Who we are
We Focus on ContentYou’re a successful, quality-driven professional in your chosen field, but the time you need to spend on your service or specialty keeps being lost to writing.
We can help.
01. Strategic
Our trademark project planning strategy ensures that the right people are involved from the beginning, project milestones are clear and achievable, and deliverables are met on time and within budget.
02. Professional
Honouring commitments, being transparent, listening, communicating, and providing our recommendations and solutions with courtesy and respect—these are the cornerstones of our success.
03. Dedicated
We are dedicated to making sure our clients are satisfied with what we do. This means being transparent about our processes, keeping our promises, and following up to ensure continued satisfaction.
Carolyn Johnstone
Carolyn Johnstone is the founder and CEO of Clear Expressions Inc.
Carolyn first discovered her flair for clear expression as a teenager, when her dad asked her to edit some business correspondence he had drafted. He was a designer and a builder—not a writer—and the writing was taking too much time away from his real work. The task came so easily to her, and the results were so effective, that Carolyn ended up writing or polishing his bids and any other written content for his company from then on, freeing up his time to focus on growing his successful sub-contracting business.
Most of his clients came to him through referrals from other, very satisfied clients, and Carolyn decided that she wanted to find a way to make that kind of difference when she grew up!
Over the years Carolyn has grown her gift for words by helping experts in virtually any field create quality content. She loves working with people who most remind her of her first “client”—experts in their chosen field who don’t want to spend their time writing!
A member of both the Editors’ Association of Canada and the Plain Language Association International (PLAIN), Carolyn holds an Honours BSc degree in psychology and cognitive science from the University of Toronto, a Certificate in Adult Education from St. Francis Xavier University, and a diploma in Technical Illustration from Sheridan College.
Since founding Clear Expressions Inc. in 2003, Carolyn has worked with large and small businesses, government agencies, and non-government organizations on all manner of writing projects.
If you need solid support with creating written material that lets your readers find, understand, and use the information they need when they need it, Carolyn can deliver.
The Clear Expressions Network
Clear Expressions continues to grow a network of experts in writing, editing, translation, photography, and graphic design so we can deliver on large and small projects even when times get busy.
These Are a Few of Our Favourite Things
Plain Language Translation
One of our core strengths is being able to see specialized content from the perspective of a non-expert and adjusting it so it resonates with the rest of the world.
Accent Correction
We particularly enjoy the dual benefit of providing accent correction services; while we consult with the author to ensure the continued integrity of the content, the client is learning too!
Turning Many Voices Into One
Pulling input from various experts into one document that flows can be challenging—we love turning that kind of potential “mess” into one voice that all contributors can take pride in.
Infographics
Carolyn Johnstone’s illustration experience gives her a unique skill for creating or editing infographics for optimal effectiveness and alignment with the written content.
Project Management
Our proven project management process ensures that all stages of the writing or editing project—timelines, milestones, budgets, etc.—are planned and managed through to completion.
Learning
We love to learn and to share new tips, tricks, and insights where we can while we continue researching new topics and networking with other writing and editing specialists.
“So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.”
Dr. Seuss