Ingrid D. Johnson believes every war is caused by a lack of respect and disrespect comes from breaching boundaries that should be respected. LOVE disrespects no one and honors every boundary by rising above hurting others … in order to get its own way. This is the way I will proceed and succeed in 2010 and beyond when I walk in LOVE with JESUS guiding me all the way.

How about You?

Ingrid D. Johnson
www.intheclosetproductions.com
“A Voice for The Voiceless”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSyRxyoc8J4

Ingrid D. Johnson shares the struggles and inspiration she experienced making her new album “Wounded Soul” Vol 1&2. She also performs a song off the album

“HOW I” (A’ccapella style).

Visit www.intheclosetproductions.com
BUY THE ALBUM ONLINE.

A portion of the proceeds from this album goes to The Laurel Centre ( A treatment centre in Winnipeg, MB for women sexually abuse as children)

“THE TRUE SPIRIT OF GIVING … “

It’s that time of year again … when many are trying to find that perfect gift for the ones they love.

What is the perfect gift?  Where can you find it? How much does it cost?

Is it a gift that sparkles and shines for a moment … but quickly looses value and meaning?

Is that really the kind of gift or gifts we all want … we all need?

THE ULTIMATE GIFT

I know when some people think about life after death … because of the limitations of  our own human minds,

we find this hard and unimaginable to perceive. However, there is a life after this one … in a world much better

than this one. It is a world overflowing with “milk and honey” (life, justice, prosperity, truth, mercy, peace, faith, hope,

compassion, grace, and love unconditional). It is a perfect world with out lack or pain. It is a world very different from

this world we know and despite popular opinion … there is only one way to get there, and that is through faith in

God and God’s son, Jesus Christ. The bible states this by saying there is no other name under Heaven … and all other

names come to rob, steal, and destroy.

THE GIFT OF A TRUE SAVIOUR & HIS UNSELFISH SACRIFICE

Jesus Christ, remember Him. You know, the reason for Christmas before it became just a commercial holiday.

You know, that sweet little baby in a manager, born of a virgin, raised up to be the lamb of GOD, and the ultimate

sacrifice to cleanse the world’s sins.  Deny Him, if you choose at your own peril, but one day the free GIFT he gave

us all by dying on that painful cross (the choice to live on in the spirit or to continue dying in our flesh) will be a

great blessing to those who accept and redeem it … and a endless nightmare to those who foolishly, reject the gift

and the grace of the giver.

Now, just think about it for a moment. Ask God to open your heart and your mind to the reality of more than what

you see, touch, hear, smell, and feel (the flesh or your human nature that is always dying). Put aside reason, fears,

doubts, and logic for just a second. Then, think of Jesus Christ, our Holy God in human form, the precious redeemer. Think

about the reality of a having an amazing friend who is the King of all Kings, Lord of all Lords … who loves you so

much that He steps down from his throne and gives up his special powers, just to put himself in your shoes and live

where you live. Consider him, who sees your struggles and wants to solve your problems for you. Then, close your eyes

and open your heart like a child opening their greatest gift at Christmas -  like a child who sees no limitations to what

his mind can imagine or his heart can feel. Try it. Try it because some gifts are way too important to pass up, just because

we don’t feel worthy or we can’t wrap our changing, limited, minds and emotions around an all mighty, all knowing, all seeing,

Alpha, and Omega, king of kings, and lords of lords, God. The only type of God that always was, always is, and always will be,

who love us so much that he gave us such a valuable gift. The gift of everlasting life - a gift we can not earn or buy ourselves that

Jesus Christ, bought for us with His very own life. Now that’s the true spirit of giving and no other gift can ever trump that.

Remember that and share it … as your most valuable gift to give. The gift of truth.

Merry Christmas, God bless, and Happy 2010.

Love,

Ingrid D. Johnson

Ingrid D. Johnson says …

There is nothing like a life riddled with struggle, limited support, huge dreams, & God’s endless love

to make u appreciate & respect every little miracle that propels you forward. This video is a prayer answered

because when I first started out … I did not know anything about singing. I only knew that I wanted to sing and

express my songs in my own voice. God is great! I am not fully there yet … but I am grateful for where I am at vocally

and I am working to go further so I can sing with the best of them.

Ingrid D. Johnson

(PHOTO OF INGRID D JOHNSON IN VENICE, ITALY)

ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO HAVE FAITH, PRAY, ACT, PRAY, AND WAIT!!!

