In a world filled with noise, uncertainty, and constant distraction, finding peace can feel impossible. After attending the closing event for the Walk for Peace in Washington, DC, contemporary mixed media artist Precious Burger shares a simple mindfulness practice—and how breath, presence, and creativity can help you reconnect, find calm, and create from a place of grounded peace.

Making art will ask you to tell the truth. It will push you past what feels comfortable. It will ask you to show up, even when you’re not ready. And if you’re willing to stay in the discomfort, it will reflect you back to yourself.

This week tested me. Between personal struggles and creative challenges, I found myself tangled in fear and self-doubt. It’s a vulnerable place—one that many artists (and humans) know all too well.

We live in a world that encourages masks. Polished feeds. Perfect answers. But art? Art doesn’t care about your filters. That’s the power and radical truth about art. That’s the power of story.