Ataraxia, the title of this piece, is a Greek word that describes "a lucid state of robust equanimity characterized by ongoing freedom from distress and worry." Since the US government has taken a swift turn into authoritarianism and all the stress that it brings, especially living in Los Angeles where our citizens freedoms have been ignored and taken away, with the constant anxiety of climate change while raising a young child and being an artist in a depressing art market, my desire to reach a state of ataraxia has never been more desperate. This piece is me looking toward an optimism I hope is there. This piece is me facing all of these stresses with a stoicism that allows it to flow over and past me. This piece is me creating a safe space for my family.