✨ Finding Peace in the Chaos: What the Venerable Monks Taught Me About Art, Presence, and the Power of One Breath

Feb 15
4 min read

Grab your coffee or tea and settle in—because what I experienced last week is something that will stay with me for a very long time… and it’s already changing the way I show up in my art, my life, and in the world.

Last Wednesday, Todd and I traveled into Washington, DC to join nearly 2,000 people at George Washington University for the final gathering of the Walk for Peace.

For 109 days…Over 2,300 miles…Through heat, snow, sleet, and exhaustion…

25 Venerable Monks—alongside Aloka, the Peace Dog—walked from Texas to our nation’s capital.

Not to protest.

Not to persuade.

But to model something we’ve almost forgotten how to live:

Peace.

That evening, we sat together in a meditation that lasted nearly an hour.

A Simple Mindfulness Practice for Everyday Peace

Venerable Pannakara offered us just a few simple instructions:

Focus on your nostrils
Relax your body
Smile—just 1/10th of a smile

That was it.

And yet… it was everything.

In a room filled with 2,000 people, there were distractions everywhere—phones chirping, babies fussing, the occasional cough. My “monkey mind” was alive and well, eager to wander anywhere but the present moment. But each time, I gently returned to my breath.

Again. And again. And again. And then something shifted.

As the monks began to chant, I felt a frequency deep in my core—something I haven’t felt in a very long time.

Not fleeting calm. Not temporary relief.

But true, grounded, unshakable peace.

The Venerable Monks standing on a stage at George Washington University.

Finding Peace in the Chaos

On the drive home, it hit me.

Their journey wasn’t about politics.

It wasn’t about changing laws or convincing others to think differently.

It was about something far more powerful:

How we choose to live, no matter what is happening around us.

The Venerable reminded us that we spend so much of our lives chasing things—money, status, possessions—believing they will bring us happiness. But in the end, we take none of that with us. We only take love.

And perhaps the hardest truth of all?

We must learn to love ourselves before we can truly love anyone else.

If I’m honest, I’ve felt the weight of our world lately. The noise. The tension. The constant undercurrent of fear and anger. It’s easy to get pulled into it. But last week reminded me of something profound about finding peace in the chaos:

If we carry hate in our hearts, we become what we fear.We continue the very cycle we wish would end.

Humanity isn’t lost. We are humanity.

And that means the shift we’re hoping to see doesn’t start “out there.” It starts within us.

One breath at a time. One choice at a time. One moment at a time.

How Creativity and Art Help Us Process the Noise

You might be wondering how this connects to my work as an artist. The truth is… it changes everything.

As an intuitive abstract artist, I’m often translating the energy of the world onto canvas—the beauty, the chaos, the questions, the noise. Sometimes that shows up as bold, expressive layers…Sometimes as joyful bursts of color…And yes, sometimes as a full-on leap into something new and unknown.

But what the monks reminded me is this:

The most powerful work is an inside job.

In my Joyful Journey classes, we talk about loosening up, letting go, and playing. But beneath the paint and the mess… What we’re really doing is practicing presence. We’re practicing returning to ourselves. We’re practicing that 1/10th of a smile—even when things feel uncertain, messy, or unfinished.

Because that’s where the magic happens.

Not in perfection.

But in presence.

A Daily Practice for Peace, Creativity, and Presence

If a group of Venerable Monks can walk across the country—through freezing temperatures, exhaustion, and uncertainty—to embody kindness, peace, and compassion…

Then I can meet my own journey with a little more grace.

A little more patience.

And a lot more love.

Not perfectly.

But intentionally.

I left that night with a simple bracelet on my wrist that reminds me:

“Today will be my peaceful day.”

And I want to pass that on to you. No matter what the headlines say…No matter how heavy things feel…No matter how uncertain the path ahead may seem…

Pause.

Take a breath.

Soften your shoulders.

And find just 1/10th of a smile.

Because peace isn’t something we have to chase. It’s something we return to.

Again and again. And maybe… just maybe… that’s where everything begins.

Continue the Journey

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