Peace often seems like the one thing you never have enough of. Always something going on. Deadlines looming, notes arriving later than promised, feedback that cuts deep. Creatively, you are tapped, and patience has run out. The business side of things is testing your limits. The sharp remarks, the tense exchanges, the heated debates over aesthetic and philosophical differences that are on auto-replay in your mind.

It is. All. So. Much. Leaving you feeling like peace is a luxury rather than a choice you can make right now.

You might tell yourself:

“I will be at peace once the show wraps.”

“I will calm down after I finish this project.”

“I will finally relax when life gives me a break.”

You tell yourself this a thousand times, and every time you do—every time you link it to circumstances beyond your control—peace slips further away. Why? Because there will always be another deadline, another note, another heated upset. Waiting for everything to settle before you allow yourself to feel calm is like waiting for the ocean to stop moving.

Peace in the Middle of Stress

Sharing production notes from the set: I kept delaying my inner peace, thinking it would appear after the chaos ended. It never did. There was always another crew issue to handle, another talent meltdown, another “whatever” crisis. Everything changed when I finally realized I could find peace even as the chaos was still swirling around me.

Calm often returns in the gap between moments—in the breath you take, the pause before you answer, the choice to meet tension with presence rather than reaction.

Instead of saying,“I will be at peace when this is over.”

Say and mean it,“I can return to peace now.”

Invitation: Ask yourself: Where am I postponing peace until something external changes? How might I create a pause in the middle of the very thing I want to escape?

Peace in Relationships

This can be a sticky one. External pressures are one thing, managing people and their expectations can be a whole other thing. It is not the noise of production that unsettles you; it is the clash of personalities. One of the biggest responsibilities that falls under your job description as an executive producer, director, really any production department head is navigating conflicting personalities and their agendas. The studio wants one thing, the production company wants another. The talents want their two cents. And somewhere in this mix is your vision. Good luck riding that bronco. I have been there. It is no fun, and there is no inner peace.

What helped? For starters, meditating and controlled slow breathing. That made a huge difference in settling me. Then, I became a better listener to each side and looked for common ground or an acceptable compromise. I found that much of diffusing a situation came from being an empathetic listener. People often just want to be heard and feel like their thoughts and feelings matter, giving them agency over what affects them and how they respond.

Invitation: Ask yourself: Where am I losing my calm to situations? Where am I reacting instead of truly listening? Where do I want to stay firm and composed instead of being pulled off balance?

Scene Change

Peace is found in the smallest choices. These moments can act as anchors amid the demands of creative work and daily life.

Before switching from one task to another—finishing a script, completing an edit, leaving a meeting—pause long enough to notice the break. Treat it like a scene change. Let that pause symbolize the choice to enter the next moment with calm.

Invitation: Create a scene change trigger. Whenever you finish a task or meeting, pause, close your eyes, take three deep breaths, then move on. You will notice a difference.

Personal Reflection

Now, here is a way for you to explore what you have just read more deeply. These exercises are inspired by my book, Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct, and Produce the Life You Want, where I blend camera photography and reflective journaling to encourage you to understand yourself even better.

Photo Op

Find an image that evokes a sense of peace. Use it as a visual reminder that calmness is always within reach, even when things feel unsettled.

Keep that photo nearby. Each time you see it, pause for those three breaths I mentioned. Write a sentence about how you will bring your peace into your creative work today.

Action Opportunity

Reflect on a moment this week when you felt thrown off balance—by a deadline, a note, or an exchange that stayed with you. How could pausing for three breaths or grounding yourself have changed the outcome?

Peace resides in how you reconnect with yourself when things become chaotic. Protecting your inner calm is what gives you the strength to start fresh again tomorrow.

“Whole life have a balance. Everything be better.”— Mr. Miyagi, The Karate Kid (1984)

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