“Our community is very fortunate to have Sarah as our inaugural Creative Laureate. She builds community in such a unique and genuine way.”

—City Council Member & Local Community Partner, Winona MN

“This summer we commissioned Sarah to bring life and color to our fence and she did just that! It was a hoot to watch the progress and spend snippets of time with Sarah in her element. We still have folks walk by and say, "‘Your fence makes me happy.’ Me, too. :-) The process and the final product were infused with Sarah Johnson Sunshine and I highly recommend anyone jump at the chance to work with her.”

-Commissioned Mural Client, Winona MN   

“Working with Sarah was one of the best experiences of my life. Not only did my internship better me as a professional and help me understand what I want out of a job, but it bettered me as a human in every way. I learned so much from this experience and from Sarah’s brilliant mind. She exudes positivity and so deeply and genuinely cares about each and every person she cross paths with, to include giving out all of the encouragement and affirmations that a person could want and need in their life. Not a single day felt like work, and I would do this internship one thousand times over again.”

-Public Health Intern

“The skills she has taught us through Dinner Table Resilience we use every single day. And probably the most important gift Sarah has given us is that we are teaching our young son these skills at a very young age. At 2 years old he already knows how to identify multiple emotions, to use breathing to calm down and how to check in with his body when stressed. As parent I now know how to manage my frustration and anger when stressed, leading me to be calmer and more understanding with my little one. I feel these tools have the power to disrupt child abuse, domestic abuse and violence and simply lead to happier, healthier people. This could change everything.”

-dad, La Crosse WI

"Sarah is great. She inspires and guides in a way that is empowering. I learned about myself, connected with some truth, and had fun."

— Art & Mindfulness Workshop Participant, Winona MN

“I have had the pleasure and honor to know and work with Sarah Johnson for the past 5 years. She is a highly experienced mental health professional who brings color and joy to all she does. Everyone needs some Sarah Johnson in their life!”

— County Health Administrator, La Crosse County

“Sarah is an ideal collaborator. Her work is exceptional.”

-Commissioned Artwork Client, Winona MN

"Sarah provided insight and tools for living and creating."

— Art & Mindfulness Workshop Participant, Winona MN

“Sarah has a such deep depth of experience working in public health. This has allowed her to build interventions that are at once natural to integrate into everyday practice but also focus on larger systems changes that build long-term, needle-moving successes for individuals, organizations and whole communities. Her practical tools are easy to understand and speak to people on a human level. Her implementation support is flawless and adaptive. I have worked with her to support many community organizations on their journey to integrate mental health and trauma-informed care with great, measurable success. She’s a ringer for any organization wanting to change their culture to be more human-centered.”

- Community Development Public Health Professional, La Crosse WI

“Partnering with The Joy Labs has helped my organization return to alignment with our goals and values during an incredibly stressful time for mental health providers. In doing so, we were able to protect provider morale and well-being and continue with our mission. Sarah Johnson’s talents are extensive – my organization is so fortunate to be able to work with her.”

Therapist and Small Business Owner, La Crosse WI

“Sarah provides easy-to-understand and use tools on how to integrate mental health supportive language and actions into every aspect of personal life—be it at work, at home, or in the community with friends and neighbors. Her Dinner Table Resilience series has helped multiple members of my family during the pandemic. From dealing with the death of a loved one, to pandemic isolation and learning about trauma within the family, to coming to terms with an eating disorder, Sarah has walked with us through her videos and skills sheets. We know exactly what to do during a crisis AND we understand how to care for ourselves and one another better. My self-care has never been better and I’m feeling incredible because of that.”

-mom, La Crosse WI

“Sarah Johnson is passionate about helping children and families and achieves results in part due to her care for others and positive attitude .”

-Youth & Teen Psychiatrist, La Crosse WI

"Sarah Johnson is an incredibly gifted artist, communicator and connector that we are so fortunate to have in our Keoxa/Winona community. Collaborating with Sarah over the years has brought me immense joy. Her openness, sense of play and humor, compassion and presence is always engaging, often surprising, and definitely color-full. .”

-Artist & Creative Collaborator, Winona MN

“I think YOU…

are MAGIC.”

— Kindergarten student & Mindfulness workshop participant (said while pointing at Sarah)