We had the good fortune of connecting with Johannah Scarlet and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Johannah, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk is an interesting construct to look at through a few different lenses. Risk by definition means “a situation involving exposure to danger.” In the immediate understanding of risk, yes – if there is a risk of bodily harm or threat to personal safety, it has to be taken as a serious matter of assessment.

There is another perspective of risk that I’d like to take a closer look at. Risk in the equation of how we work through our own fears, our self doubts and internal dialogues. Risk in jeopardizing the ego & its consequences. Risk in the name of our journey in growth & discovery. Viewing risk in this regard can show how its energy can affect & dictate outcomes in our lives.

What we may think of as a risk, may just be anxiety of self. What would really happen in reality if you followed through and it went well? Expansion! Abundance! And if the outcome wasn’t to our expectations? A bruise to our ego? A humbly learned lesson? A chance of forgiveness & redemption? Or maybe a deeper rabbit hole conclusion because that’s what fear does.

What we may perceive as a risk, may just be an opportunity to evolve or a challenge to overcome. Sometimes fear inflates risk to keep us stagnant. Because even when we fail, we are not the same person as we once were. That experience has added to our human existence, and it’s up to us on how we carry it.

Nowadays I say, that you can’t stand on your highest mountains of self amazement, without moving through the deep valleys of suffering & reflection. #IYKYK
What we deem risky is a personal evaluation. Sometimes the bigger the risk – the bigger the reward. Or the harder the fall. Either way on the other side of it all, by taking the risk, we can increase the percentage of transformation.

A chapter of my life, a long long time ago, I was a production assistant working on film sets, music videos & tv shows when Michigan had its film incentive. I climbed the ladder for years, moving closer & closer to my childhood dream – of being a producer and creating movie magic.

What happened next was one of the most crucial learning experiences of my life. I took a risk on my career. I decided to take a leap and jump off the cliff to see if I could fly off towards my dreams. A seemingly enticing business opportunity presented itself. A chance with a small group of people to throw a music festival in northern Michigan.

What did I risk? I risked everything. I was young, I was determined, and I was in love with my business partner. This was a moment where I could take all my knowledge & resources and pull off something that I loved: music + production = a music festival <3 I promoted myself to Executive Producer and stepped into the role, intensely. I was handling all aspects. Festival layout & safety, ticketing, staffing, artist contracts & riders, promotions & marketing, meetings with the city, wrangling sponsors, backend programming, stage & equipment – you name it, I was producing it.

I was expanding so much, so rapidly as an individual. In a constant state of insanity & awe with the magnitude of what we were doing.
I was also so blind to the holes that we were digging ourselves into, until I realized that I buried myself alive.

When we look at risk, it is imperative that we must have a rooted foundation of knowing our values, in order to truly understand what we are willing to sacrifice.
I was hungry. I was naive. And I was in way over my head.

Cue :: Fyre Festival movie::

Just kidding but not really.

We lost our asses on the festival. While it sounded like the folks who came had a good time, I was not prepared for what I got myself into.
I did not realize what it meant to be the personal guarantor, signing my name onto all these contracts, deals & partnerships.
And as it turned out, I fell in love with a con-artist and that’s putting it lightly.
Cue ::every con-artist docufilm:: Time to pay up.

I risked it all. And I lost it all. I had to claim bankruptcy. I had to move back to my mama’s house. I had to take ownership of my actions, ask for forgiveness, and completely start over and rebuild my life. This risk, this mistake changed the trajectory of my life.

But 10 years later, let me tell you what I’ve gained.
– I’ve gained a closer relationship of honesty & deep appreciation with my family.
– I took control of my life financially and I’m self-employed with a salary that puts me in a tax bracket I’m annoyed about.
– I now work in advertising, where I’ve become a sought after creative producer to handle the big & hard projects. An expert in budgets, contracts, negotiations, pitching, problem solving, and creating movie magic; all while keeping a cool, positive attitude. We gotta have fun right?
– My portfolio of work is dynamic because while I did fail at throwing a successful music festival, I didn’t fail at producing. I honed in on my craft, and crawled and fought my way back to dignity. The experience has added to who I am today. A painful transformation, but still a transformation.
– I know what it means to be a good partner and what bad vibes look like. I know how to trust my intuition. I know how to forgive myself and others. My values are founded in responsibility, creativity, and to be of service. To share my knowledge, services and resources. To train, mentor or connect anyone to everyone. To have deep empathy for others, to listen and to pay attention.

