Welcome and hello! My name is Johanna Kohn and I am so excited to bring to you my particular brand of creative energy. I lost my job back in 2008. Went on unemployment and started what was to be a long, exhaustive and discouraging employment search. After many, many....many submitted applications and assessment tests (Ugh!!), I came to the conclusion that I just might have to, somehow, create my own means of income to help support my family. Not as easy as it sounds!!! First I had to come up with a product. What to do....what to do......? Reading an article in a magazine on how to start your own business, it asked "What is your passion?" and "What excites you?" Now, I know that I love being creative and I know that I love working with my hands. There also, was a time when I wished to be an author. Back in school, I had a knack for really creative and imaginitve stories in English class. Ok...this is starting to get a little too long....so, let me cut to the chase. After a long time trying to figure out what I wanted to produce...and after another little arts and crafts "how to" article on decorative frames. I decided to try my hand and desiging little photo frames. So, I bought paint, craft frames, seed beads, faux pearls, mosaic glue and tac glue, modge podge sealant, buttons, pins and broaches, etc.......and started designing. Worked hard for many months; painting, handstringing my pearls and seed beads, applying my accent pieces. Made some great little frames. And then, nothing. Didn't know what to do with my little frames. Showed them to some people...told family and friends....loaded pictures of them onto my FB page. That's about it. I am a creative soul who loves all form of arts and crafts but am lacking in one major component that one needs if they wish to start their own business; P.R. and Sales. (I guess that's two things) I can and love creating a product, but when it comes to "getting it out there" and selling it, not only am I clueless, but I do not have the heart and or mind of a sales person. I absolutely hate sales....despise sales. Tried insurance sales once. Quit after the first day. Can't take the rejection! Hated the script and the strongarm tactics that they want you to employ. Not me at all!! So, I had a product and didn't know the first thing on how to sell it. Then, I received a camera as a gift and started snapping pictures. First the typical family photos and then, clouds...clouds..clouds...clouds. Discovered that I loved photography...next came trees, and flowers...more clouds...a building here and there...more flowers. Downloading them to my computer was like Christmas morning everyday! I loved viewing them and editing them. Sadly, as I was discovering my new talent, my little frames were wasting away in a box under my dining room table. Now, completely engulfed in my photography, I asked myself, how can distinquish my photographs from those of all the millions of other photographers out there trying to make a living. Another long story short, I decided to add spiritual poetry to my photographs, thus the birth of what I call my "PoetryGraphs." I added my poetry right on to my photography, mat and framed them myself and....waaaalllaaaa.....my passion and product was born. I started looking into arts and crafts events....and got myself entered in a few. Rented some tables, chairs and white linen table clothes..and off I went. All bright eyed and bushy tailed. First one turned out to be a flea market...did have my first sale, though..and many encouragine compliments. Great experience. Second event, no sales...third event, no sales...4 event was at a spiritual retreat, resulted in a couple who had opened a holistic center where I lived, to ask if I wanted to hang my PoetyGraphs in their center for display and sale. I was exstatic!! They hung there for a year, resulting in 3 sales. Not great but nice to know that they were being viewed and not just sitting in a box under my dining room table. During that year, (still looking for employment) due to financial issues, my husband, daughter and I decided to move in with relatives. Was a hard and emotional decision for me, but I knew it would help us out, so much. We moved and I kind of got away from my thoughts of any creative pursuits as I continued to look for work. Then, going to our local library, the Upper Merion Farmers Market came to my attention. They were looking for craftesr for their summer and fall events. I thought, why not...and went and gathered my PoetryGraphs from the Holistic Center. I also, at this time, decided to try a different style of PoetryGraph. I contacted a matting company and had them design a mat with two windows so that I could have my photographs separate from my poetry. It was brought to my attention that some people may not like words "interferring" with the beauty of a photo. So now, I had two different style PoetryGraphs to meet the needs of all interested customers. Went to my first showing...no sales; alot of wonderful feed back and experience. Sadly, wonderful feedback and experience don't pay the bills. Then I came across my little box of hand made frames. Pulled them out...dusted some off. Repaired many that had been broken in our move. Decided to fill them, also, with my poetrygraphs....made some new ones....and off I went, PoetryGraphs and frames, to my second showing at the farmers market. Had two sales of my hand decorated frames!!! Yeah!! Third showing...sold a PoetryGraph, donated one and sold two more hand decorated frames...!!! Double Yeah!!!! Fourth showing...sold 2 hand decorated frames and another PoetryGraph.....Yippy Now, my fifth showing was last week...rained the whole time...no sales! This all brings me to now and this summary of my journey through the arts and crafts world. So here I am, still just trying to get my product out there and just fumbling around with what way is the best. So, I will be uploading some photos of my work.....and would appreciate any and all feedback and suggestions on my designs, photography and poetry. Really...I can take it..!! Let me know what you think. If you are interested in purchasing an item, you can contact me at my email address. Thank you for your time! Peace.
