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John B Johnson

@johnbcreating

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🙏🏾 Next Gen
Father & Husband
Identity Architect @asmallstudioco
Sub 3 Hour Runner @getoff_mybutt

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Let me say something that might make you uncomfortable.

I ran a 3:04 marathon.
I was lean. Disciplined. “Healthy.”
And I had stage 2 colorectal cancer.

Fitness is not immunity.
Youth is not immunity.
Looking strong is not immunity.

For a season, my goal was simple. Survive. Make it to the next scan. The next treatment. The next sunrise.

But I refused to stay in survival mode.

Cancer tried to reduce my life to appointments and statistics.
I decided to expand it.

I train harder now.
I love louder now.
I speak clearer now.

Not because I beat cancer.
But because cancer exposed what matters.

So here is the challenge.

If you are 45 or older, schedule the screening.
If something feels off, do not push through it.
If fear is keeping you quiet, confront it.
If someone in your family has had colorectal cancer, you have no excuse.

Thriving is not pretending you are invincible.
Thriving is facing reality and moving anyway.

I am not just a survivor.
I am proof that early detection saves lives.

Your move. @getoff_mybutt by @johnbcreating

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7 months ago

The architecture of any identity starts with its team. So, meet the makers behind a small studio's 2025 chapter ✨. We're moving into 2026 bringing intention, purpose, and authenticity to everything we do. by @johnbcreating

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a year ago

My mother, Judith P Johnson, is now resting peacefully in heaven. She left this world peacefully and suddenly in the comfort of her own home. Thank you to all who have loved her throughout her life, she was and still is my guardian angel.

Please give us time to make arrangements and we will be welcoming all of you to come celebrate her life with us soon. God bless you all. by @johnbcreating

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3 months ago

“Dyslexic thinking is not about doing things the hard way. It is about seeing what others miss. Making leaps instead of steps. Trusting intuition when linear logic fails.” - @johnbcreating

This week’s Ding! article spotlight’s @asmallstudioco ‘s founder John B. Johnson’s personal journey with dyslexia and how it can actually be a creative superpower. 👏

‘Dyslexic Thinking: The Superpower’ 🔗 in bio! by @johnbcreating

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9 months ago

As our first year comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to look back at all the ways we got off our butt to support colorectal cancer awareness.

In 2025, together, we:
• Partnered with Detect Together, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, NorthShore Gastro, and the Cleveland Clinic
• Raised over $22,000 for Detect Together in Boston
• Raised over $5,000 for the Colorectal Cancer Alliance in New York
• Cheered on John Johnson as he completed three marathons
• Celebrated a sub-3 marathon in Cleveland, just one year cancer-free
• Took part in the largest marathon to date in NYC

Thank you for showing up, spreading awareness, and helping more people get off their butt and get screened 🍑 by @johnbcreating

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9 months ago

In 48 hours, I would have crossed the finish line of the New York City Marathon, my third marathon this year, wearing the colors of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. With me: 50,000 runners. Fifty thousand different stories about why we’re here.

Mine is simple: deep pain carried with intention unlocks deep love.
The training is done. The miles are logged. The early mornings along the Great Lakes, the long runs when my body begged to stop, the moments when I had to choose between comfort and commitment, they’ve all brought me here.
But this moment isn’t about me.

It’s about what happens when you give pain a purpose. When you take something hard and transform it into something that matters.
Every mile I’ll run on Sunday carries intention. For those fighting colorectal cancer. For those who’ve lost someone to it. For the families navigating fear and hope in the same breath. For the researchers and caregivers showing up when it’s hardest. For the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.

What I’ve learned through three marathons in seven months: the body is capable of more than we imagine, but only when we anchor it to something beyond ourselves.

Running has become my practice of presence. Showing up fully. Remembering that transformation doesn’t happen in comfort zones.
And on Sunday, on the streets of New York, I get to practice that again.
As I prepare to cross the Verrazzano Bridge and wind through Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and eventually Manhattan, I’ll be reflecting on what this year has taught me:

Discipline creates freedom.
Purpose changes, but presence stays constant.
The questions we ask ourselves matter more than the answers we inherit.
Consistency, not intensity, builds what lasts. by @johnbcreating

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a year ago

It’s @asmallstudioco ‘s birthday!! 🥳 After 8 years, our founder @johnbcreating reflects on the successes our small but mighty design studio and how we got to where we our being one of only a few Black-owned, independent, design-driven and thriving studios. 💅

Read ‘The Infinite Play’ 🔗 in bio! by @johnbcreating

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a year ago

For my 3rd marathon this year @nycmarathon, I have decided to partner with @colorectalcanceralliance to raise $5,000 through my non-profit, @getoff_mybutt!

For our 8-year birthday, @asmallstudioco will be matching all donations made for the next week! Your support means everything.

https://www.getoffmybutt.org/ by @johnbcreating

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a year ago

Identity > Commodity. Always. 🔥

New article ‘Hiring the Next Gen Designer’ 🔗 in bio! by @johnbcreating

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a year ago

Hiring has looked a little different for young creatives ever since AI. Our latest article ‘Hiring the Next Gen Designer’ unpacks how this has impacted the industry and what the new age of designers can learn from this.

‘Hiring the Next Gen Designers’ 🔗 in bio! by @johnbcreating

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a year ago

True innovation starts with empathy.

At Empathy by Design: Design in the Age of AI, leaders shared how equity and creativity can guide the future of technology.

Powered by @kaleidoscopeinnovation (an @infosys Company), this session challenged us to put people at the center of every breakthrough.

🎤 Featured speakers:

@johnbcreating | @asmallstudioco
@kobl1 | CEO, @kaleidoscopeinnovation
@dtweedall | Founder, @tweeds.ai
@nomikipetrolla | Founder, @join.theanna (Techstars '25)

💡 Key takeaways:

Empathy is a framework for innovation, not an afterthought.
Human-centered design is essential for equitable AI.
The careers and technologies we build today shape tomorrow’s world.

👏 A huge thank you to Kaleidoscope Innovation for sponsoring this timely conversation and leading with people-first design.

At MidwestCon, we believe empathy is the real edge in technology.

🎟 Be part of MIDWESTCON WEEK 2026 → bit.ly/midwestcon

#MWC2025 #MidwestCon #EmpathyByDesign #KaleidoscopeInnovation #Infosys #HumanCenteredDesign #AIandDesign #InclusiveInnovation #MidwestTech #FutureOfDesign #TechForImpact by @johnbcreating

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a year ago

Some wins feel heavy. @johnbcreating writes about survivor’s guilt, creative industry struggles, and what we owe the next generation in this new and beautifully reimagined edition of 🛎️.
🔗 in story & bio.

Beautiful shots by @burtonts 🔥 by @johnbcreating

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a year ago