Daniel Lorenz Johnson (born May 24, 1974) is an American
permaculturistPermaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and perennial agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in natural ecologies. It was first developed by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren and their associates during the 1970s in a series of publications...
,
artistThe definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of activities to do with creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. the worlds best artist is a man named mitchell peter lay who is often loved by the ladies. The common useage in both everyday speech and...
,
activistActivism, in a general sense, can be described as intentional action to bring about social change, political change, economic justice, or environmental wellbeing...
,
community organizerCommunity organizing is a process by which people living in proximity to each other are brought together in an organization to act in their shared self-interest. Unlike other forms of more consensual "community building," community organizers generally assume that social change necessarily...
and
writerA writer is anyone who creates a written work, though the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, as well as those who have written in many different forms.-Profession:...
who has worked for the advancement of various progressive/
social liberalistSocial liberalism, a reformulation of 19th century liberalism, rests on the view that unrestrained capitalism is a hindrance to true freedom. Instead of the negative freedom of classical liberalism, social liberals offered positive freedom that would allow individuals to prosper with public...
causes through
interdisciplinaryAn interdisciplinary field or multidisciplinary field is a field of study that crosses traditional boundaries between academic disciplines or schools of thought, as new needs and professions have emerged....
, collaborative projects involving
grassroots politicsA grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it is natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
, media art and
popular culturePopular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture...
. While best known his work advocating for and organizing social nudity events (with an emphasis of
opportunities on public landsPublic nudity or nude in public refers to nudity not in an entirely private context. It refers to a person appearing nude in a public place or to be seen from a public place...
), his work also involves advocating
human rightsHuman rights refer to the "basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled." Examples of rights and freedoms which have come to be commonly thought of as human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the...
,
ecological economicsImage:Sustainable development.svg|right|The three pillars of sustainability. Clickable.|275px|thumbpoly 138 194 148 219 164 240 182 257 219 277 263 291 261 311 264 331 272 351 283 366 300 383 316 394 287 408 261 417 224 424 182 426 154 423 119 415 87 403 58 385 40 368 24 347 17 328 13 309...
,
environmentThe natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a term that encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof....
al issues,
naturopathic medicineNaturopathy is an eclectic alternative medical system that focuses on natural remedies and the body's vital ability to heal and maintain itself. Naturopathic philosophy favors a holistic approach and minimal use of surgery and drugs...
,
cannabis advocacyCannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa L., Cannabis indica Lam., and Cannabis ruderalis Janisch. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for medicinal purposes, and as a...
http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/archives/176627.asp,
humanure composting"Humanure" is a neologism designating human excrement that is recycled via composting for agricultural or other purposes. The term was popularized by a 1994 book by Joseph Jenkins that advocates the use of this organic soil amendment....
and
raw veganismRaw veganism is a diet which combines veganism and raw foodism. It excludes all food of animal origin, and all food cooked above 48 degrees Celsius . A raw vegan diet includes raw vegetables and fruits, nuts and nut pastes, grain and legume sprouts, seeds, plant oils, sea vegetables, herbs, and...
http://rawexuberance.com.
Biography
Born in Seattle and raised on Mercer Island,
WashingtonWashington is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute. It was admitted to the Union as the...
, an affluent part of the
Puget SoundPuget Sound is a sound or complex of inland marine waterways in the northwestern part of Washington, United States, extending from the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca south to the head of the sound at the state capital of Olympia. It branches out from Admiralty Inlet and Deception Pass...
region, he graduated from
Mercer Island High SchoolMercer Island High School is a public high school located in Mercer Island, Washington in the U.S., as part of the Mercer Island School District....
in 1992 and from The
Vancouver Film SchoolVancouver Film School is a private entertainment arts school located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1987, it has achieved international recognition. The Vancouver Film School has campus locations around Downtown Vancouver and comprises six buildings...
in 1998 with a certificate degree in 3D Animation and Digital Effects as well as The
University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. UW is the largest university in the northwestern United States and one of the oldest public universities on the west coast. The university has three campuses, with its flagship campus...
