About the Identity Journal

The Identity Journal is a youth literary and arts journal published by LitiArts. Too often, young people are defined by everyone around them. Rarely do they get to define themselves. This journal was created to center the voices, stories, and creative expressions of young people as they explore identity, community, belonging, and the worlds they imagine.

At its core, The Identity Journal is a space by youth, for youth. We believe young people are not only storytellers of their own lives, but also critical thinkers, artists, and changemakers whose narratives deserve care, visibility, and respect. Through poetry, essays, creative nonfiction, and visual art, youth contributors engage questions of selfhood, place, language, culture, and possibility on their own terms.

The Identity Journal is rooted in the values of LitiArts, a 501(c)(3) literacy- and arts-based organization committed to affirming youth identities, especially those of young people from historically marginalized and underrepresented communities. Rather than prescribing what youth stories should be, the journal creates space for multiplicity. We honor linguistic diversity, creative risk-taking, and expansive forms of expression. We understand identity as layered, evolving, and shaped by relationships, histories, and place. We believe youth knowledge matters now, not later.

As a newly launched journal, The Identity Journal is growing alongside its contributors. We are committed to building an accessible, supportive platform that values youth voice, creative freedom, and community care. This journal is an invitation to write, create, and reflect together.