What have I gained? I am grateful for my life. Being with the people I love, doing things I love, and I love myself.

Was the risk worth it? 10 years later? Some days I say no. Some days I say yes. It’s not that simple. We’re complex creatures, us humans.

I think it’s about looking at your relationship to risk and asking if it’s healthy.
I think it’s about being curious, having discernment, and knowing your boundaries.
I think it’s about understanding your value system, feeling into your heart, and keeping tabs with your intuition.
And it never hurts to phone a friend.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

During the pandemic, my partner and I left decades of living in the city behind and moved out into the woods of the Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota. The pandemic brought the opportunity to work remotely and we decided to follow our hearts and get into nature.

Outside of my production career, I make it a priority to spend time in my creative energy and work on personal projects. Living in the woods has exponentially expanded our gratitude for this planet Earth, our inspiration of how we want to live our lives, and has deepened our pursuit in the expression of our creativity.

I’m a writer, podcast host and founder of Sacred Saturdaze Outpost, a creative space that focuses on expressing and celebrating the beautiful entanglement of Wild Nature & Modern Mysticism.

Our Sacred Daze Podcast & Museletter on the Substack platform is an esoteric transmission dispatched from the Woods of the Superior National Forest in Northern Minnesota. Topics include: Nature, Magic, Cannabis, Witchcraft, Activism, Astrology, Tarot, Creativity, Femme Wisdom and Storytelling.

I do tarot readings, mystic gatherings to share resources, and I am slowly building Sacred Saturdaze to include interviews, product mentions, and activities for folks that follow and tune in.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

We live up north in the Superior National Forest of northern Minnesota, 2 hours north of Duluth, MN. The closest town to us is Ely. Ely is the basecamp & access point to the BWCAW – Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness – federally protected land & water between the United States and Canada. Its vast wilderness extends 150 miles along the U.S.-Canada border, covering approximately 1,098,000 acres with over 1,100 lakes and 1,500 miles of canoe routes, attracting more than 150,000 visitors annually. Ely is a tourist destination during the spring, summer, fall months. Catering to nature lovers and celebrating the vast activities of the outdoors!

My partner & I only moved here full time 6 months ago, so being new to the town and community we have a few favorite places.

Log Cabin Coffee Drive Thru – The perfect pitstop for the best Chai Latte of your life! Pull up, order and continue onto your next adventure!
https://www.facebook.com/logcabincoffee/

Mitska’s Market- A delightfully curated market of healthy foods with prepared sandwiches, treats & bulk items. As well as a home & wellness section up front. The owners are so thoughtful with their shop. Local produce is a must!
https://www.mitskasmarket.com/

Ely Folk School – The Ely Folk School is dedicated to building community by providing learning experiences that celebrate the wilderness heritage, art, history, culture, and craft of the people of northern Minnesota. Blacksmithing, Pottery, Cooking, Storytelling, Learning of the Anishinaabe people, Canoe Carving, Herbalism, Writing, and so much more. A pillar in the community, the Ely Folk School is an intentional and supportive center for learning for all who visit! Welcome to the Ely Folk School

Piragis Northwoods – Whether you need to get outfitted for your next adventure into the boundary waters, or shop crafts from local artisans, or get Ely swag or peruse their independent bookstore – Piragis is a necessary stop in Ely.
https://www.piragis.com/

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

Yo! Yo!

Shout out to my family, my mother Marianne, my siblings Alec & Kyley, my director daddio Bill, and my beloved Tim. So much love to my backbone of friends, companions, homies. I am so grateful for all of your love, support and wisdom.
Shout out to my cosmic community of baddies, creatives, wise producers, witches and wild womxn – you fuel & inspire me to keep diving deeper into my magical creative practice to show up for you too.

I’d also like to give thanks to my guides, spirits, ancestors, and favorite deities – seen & unseen. Thank you for your cosmic support and divine guidance through all my days!

Website: https://substack.com/@sacredsaturdaze

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sacredsaturdaze/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannah-scarlet/

Image Credits
Tim Mattimore

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.