Kerry Johnson: My Purpose, My Journey – The Founder’s Way
Hands from Handsworth: Roots and Resilience
I grew up in Handsworth, Birmingham, where creativity and challenge existed side-by-side. For a child with limited means, mental health struggles in the family, and a city full of risks, art became my earliest lifeline. I’d lose myself in encyclopedias, fairy tales, music....and from the minute I picked up a pencil, I just drew. By eight, I was already being noticed for my talent; by twelve, my work hung in youth Birmingham city gallery exhibitions.
Through all the chaos, music and movement followed. Singing, dancing, drawing....expressing myself was survival and joy. At seventeen, I earned my place with Access to Music, quickly moving to performing in a band, signing to a record label, and touring UK venues—including O2 Academies, supporting professional acts. The industry’s realities hit hard, but every experience added a new layer to my story.
Storms, Survival, Reinvention...
Life rarely follows a straight line. By nineteen, I was working and performing full-time, trying to build a life beyond the stage: selling cars, distributing audio gear, and fighting to escape a relationship scarred by domestic violence. When redundancy struck with the rise of online business, I left Birmingham for Minehead, Somerset....a town from my childhood holidays, somewhere with family and a place to rebuild myself.
From the bustle of city life to working in a local hotel, and then progressed as a banker meeting locals and tourists....I found a new rhythm. I made friends, rediscovered moments of ease....until storm clouds returned in 2017. Another traumatic event shattered my foundation. My health collapsed... heart problems, constant illness, cognitive fog, and a sense of isolation that grew deeper as friends and family struggled to understand.
A diary....my confidant since the age of six....became my only constant. Art and journaling kept me afloat through hospital visits and therapy waiting lists. When my diagnosis of PTSD and neurodivergence finally came, it was both a relief and a revelation; I wasn’t “broken,” just different...
The “In-Between”: From Agoraphobia to Action
As my world closed in, so did my work. Agoraphobia made leaving the house impossible, and I resigned from my banking job in 2021—physically trapped, but determined to adapt. I landed remote work for an estate agent, quickly moving up to the mortgage teams. In just weeks, I earned financial qualifications, studied business privately, and—when redundancy struck again with rising interest rates—I built myself back up, this time on my own terms.
I fused my love for art and my knack for numbers, launching a business that helped others blend creativity with commercial know-how. The skills I gained in research, forecasting, and drawing plans (literally from pencil on paper) laid the groundwork for my next chapter.
Built from Imagination: The Kontinuum
That’s when the vision truly took shape. An abandoned, derelict garage....forgotten by most..... it became my canvas. I mapped out every corner, forecasted the costs, drew the dream, and rebuilt it into what The Kontinuum is today: a vibrant non-profit creative community hub and a venue where artists, musicians, crafters, and anyone seeking belonging can come together.
I poured my story....traumas and triumphs....into this place where “people supporting people” isn’t just a motto, but a way of life. The non-profit offers free counselling, creative workshops, and a space for real connection outside the clinical or corporate systems that so often fail our vulnerable community.
The Founder’s Way: My Mission
Adversity shapes us, but it also connects us. I founded The Kontinuum starting with the ECC Exmoor Creative Charity to remind us all... you are not your diagnosis, you are not your failures, not your past or your setbacks. You are your potential, you are your future, your creativity and you are your resilience.
I want to help people build confidence, learn how to succeed as artists and entrepreneurs, and....above all....discover that we can build lives (and communities) that heal and thrive together.
If you’re searching for connection, support, or inspiration, The Kontinuum door (and our community’s doors) is open for you to walk in. Let’s create, support, and grow....together.
Finding Inspiration locally
