OMG!! I’ve never done this before, but today, I went to Yorkdale Indigo to meet Joanna Johnson. If you haven’t already heard of her, you’re missing out!
She’s a Podcaster, TikTok sensation @unlearn16; “recognized as one of TikTok’s 2024 LGBTQ+ Visionary Voices”, a beloved teacher/VP at a Toronto private school, and now author of her new book titled ‘That’s Not What This Book Is About”.
I honestly felt like a giddy school girl trying to catch a glimpse of Taylor Swift.
Over the last year, since discovering her Instagram page, her sarcastic, insightful, candid, clever, thought-provoking, engaging, and unapologetically authentic vlogs and social awareness have become a daily dose of inspiration for me. Joanna is super smart, funny, and unashamedly real — and today, I got to feel her energy in person and say thank you face to face.
Her TikTok handle/username @unlearn16 has been more than just a name to follow for me; it’s become a reminder of what “unlearning” really is. She has helped me refocus my mental health journey, one unlearned habit at a time.
Unlearning is the process of “clearing mental space” so that you can grow into who you want to be now, rather than who you were taught to be. Something I’m struggling a lot with lately.
It’s about challenging old mental patterns so you can make room for new perspectives. ~ ChatGPT
It’s about questioning inherited beliefs and breaking unhelpful habits that you’ve been taught and which no longer serves you. She challenges you to question, reflect, and grow.
Joanna is the teacher we all wished we had as a teenager. Her witty, lighthearted tone makes important topics more approachable. She makes learning fun. She listens. She cares. She advocates.
I was completely out of my comfort zone today. But happy I got the opportunity to meet her. I actually gave her a copy of my children’s book “Where Did Mommy’s Smile Go?” and talked with her about the importance of opening up mental health conversations in every classroom. Ya never know, maybe she’ll invite me to a “Class in Session” (the name of her Podcast!) to speak to her 100’s of lucky kids.
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