Recently on the podcast, I was absolutely delighted to chat with Michelle Johnston, the creative force behind the Writer in Italy Podcast. If you’ve ever dreamed of following a deep, personal passion—especially one that involves Italian sunshine and beautiful prose—Michelle’s story is the inspiration you need.
I’ve admired her work and her stunning photos on Instagram, and it was a joy to explore her journey from Australia to the heart of Italian culture.
Watch our full podcast episode here: https://youtu.be/qLNNDKlQGL8
The Unstoppable Pull of Italy
Michelle’s connection to Italy is not rooted in heritage; it’s rooted in something much deeper: an instinct. She explained that Italy became a quest for her—a drive that started when she was just 17 or 18 and decided she needed to go to the Mediterranean Sea. She mentioned that being an Australian on the other side of the world made being an Italophile completely inconvenient, but she simply couldn’t resist it.
Her journey to Italy became a personal voyage of unfolding and developing the courage to pursue something deeply important to her. She combined this passion for Italy with her innate need to be a writer and an artist. A Writer in Italy Podcast was born as a way to share her first travel memoir, and she quickly found an audience eager to join her on this creative adventure.
The Practice of a Writer
I have so much admiration for anyone who writes a book. I published mine in August, and I know firsthand the sheer amount of work, self-doubt, and courage it takes. Michelle and I connected immediately on the necessity of simply showing up for your creative practice. Michelle shared the sweetest habit: when she was younger, she started sitting in cafés for just 20 minutes before work to write.
She made it a ritual because doing the thing that makes you happy first feeds and nourishes you for the rest of the day. We both agreed that pursuing this path requires enormous confidence, especially when facing criticism or self-doubt. But as we keep going, doors open, and we realize we’re on a fulfilling path meant for us.
From Visual Memoir to Italian Travelogue
Michelle’s creative portfolio is rich. Her first book, A Woman on the Verge, is a visual memoir mixing photography, poetry, and musings about her life as an artist and a mother. She carved out time for this creative work when her daughters were asleep, making that time sacred—a choice that nourished her.
Her second project, the travel memoir In the Shadow of a Cypress, came from a pivotal trip. When her daughters were young, she made the significant decision to travel to Italy alone.
During that solo journey, she wrote everything down—the people, the scenes, the shenanigans—all poured into her diary, which became the foundation for the book.
Picking Favorites: Pizza and Place
Of course, we had to talk about Italy’s best food! When Michelle thinks of Italian pizza, she immediately thinks of the perfection of the Margherita—the real truth of pizza. She fondly recalls watching her daughters each happily devour their own Margherita pie on their first family trip to Italy. For favorite places in Italy, a hidden gem she loves is Padova (Padua) in Veneto, just 40 minutes from Venice. It boasts beautiful historical squares, palazzos, and magnificent food. Fun fact she shared: Padova is the birthplace of Aperol!
I chimed in with a couple of my own must-eats: the pizza at La Pacea in Levanto, Cinque Terre, and Pizza De Feliz in Lucca. We also discussed our mutual love for Orvieto—that gorgeous hilltop town that feels like a fortress—and the unparalleled energy of Rome.
Beyond pizza, Michelle raved about the focaccia col formaggio (focaccia with cheese) from Ravella Pesticceria in Camogli, a beautiful, colorful town in Liguria.
What’s Next for Michelle?
Michelle is currently busy with several projects, all percolating on the “stove top,” as she calls it. Her new books include a travel journal documenting her latest trip and a fiction book she calls Glimmer. She plans to launch a platform, possibly via Substack, focused on nurturing people in their creative journeys, helping them work through doubt and make time for their art.
Most excitingly, she is planning future writing retreats in Italy! The goal is to create the space for people to step back, write, excavate their ideas, and, of course, explore and eat.
If you are looking for that creative spark or just need a beautiful dose of Italy, you have to connect with Michelle!
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