The first artist to emerge from her family, Esmeralda Vasquez discovered the power of art to dive deeper into her culture, and highlight the colors and the beauty that come from it. Esmeralda is a Latina from the Yakima Valley, currently working in Seattle as a multi-disciplinary artist, muralist, painter, and teacher. She recently sat down with high school senior Luz to share the inspiring story of finding her voice and empowered identity through activism, public art, and teaching in the community.

Co-presented by 4Culture, Coping 101's Artist Mental Health Stories amplify voices from King County's cultural sector to empower individual artists, uplift the creative community and destigmatize mental health from a teen's perspective. No matter our age or background we all face challenges, and there are many healthy ways to find balance. Get started with more episodes and resources hosted at c895.org/coping101

• Follow Esmeralda: instagram.com/esoveresmeralda/
• More about The Feels Foundation: thefeelsfoundation.org/
• More about Urban Artworks: urbanartworks.org/