“In a world that asks us to focus on the things that can separate us, A Peace of My Mind invites us to explore the common humanity that connects us.” 

– John Noltner, founder, A Peace of My Mind

A Peace of My Mind is a multimedia arts project, created by award-winning photographer John Noltner, that uses portraits and personal stories to bridge divides and encourage dialogue around important issues. Through exhibits, workshops, lectures, on-site studios, and distance learning, A Peace of My Mind leads transformative experiences that help a polarized world rediscover the common humanity that connects us.

A gifted storyteller, Noltner has worked on four continents, gathering stories of human courage, grace, and resilience. He has produced projects for national magazines, Fortune 500 companies, and non-profit organizations. A Peace of My Mind reflects his belief that art and storytelling can help individuals, organizations and communities articulate their deepest values and encourage action toward building social capital and community connections.

What others are saying:

“A Peace of My Mind will tug at your heart and your sense of humanity. It’s difficult to digest this work and remain indifferent.” –Terri Lee Freeman, President, National Civil Rights Museum

“John Noltner takes us on a unique journey filled with revelations of courage and commitment, resilience and hope. It is a beautiful journey that speaks to our innermost being. It touches us in a way that allows us to see the world from a different perspective. Perhaps it will inspire us to become peacemakers.” –Ela Gandhi, South African peace activist and granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi

“A Peace of My Mind speaks the truth we are yearning to hear. In a country where fear of the “other” is epidemic, John Noltner’s collection offers ample common ground to bring us together as a human family.” –Marie Dennis, Co-president, Pax Christi International

“I would recommend this work to anyone who wants to experience the diversity of human beings and the universality of the human condition.” –Jim Wallis, New York Times bestselling author of America’s Original Sin, Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America, president of Sojourners, and editor-in-chief of Sojourners magazine

“These are stories of awakening the self, journeys of anguish, retribution and forgiveness, drive, accomplishment and purpose. Read slowly, cherish each story, listen deeply to shared words, and hold sacred the lessons offered.” –Marilyn Turkovich, Director, Charter for Compassion International

“A Peace of My Mind is one of the best examples of how stories can heal. Through these portraits and testimonies we can see through the eyes of others, and so reach across rifts of class, creed and race.”–Marina Cantacuzino, Founder The Forgiveness Project

“Noltner has a gift for discovering and sharing stories that inspire people of all ages to become their best selves.” –Jan Selby, Director, BEYOND THE DIVIDE, Quiet Island Films

“Noltner’s beautiful photographs surround us with such a great cloud of witnesses for peace, that we can see ourselves and our neighbors in them too, as real people building bridges together.” – Rev. Nancy Victorin-Vangerud, Director of the Wesley Center for Spirituality, Service, and Social Justice at Hamline University