I use to be terrible at waiting for good things to happen in my life. I was always anxious … so I would try to make things happen on my own, without GOD’s help. I always failed and even if my plans succeeded my joy was always incomplete. Now as a born again Christian, I have learned that God is in the details and although I might have many plans … it is He that directs my steps. This has caused me to pray about everything and trust HIM to make things happen in His perfect time as I do what I can in this world.

I have spent over 2 1/2 years working on my business plan for In The Closet Productions and although things are slow in coming together right now … I have faith that all the seeds sown over the past 2 1/2 years will come to harvest at the right time. In the meantime, I am willing to pray, work, and pray some more. My dreams will be a reality and my joy will be FULL for nothing is too BIG, TOO EXPENSIVE, OR TOO IMPOSSIBLE with my faith in JESUS and my trust in GOD.

FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD!

Faith without works is dead. You can think positive all you want but if you do not act on what you believe, after speaking it into existence, and getting someone to agree with you in Jesus Christ’s name, (very important I recently learned) then you don’t have faith at all in GOD’s power to give you what you need and want, according to his will. I say this because I have tested God’s word and my mustard seed of faith several times but the most powerful memory was my first trip to Europe in 2007 ( picture posted above or in my EUROPE album on FACE BOOK). I had no money to go and the trip cost over $5,000.00. However, I trusted that GOD would provide for me so I paid $200.00 as a deposit and waited to see how GOD would honor my leap of faith (paying the deposit) with a way to pay for the rest of the trip. A few months later the full bill was due and I still had no money to cover the trip and no credit. By the end of the day … GOD gave me favor with a close friend who was already paying for her own trip around the world. God did this by opening her heart and moving her to  loan me over $5,000.00 to take my first dream vacation with two other wonderful friends. Then, GOD helped me to pay back my friend in no time at all, which really made me even more grateful because this only instilled greater trust in our friendship!!!

This and many other miracle memories is why I still have faith in my vision and mission for my company In The Closet Productions, although my CD release did not go off the way I hoped, and support for my company and my current projects seem slow right now. FAITH REQUIRES ME TO NEVER GIVE UP! With that said, I have faith that more amazing miracles like my trip to Europe will happen when I need them too because FAITH in GOD ( like faith in love) requires me not to walk by sight or feelings that can change at anytime. FAITH walks by trust in GOD’s ability to change any situation, open and close any door, and restore any loss into the type of increase that never steals your soul. That is why miracle memories like my first trip to Europe and recently a huge blessing from the same friend only increases my faith in GOD and what HE can do in any area of my life, especially in my dreams, if I keep trusting HIM and not what I see, hear, or feel.

I hope this message brightens your day and increases or triggers your faith in GOD to Help you pursue and achieve your dreams so your joy may be FULL and your life will be complete.

Love your friend,

Ingrid D. Johnson

p.s. This e mail or BLOG is some wisdom I wanted to share based on what I learned  … so take from it what ever you need. PEACE.

INGRID D JOHNSON

says … ” In The Closet Productions ” A Voice for The Voiceless” is my dream and passion. It is a dream not rooted in selfish ambition but in a pure desire to connect with other sexual abuse survivors, resource centers, schools,  the general public, the government, the music industry, and other artists in order to   help other people, like me, overcome the trauma of childhood sexual abuse that wounds the spirit in childhood, confuses in the soul in the teenage years, wreaks havoc in relationships, and ripples through the survivor’s life in the adult years.

I also believe it is my mission to love God with all of who I am ( a woman, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a singer-songwriter, poet, filmmaker, spoken word artist, business woman, Christian, ETC), in Him, … enough to love and help others by being “a voice for the voiceless”, and spreading God’s message of wisdom, understanding, compassion, sacrifice, forgiveness, mercy, healing, and true unconditional love … as expressed in the legacy of His son, Jesus Christ. :)”

I hope you stand up with me and support the voiceless by spreading the word, visiting our site, sharing our You tube videos, checking us out on My Space, Facebook, booking us for speaking engagements, shows, and by buying one of our books and CDs. Thanks.:)

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED BUT MORE SURE …

I have found over the past 2-3 years that the Entertainment industry can be riddled with many snakes, wolves, frogs, lions, tigers, and bears. I have met some great people as well but  some people in it really lack a heart filled with empathy, creativity, understanding, love, patience, peace, integrity, loving honesty, and a conscience - this has been very scary for me and sad.