in 2000 with a B.F.A. degree in Fine Art (Photography) and Art (Interdisciplinary Visual Arts). During his time in college he became interested in international politics and participating in the National
Model United NationsModel United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about civics, effective communication, globalization and multilateral diplomacy. In standard Model UN, students take on roles as diplomats and participate in a simulated session of an...
in 2004 as a representative of
LibyaLibya , officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya , is a country located in North Africa...
in the Human Rights Council in
ManhattanManhattan is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River.New York County, which has the same boundaries as the Borough of Manhattan , is the most densely populated county in the United States, with a 2008 population of 1,634,795...
and at the
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
. Later he became a Co-coordinator of the
Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International is an international secular non-governmental organisation which defines its mission as "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated." Founded in London in 1961, AI...
Group 94
http://students.washington.edu/amnesty/ at the University of Washington. In addition to living in Seattle and
VancouverVancouver is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. The city is bounded by English Bay, Burrard Inlet, the Fraser River, the city of Burnaby, and the University Endowment Lands. Vancouver is named after Captain George Vancouver, a...
(1997-1998) he also lived in
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
for about a year in 2000.
After learning about clothing-optional activities on public lands and reading about
The Freedom to be YourselfThe Freedom to be Yourself campaign or was founded in 1999 by Vincent Bethell. The group, according to Vincent Bethell is about "the right to be naked in public"...
(TFTBY) campaign he briefly joined that campaign. In late 2001 and May 2, 2002 he received some brief publicity with activist
Terri Sue WebbTerri Sue Webb is an activist living in Bend, Oregon, who was one of few activists in the United States active in The Freedom to be Yourself campaign. She has been imprisoned and released multiple times for public nudity. On several occasions, she has remained fully nude while incarcerated, often...
after two short public urban nude TFTBY protests with her in
PortlandPortland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the state of Oregon. As of July 2008, it has an estimated population of 575,930, making it the 29th most populous in the United States. It has been referred to as the most...
and
BendBend is the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population density of that...
,
OregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. At the latter protest, he was held in jail overnight after being arrested for disorderly conduct and interference with governmental administration (relating to Webb's trial appointment scheduled for the same day). The charges were later dropped. At that time Johnson became
critical of the clothes free movementLike most social movements, the clothes free movement which promotes the acceptance of social nudity has garnered a fair amount of criticism.-Discrimination:...
for failing to activate enough interest and advances in public lands advocacy.
In 2001 he co-founded The
Body Freedom CollaborativeThe Body Freedom Collaborative is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the integration and acceptance of non-sexual social nudity in a variety of public and private settings...
(BFC) with
Mark StoreyMark Storey is a board member of the Naturist Action Committee and has testified at anti-nudity legislation hearings all over the United States....
. In 2003 Daniel Johnson helped organize
World Naked Bike RideWorld Naked Bike Ride is an international clothing-optional bike ride in which participants plan, meet and ride together en masse on human-powered transport to "protest oil dependency and celebrate the power and individuality of our bodies".The dress code motto is "Bare As You...
with
Conrad Schmidt-Biography:Conrad was born and raised in South Africa and later moved to Vancouver, where he presently resides.- Community involvement :Schmidt founded the group Artists for Peace/Artists Against War . In 2003, Schmidt organised a protest in which 50 AAW members formed a peace sign with their naked...
. In 2005 he founded The Organic Living Party
http://organicparty.org, a
progressiveProgressivism is a political and social term for ideologies and movements favoring or advocating changes or reform, usually in a statist or egalitarian direction for economic policies and liberal direction for social policies...
political party based on the German
Lebensreform movement. The party, together with the Work Less Party USA hosted the
World Naked Bike Ride Seattle and, in 2006, the
Naked Pumpkin Run Seattle. In 2007 and 2009 respectively he founded
Hemp Ride and in 2009 co-founded the
Gardens Everywhere Bike Parade with permaculture activist Kelda Miller
http://ravennanation.com/2009/08/31/naked-bike-riders-make-a-scene-in-the-name-of-permaculture, two affiliated WNBR events designed as stand-alone events.
