Ida Johansson

Small talk

Ida Johansson

We met with IDA JOHANSSON, a visual storyteller and creative director, and her children – in her second hometown Barcelona. Ida is founder of Muses of Now,  a movement to connect women around the globe who challenge the now to shape the future, and is very much driven to create meaningful and honest stories. Here are her story!  

Ida Johansson

Ida and Nilo at the greenhouse in Ciutadella Park in Barcelona.

Hello Ida, tell us about your family!
– As a family we are a mix of cultures, I’m from the archipelago of Stockholm with parents from the northernmost of Sweden, my partner is from Argentina with italian heritage… We met and we fell in love in Madrid, a long time ago and have frestyled our nomadic life together since then. As parents we are trying to find new ways of caring, in a more respectful and mindful way by minimizing watching video, encouraging creativity, connection with nature and creating relationships with a varied crowd of people. It’s actually really cool to see how oxygenized and free kids can be when providing them with a more neutral playground. Also I find it evolving for people to sometimes be bored or rather to have space in time, as it’s often the starting point of something creative. Since we never introduced screens for them as a habit, it’s quite simple to avoid actually. Of course they occasionally see videos, but mostly when with friends and their kids. As an alternative to screens they randomly listen to selected sound books.

You live both in Stockholm – and in Barcelona?
– Yes, we live in two parallel worlds, with very different ways of lifes… On one hand Barcelona, in the tumult of the city, surrounded by lots of friends and creative people from around the world. On the other hand, in the archipelago of Stockholm, surrounded by pure nature and stillness, living in a summer house next to my parents. With a slower rhythm, spending much time outdoors, growing our own vegetable garden next to the sea. Being able to live in both worlds makes me feel free and challenged to grow. 

What are your dreams for the future?
– My personal dream is to settle down in a place where nature, roots and light is present most times of the year combined with the closeness to creative, spontaneous and varied friends, like the Bloomsbury group of nowadays kind of 🙂 maybe Mallorca or somewhere south… exploring that dream right now. My professional dream is to contribute in elevating the frequency in our society and shape a better future in big and small.

Ida Johansson

 

IDA: T-shirt, Arket, Pants vintage, Vintage scarf, Shoes Arket. SANDRO: Jacket inherited from the 80s, Body Mini Rodini, Socks inherited, Shoes Adidas. NILO: Hoodie and Pants, Scotch and Soda, Vest vintage, Shoes Adidas.

Ida Johansson
Ida Johansson

Shoot at El Born in Barcelona.

we live in two parallel worlds, with very different ways of lifes… On one hand Barcelona, in the tumult of the city, surrounded by lots of friends and creative people from around the world. On the other hand, in the archipelago of Stockholm, surrounded by pure nature and stillness.

As creative director you work with many different projects?
– Yes, as much as I like a varied life I also need to run various projects that help myself and people to grow and to feel good. I run all my projects with my best friend Maria Baños, together we want to find our own, feminie way to entrepreneurship in community, optimism and inclusivity. Muses of Now is an online / offline platform to connect and give voice to creative women from different cultures and branches like art, fashion, food, music etc. We do so in an inclusive way, aiming to inspire and have an open dialogue between men and women, brands and nature as we need to evolve all as a collective to create a better, sustainable and more loving world. We curate a very interactive instagram account, runs online workshops, unique events and a biweekly newsletter. @grado.land is a new breed of PR agency built on our collective times. We do creative direction, audiovisual production and consultancy for fashion and lifestyle brands… conceptualizing brands with meaningful narratives and experiences always searching new ways of connecting with their audiences. Our closest team is in Barcelona, Berlin and Stockholm, but as nomad spirits we have a very strong creative crowd of talents and collaborators worldwide. @wheneverstudio is a photo rental studio in Barcelona, with lots of natural sunlights, like a blank canvas for audiovisual content production, it’s also the main part of our Barcelona home. It’s a project I created with my life partner Luciano Insua, who is a photographer.

And you go-to inspiration source is…?
– Everything can be inspirational depending on how you look at it… The last year I have learnt to get inspired from experiencing everyday life in detail, the light, the scent, it’s texture…. In that way, “normal” life is quite magical actually. I love to investigate and curate, to see who is behind a person and understand their essence. 

 

Ida Johansson
Ida Johansson

NILO: T-shirt, Scotch and Soda, Pants Mini Rodini 2nd hand, Shoes Skechers. IDA: Jacket, Scotch and Soda,T-shirt Arket, Skirt Levis.

 

What to do in Barcelona? Do you want to share your best tips?
– Of course! To go to the ciutadella park with the kids is super entertaining. So many different people doing their thing in the park, there are always people playing music, balancing on slacklines or any other exotic entertainment for kids to see. We love spending time at the skateparks with the kids. Just watching all the people of different ages, different levels moving organically on boards is really inspiring. Nilo (almost five years) loves skating. For him it’s been a great way of overcoming fears, learning patience, accepting help and learning to raise after fall… while having fun and spending time together.
Some places to eat; Baldomero, Green Spot, El Pacifico, Bar Brutal, Elsa y Fred, Rooftop Smokehouse, Casa Bonay, Parking Pizza… There are so many nice places to eat 🙂
Get coffee at News and Coffee, Nomad or Satans and brunch at Can Dende.

What are your thoughts on design and interior?
– My first choice is organic, natural materials, keeping things simple yet playful. A mix of vintage, inherited and quality items, both in terms of furniture and fashion. To invest in things that are made to last and feel comfortable in. I’m trying to let go of my perfectionism, and instead embracing the beauty of things with traces and a story. A big inspiration for mending and caring for clothes is @rudyjude and @shopcopito a good, sustainable e-store for your home is @taos.living

How and where you you recharge?
– I recharge in nature and silence. I laugh a lot with my kids and partner. I get energy boosts from the events we create and attend with Muses of Now.

What superpower do you have?
– I’m analytic, meticulous and need variety in all aspects of my life and love juggling different projects at the same time… 

Do you want to recommend something?
– Yes, I want to recommend exploring the world of self growth, connecting body, mind, universe and soul… Since I became a mum I felt the need to be more in line with myself, so during the last few years I’ve experimented with energetic osteopathy, human design, embodiment, meditation and been doing different types of sessions with psychologists and a personal coach. I recommend it.

 

 

Ida Johansson

IDA: total look Scotch and Soda, scarf Acne Studios, shoes Birkenstock. NILO: Total look Main Story, Shoes, Crocs. SANDRO: Jacket Kuling, Pants vintage, scarf (self made), Shoes, Crocs.

 

 I AM…
Addicted to catching light in all possible ways.

I DIDN’T BELIEVE I WOULD…
Grow so much during this last year of change and slow living.

I AM HAPPIEST…
When feeling free. 

AT THE MOMEN I AM…
Spending time in the archipelago of Stockholm, creating a vegetable garden with my family and launching a global production agency grado.land with my best friend Maria Baños.

MY BEST PLACE IS…
Where the sun blends my eyes, in contact with nature, surrounded by closest family and friends… 

WHEN I PAINT…
I like it liquid and abstract, as a play between material and body.

I LOVE…
The real and simple things in life. Today for example, my 5 year old son’s thoughts on life made me happy, He said; ’Mum, do you ever drink plain milk without coffee?’ I said; ’No’, he said, ’You should, do you see those white streaks on my lips? they tickle.’

I DONT’ LIKE…
The word “hate”, but I avoid low energy and the way many media channels transmit low frequency and stereotypical content instead of letting our society grow in love, variation, understanding and freedom. 

 

Thank you Ida!

Published June 28, 2021