Over the past 3 years that I have been involved in this industry, God’s word has been my guide and protection. Believe me when I say that the Bible has a story and words of great wisdom for every situation in life.  In fact, I learned my best business skills from reading Proverbs and Jeremiah and if it wasn’t for my faith I would have quit music or become as shady as some of the people I have met on my path. Thank God this has not happened.

SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND, ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE … KNOCK AND THE DOOR SHALL BE OPEN.

Well, I have been walking by this principal and found that it works right away, except when dealing with wolves in sheep’s clothing in the music industry … which requires discernment (knowing Good spirits from Evil ones). They take more time, more convincing, more patience, more self-control, more persistence, more prayer, more work, more growing faith.

You see, I always thought that when I was done making my album, after 2 years of studying the music business, dealing with some very shady people, paying for my recordings out of my own pocket, and struggling to earn the funds to pay for everything else … many doors would open. This has not been the case. Although there are some people open to helping me (my band, close friends, some industry professionals, etc …) I find a lot of people don’t grasp that this album is really about overcoming sexual abuse and spreading that awareness. It frustrates me but I will not give up until my message is all over the world!!!

I have learned so much on my journey through life and the literary and entertainment industry over the past 2-3 years. That is why  as an overcomer of sexual abuse … all I want to do is share what I learned with others in a positive way that can help. I thought that the sharing part would be easier than the learning part … but the road to having my visions and dreams fulfilled  … is much, much, harder! Thank God, I don’t mind investing in my dream or working with God to make it happen. This is how I know I will succeed!

MY VISIONS AND DREAMS … SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW!

Somewhere over the rainbow, beyond my land of artist transition, is a long lasting legacy of In The Closet Productions prospering as a social enterprise in the global market place … with me ( Ingrid D. Johnson CEO/Founder) talking to Kids in Care, High school students, college students, the general public, corporations etc … about my journey overcoming childhood sexual abuse, learning about and succeeding in the music and entertainment industry, as I share my music, my books, and my films with my broad audience. I see this leading to soooo many more opportunities but everything is such a struggle. It’s almost like people can see my vision but they don’t know what to do with it … so they are waiting to see what happens before jumping on my project. Typical. That is why I cherish the people now who see and feel my potential and the albums message and are willing to help me anyway they possibly can … whether it is giving me advice, giving me encouragement, checking out my website, telling others about my work, introducing me to new connections, buying a WOUNDED SOUL  double album for $25.00, buying my new book WOUNDED SOULS, booking me and my band for a show, booking me for a speaking engagement, or placing my songs in film, advertising, or television. I am so grateful for people like that. That goes a looooooooong way.

MY UNIQUE SINGING VOICE

The voice I found inside my body once wounded by depression, haunted by memories of childhood sexual abuse, trapped by low-self esteem, and negative energy during my initial vocal lessons in 2007 up is reminiscent of the 1930’s (Billie Holiday). It has really grown into a a raw, soulful, jazzy sound … a voice with a wide vocal range and a unique way of ending on a note. I love it!!!  It is all me. It is everything I thought I could be classy, strong, gentle, unique, creative, different, spiritual, emotional, ETC … but I am still learning how to master it.  I am still honing my unique craft. That is why doing a compilation CD seemed like a perfect idea to me. It was a chance to learn from more seasoned singers and lyricists, learn about the production process, mastering process, marketing process, while debuting my unique and evolving singing voice.

THROUGH GOD I WILL NEVER GIVE UP!!!

It has been both fun and challenging learning how to sing and learning to use my body as a musical instrument. I always thought singers where special people with special gifts and I never dreamt that GOD would bless me with such an amazing gift. I am glad He did! So, like it or not … I will learn through HIM how to use my voice in a powerful way that glorifies HIM and blesses people’s hearts minds and souls. That is a BIG part of my mission!!!

MY  SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS …

There have been days I have come home crying after voice lessons, thinking no one will accept my voice because it is so different … so abstract ( like one producer said). Then, I re-read a respected entertainment lawyer’s e mail to me telling me to keep honing my craft (cause I have something special) and I listen to Nelly Frutado, Anita Baker, Cher, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dyaln and many others sing for millions … and  find hope in the impossible, uniqueness of my own voice.  I will not give up or quit! After all, I have never been like anyone else … so why should my voice be? I have always been spontaneous that is how my spoken word style was created … with a lot of heart and emotion. My singing voice will be no different. So watch out world … with God and so many greats like Billie Holiday, Etta James, Anita Baker, Leonard Cohen, Ella Fitzgerald, Estelle, Bob Dylan, Ani D’Franco, Yolanda Adams, Ray Charles, as my influence  … I am bound to create something amazing as a solo artist on my second album. I pray that I can start that project in 2010.:)

I have some debts to pay out from my CD release. However, with a lot of prayer I will have that paid out by end of November, as I work my regular job and my album sales for “WOUNDED SOUL” increases. I will be hustling hard this week to make this happen but I would love and be very grateful for your help in this matter.  Please, BUY a “WOUNDED SOUL” Vol 1&2 compilation album in the STORE on my website (from CD baby) and also spread the word. A portion of the proceeds from this album goes back to The Laurel Centre ( helps women who struggle with the impact of childhood sexual abuse and addictions) Thanks!!!