In Seattle he has helped in focused efforts to push for the development of clothing-optional city beaches. He co-founded two free beach groups in Seattle: the
Seattle Free Beach Campaign and
Magnuson Beach Bares as well as co-founding
Seattle Swims and the
NAC Seattle Swims, which is believed to be only the second such indoor swim organized at municipal pools facilities in the USA. In 2006, he came up with the idea of an election time event, which later became the
Nude Beaches Yes! national campaign, a collaborative project primarily organized by The
Naturist Action CommitteeThe Naturist Action Committee is a nine-member volunteer committee that functions as the political adjunct to The Naturist Society , based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin...
, with support by BFC as well as other grassroots skinnydipping organizations around the country.
On July 29, 2006 he ran the entire length of the 5K UnitedHealthcare Torchlight Run at
SeafairSeafair is a summer festival in Seattle, Washington, USA that encompasses a wide variety of small neighborhood events leading up to several major city-wide celebrations. While many small block parties and local parades occur under the auspices of Seafair, most Seattle residents associate Seafair...
(celebrating its 30th Anniversary) in Seattle wearing only bodypaint, socks and shoes in an attempt to encourage others to participate in a creatively adorned manner and to jumpstart a related event called the
Jaybird Run. It is unknown if this was the first full-length streak of the Torchlight Run.
In Spring of 2008, with the help of free beach advocates from around North America, Johnson help organize a community effort to lobby
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/137728.asp the Seattle Board of Park Commissioners
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkboard/ to put pressure on the
Seattle Department of Parks and RecreationSeattle Parks and Recreation is the department of government of the city of Seattle, Washington, responsible for maintaining the city's parks, open space, and community centers.The total area of the properties maintained by the department is over , which makes up approximately 11% of the total...
to look at the issue of creating more opportunities for clothing-optional recreation in Seattle. The plan was called "Citywide Clothing-optional Recreation Plan" and was presented to the Board of Park Commissioners on Thursday, May 8, 2008
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/ParkBoard/minutes/2008/05-08-08.pdf. This also involved collaborative efforts with the
Naturist Action CommitteeThe Naturist Action Committee is a nine-member volunteer committee that functions as the political adjunct to The Naturist Society , based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin...
http://naturistaction.org/AlertsAdvisoriesUpdates/ALERTS/WA_Seattle_04-28-08/wa_seattle_04-28-08.html to organize a grassroots effort to lobby during the Seattle Parks and Recreation Strategic Action Plan public input process, which resulted in 22 pages of positive support published in the "Seattle Parks and Recreation Strategic Action Plan - Summary of Public Feedback - Phase 2: Public Comment Report"
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/Publications/SAP_Phase2_Public_Comment_Rpt.pdf
In November 2008, Seattle Parks and Recreation attempted to propose a rule change banning nudity in all Seattle Parks & Recreation areas, with the exception of indoor rentals at City pools. Daniel led a collaborative effort with the help of the
Naturist Action CommitteeThe Naturist Action Committee is a nine-member volunteer committee that functions as the political adjunct to The Naturist Society , based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin...
http://naturistaction.org/AlertsAdvisoriesUpdates/UPDATES/WA_Seattle_11-14-08/wa_seattle_11-14-08.html to successfully defeat the proposal in the Seattle Board of Park Commissioners meeting on November 13, 2008
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/ParkBoard/minutes/2008/11-13-08.pdfhttp://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=5590865. The Board not only rejected the proposed ban but also asked the Parks Department to look into creating areas for clothing-optional recreation on Seattle beaches, which was widely seen as significant move in favor of and in leu of the lobbying efforts of local skinny dippers and sunbathers.
Johnson also founded
Naked.Wikia.com.
External sites
- Raw Exuberance Johnson's business site focusing on living vegan food, social nudity and natural medicine.