote the importance of slowing down spending time in nature in our fast-paced, technologically driven world. Many understand how nature is beneficial, but have a hard time figuring out how to incorporate more of it into their lives.
That was the impetus for creating Flourish Together. I saw an opportunity to provide a service that would help others understand and incorporate more nature into their day to day lives.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Flourish Together; Slow Food Chicago; Christy Webber Landscapes – what should we know?
Flourish Together was created in 2015 specializing in the consultation and design of therapeutic, restorative and accessible interior and exterior spaces. I’m currently working on a project that continues to unfold in new and exciting ways – the conceptual design of a 63-acre livestock and educational farm in rural Illinois.
This design approach is unique because it focuses on human interaction with the outdoor environment. I specialize in designing spaces that are meant to produce the greatest programmatic and therapeutic outcome. This includes making a space aesthetically pleasing, but more importantly, creating spaces that are inclusive, educational, safe and naturally engaging for all ages and abilities.
I’m also fortunate to serve as Co-President of Slow Food Chicago, one of the largest Slow Food USA chapters. Being a part of Slow Food Chicago allows me to utilize my design skills and interpersonal focus to engage with the food and farming community in Chicago. Slow Food Chicago is comprised of dedicated and passionate food professionals all working to promote good, clean and fair food for the City of Chicago and neighboring communities.
Beyond my personal pursuits with Flourish Together and Slow Food Chicago, I am the Marketing Manager for Christy Webber Landscapes (CWL) on the west side of Chicago. At CWL, I work alongside professionals ranging from landscape architects, designers, horticulturalists, arborists, construction experts, and more to provide landscape services for residential, municipal and commercial projects in and around the City of Chicago.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
At the base of any successful project or design is a true and authentic relationship with a client, partner or community. What I love most about this type of work is that it introduces me to people who care about the world, the environment, their health and well-being and the health and well-being of others. When I take on a project, I take it on with compassion and a willingness to learn. Nature has a way of constantly reminding us that we do not have all the answers – and I love that! I contribute my success to the fact that I authentically love what I do. At the end of the day, my goal is to inspire people to reconnect with nature (and disconnect with tech); to take time to learn where their food comes from and to enjoy life’s simple pleasures.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
My proudest moment has been the design and installation of the national exhibit, Flourish: Inside and Out, at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. Between 2015 and 2016, I worked together with the U.S. Botanic Garden team to design an exhibit centered around the therapeutic qualities of nature. The exhibit included both and an indoor and outdoor educational space: the indoor exhibit featured vignettes of ways to incorporate green into interior spaces such as classrooms, hospital waiting rooms, offices and home; the exterior exhibit highlighted sensory plant material, raised gardening beds and ergonomically modified gardening tools. The exhibit ran from May-October of 2016, during which, I traveled to Washington D.C. to present on nature therapy and how to design spaces for therapeutic purposes.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://weflourishtogether.com/
- Email: heyflourishtogether@gmail.com
- Instagram: @clarejohnson_flourish
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weflourishtogether
- Twitter: @flourish_2gthr
- Other: www.slowfoodchicago.org
Image Credit:
‘Flourish: Practice Daily’ print co-designed with Practice Daily (@Practice_Daily)
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