Spectacular Soul - Che Johnson

Che Johnson is the magical soul behind The Polka Dot Flamingo. How rad is that name! I first came across Che and her blog while perusing online spaces (as I tend to do a lot!), clicked on her site, read some of her stuff and realised that I liked this girl. She seemed very much like me, and not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Haha.

Che is honest, gorgeous and writes from her heart. She shares her ups and downs, while trying to inspire others to be awesome.  We connected online, support each others blogs and writings, but most of all each other.  I know you'll love her just as much as me, and I thought that she would be the perfect person to interview for my Spectacular Soul series.  Make sure you visit her blog - she has a brilliant new series of posts she will be starting.  Exciting times ahead for this girl, and I can't wait to watch everything that the universe has in store for her to unfold.

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1. Introduce yourself in three sentences.I'm a Social Worker by day and a blogger by morning and night. Sunshine, lavender, furry friends, loved ones, wholesome food and alone time fill me with joy. My favourite thing to do is laugh - HARD!  

2. Share with us a day in the life of Che
No two days are the same in the life of Che but to give you an example, this was my day yesterday ...An early start at work and a super rad work day. An early finish and a visit to the pub for a sneaky cider. Volunteering. Puppy walk. Cuddles with my loved one. Blogging goodness. Trash TV. Bed.
A rather nice day in my eyes! 

3. What is your guilty pleasure?
I have not one, but three, guilty pleasures! Chocolate, ice cream and reality TV (some of which I admit are low brow and trashIy). I love them. Especially when I can have them all at the same time!

4. Why do you do what you do (BIG QUESTION!)
I do what I do because I care about people. I want everyone to have a happy life and I want everyone to reach their full potential. I want people to meet me/speak with me/read my work and walk away feeling positive, hopeful and inspired to create beauty in their own lives. That's all! Simple really!   

5. What are you really digging at the moment?
Plastic shoes, versatile pieces, podcasts, Gala Darling, yoga, time alone and coconut yoghurt. 

6. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Oooo I love this. I'm thinking big in the hope that the universe will hear me and give me a helping hand! I see me working for myself and doing something that I LOVE. Having a place to call home. Being in a healthy and loving relationship. Travelling. That's all. That would fill my heart. 

7. What lessons have you learnt since starting your blog?
My goodness I've learnt SO much since I started blogging! I'll share with you the two biggest lessons that I've learnt: 1. We can do anything that we set our minds to. ANYTHING! It just takes courage (sometimes a heck of a lot of it) and self belief.2. The more we do something, the less scary it becomes. I used to have severe heart palpitations when I would press 'publish' on a blog post. I used to freak out thinking, 'oh my god, what will people think', 'maybe it's not good enough', 'what if no-one reads it'. Now I don't even think twice, I LOVE pressing 'publish'! Just like anything in life, the more we expose ourselves to something, the more we get used to it. Anxious in social settings? Get the heck out there and socialise! Driving freak you out? You gotta do it babe! Give yourself time, be patient and be brave! 

8. Why do you believe you have A Spectacular Life?
I know I have A Spectacular Life! I feel it in my bones! Every day I challenge myself to grow, reflect and learn. I make decisions that are right for me. I prioritise myself. Everything that I do feels good and right and wholesome (most of the time). That's what drives me to connect with people - I want them to feel this way too because I know that it is possible. It excites me to think of women out there waking up every morning with a great big smile on their face feeling ready to take on the world! 

On this (watch out, here comes a bit of shameless self promotion) I have just launched a new feature on my blog called 'Hello Flamingo'. It's a grown ups version of 'Dear Dolly' - haha! In order to move forward and live 'A Spectacular Life', I think that it's sometimes necessary to trawl through our past experiences and baggage. We need to understand ourselves. Some people find talking about their experiences to be scary/embarrassing/confronting - hence why I gave birth to 'Hello Flamingo'. It's a 100% anonymous space for people to post questions that they have about all things life, love and the crazy stuff in between. I will respond to these questions via a Facebook post, blog post or in my monthly newsletter. Not only will people be helping themselves, but they will also be helping others by asking questions about the challenges that so many of us experience but often sweep under the rug. Together we can feel good and reduce stigma! You can input your question directly here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8BJY9D3 or head on over the the blog. 

See - what a doll.

Give Che some love with a comment, or head over to her blog and connect with her there.

Keep smiling
xx