Stay tuned … more to come from this poet, author, film maker, spoken word recording artist, singer-songwriter, social activist, and business entrepreneur.  :)

Love your friend,

Ingrid D. Johnson

The Manitoban

http://www.themanitoban.com/articles/20779

HEALING WOUNDS WITH WORDS

Local artist Ingrid D. Johnson reveals her soul

noreen mae ritsema | oct 5

Fresh from the release of her second book,Wounded Souls: A Collection of Poems and Songs, and its companion spoken-word CD, Wounded Souls Vol. 1 & 2, Ingrid D. Johnson is basking in hope and gratitude. A Winnipeg-based artist with a deep message, she is a survivor of sexual abuse who uses words and music to piece together her own life as an offering of hope to others.

Johnson’s first book, Little Black Butterfly in Iridescent Sunlight, came out four years ago. According to Ingrid, it was a catalyst for major personal life transformations. This meant honestly confronting friendships and relationships that were unhealthy and manipulative. “I feel my new poems reflect my struggle to forgive and let go of the past, ways the abuse affected my voice and sense of personal boundaries, and my spiritual struggle to overcome all the anger, loss, pain, resentment, bitterness and sadness I felt and expressed in my first book. This new book is more positive. It offers truth, hope, healing and inspiration instead of anger, venom, rage, profanity and bitterness.” These empowering messages are evident throughout Johnson’s new poetry as self-affirming themes resonate from each chapter.

Taking a more intimate look at the possibility of an interconnected role between poetry and healing, Johnson acknowledges that poetry is a beautiful medium of expression among many, such as music, film and dance. This eclectic approach to artful forms of expression may help explain how Johnson manages to successfully delve into the music world with her second spoken word CD and as a songwriter and collaborator on Flo’s self-titled album. Johnson elaborates on this fusion by explaining how “sexual abuse destroys your spirit and makes you feel wounded, dirty, broken, numb and dead inside. Belief in God’s love restored my soul (my mind, will and emotions) faith, trust, hope and belief in love again. Poetry is an outlet, not the source of my hope, faith, victory, inspiration or healing. God is my source. I know not everyone will agree with this — I can respect that — but this is my belief and what I live by.”

Having endured so much adversity early in life, Johnson’s positive messages and life example are indeed motivating. She shares that “my love for people who are hurting and lost is also an inspiration to write, and my anger towards people’s ignorance and lack of care for other victims and survivors drives me to speak up for the voiceless. I work with kids in care and [my] sincerest hope is that my words, my life and my story will inspire at least one of them to be a success.” It is also this love, strength and compassion that has Johnson donating a portion of her book and CD sales to a local organization that provides services to women who were sexually abused as children, the Laurel Centre.

According to Statistics Canada, one in three girls and one in six boys are sexually assaulted by age 18 and a horrifying 97 per cent of these young sexual abuse victims know their perpetrators. As these sexual abuse survivors become adults, 70–80 per cent of them report excessive drug and alcohol abuse. These statistics validate the need for the programs that the Laurel Centre offers. Ingrid offers the following advice to people who find themselves in sexually abusive situations and relationships: “You are not alone. When you are ready, tell your story and don’t stop telling it until someone listens and helps you to do something good to counteract it. Overcoming sexual abuse begins with surviving — coping — but you have to confront the abuse and learn from its impact on you in order to overcome it before you can help others.”

With faith and these powerful messages, Ingrid D. Johnson has launched her own production company called In The Closet Productions. She reveals that her future plans are ambitious and realistic: “I am writing my first non-fiction novel, developing my voice as a new singer-songwriter, planning new community projects and praying that I will attract a compassionate promoter and sponsor/investor and agent to help me with my national and international tour, A Voice for The Voiceless, so I can share my story, perform my spoken word/poems and perform my original music.” With clarity and confidence, Johnson’s new works create a path of hope that can help many wounded souls heal.