Meet Johanna Garton | Author & Writing Retreat Owner

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

Hi Johanna, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I have tended to take a lot of risks in my life and my decision process often involves thinking about how I’ll feel in five years if I DON’T take the risk. Usually I get a little sinking feeling which is a big sign that I’m prepared to take the risk and possibly fail. Failure has thus become a familiar friend, and a simple result of swinging for the fences.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve always been a writer, but given that my focus is sportswriting, I faced a ton of challenges being taken seriously early in my career. This led me to put that passion on the back burner for about 25 years until I picked it up again. In researching my second book, I dove deep into the male-dominated world of high altitude mountaineering. In doing so, I found it important to find allies, both male and female, to help me understand the sport and navigate judgements others made about my motivations for writing about the sport. So perhaps that is one of my greatest lessons learned…find those who lift you up rather than focusing on those who prefer to tear you down. In my work now as a retreat owner, I’m finding incredible joy in helping other writers find their voices and rally their own support squads.

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?
Well at the moment I’m spending much of my time in the sleepy town of Playa Grande, Costa Rica. It’s a place that’s all about yoga, surfing, creativity, wildlife and being outdoors. Our days would probably consist of long walks on the beach, yoga classes, canoe rides through the estuary to look at birds and wildlife, surf lessons, visits to the fruit and veggie market and hours at the pool.

The food in Playa Grande is incredible…everything is locally-sourced, nothing is processed and every day starts with huge plates of fresh fruit. There are plenty of excellent and reasonably-priced restaurants here, and it’s practically impossible to get a bad meal.

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?
My late mother was instrumental in helping me understand the value of living life to the fullest, and accepting new challenges. She was a trailblazer in the world of journalism and sportswriting in the 1970’s and 1980’s. The way she persevered through barriers put before her because she was a woman in the industry was endlessly inspiring to me.

Website: https://johannagarton.com

Instagram: johannagartonbooks

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