Johna Rivers

When you ask people what it takes to make it, most say, “Follow your dreams and never give up.” But they don’t tell you how to not give up. Adversity comes so often, it’s like a neighbor.

Growing up in foster care in Los Angeles, Johna Rivers didn’t always get the opportunity to express her creativity. Once she got older, Rivers wanted to offer something for kids like her.

You may know me as a writer, but I am also well known for my advocacy work with the juvenile justice system and the foster care system. I previously wrote an article about art as a form of therapy.

Many believe art is the most effective form of therapy. Art therapy not only helps release visuals of a horrific past, it releases the soul to become free of all hurt, pain and regret that we let hold us down.

The secret to fixing the foster care system lies in the voices of the youth. When you put a group of foster youth in a room together to talk about the system, you get a very dynamic dialogue.