The crowd was cheering, but all I could hear was my breath and racing heartbeat. The night was alive with heat and anticipation. I had run the Great Scottish Run twice in the past, but this year I wanted a different kind of challenge. Something that would test me in a new way. So I chose to walk on fire.
Standing barefoot at the edge of the glowing embers, I felt a surge of doubt. Every instinct told me to stop. The mind wants safety. It tells you to step back, to wait. But there comes a moment when you decide to move through fear instead of around it.
I took a deep breath, thought of my parents, and stepped forward. The heat and smoke rose through my feet, and with each step, something inside me changed. It wasn’t just a walk across coals. It was a walk through memory, courage, and love.
Art for good
That moment of walking through fear has stayed with me. I call that space Zero Ground, the place of peace and serenity, the place I come back to when life feels uncertain. When I paint or draw, I find calm again. The noise quiets down, and I feel balanced.
My mother and father both faced long health struggles. Watching them taught me how much strength it takes to care for someone, and how hard it can be on the people who give that care. The Firewalk became a way to honour them, and everyone who serves or suffers quietly. Carers, nurses, family members, people who show up every day, even when they are tired or hurting themselves.The impact on their mental health goes unchecked. They sometimes never have a chance to release and heal.
Art, for me, is about giving that quiet strength a voice. Each painting I make carries a wish for peace, courage, and connection. I hope it gives others a moment to pause and breathe and reconnect with better mental health.
Raising vital funds for mental health
This year, through my Zero Ground for Good collection, I’m raising funds for the Mental Health Foundation. Forty percent from every artwork or print goes directly to support mental health programmes. I believe art can help people open up, talk, and feel less alone.
The Firewalk reminded me that courage isn’t about being fearless. It’s about taking a step even when you’re scared. It’s the same feeling I hold onto when I paint, to keep going, even when things are uncertain.
When we move forward, no matter how small the step, something shifts. We find hope. We find connection. And we remember that we all walk this path together.
Browse the collection of artwork for sale.
About Sarmed
Sarmed Mirza is an award-winning British Asian artist, educator, and storyteller whose work has been shown nationally and internationally. In 2025, he was selected for the prestigious John Moores Painting Prize 2nd stage. He teaches drawing and painting to students of all levels, creates portrait commissions that honour personal histories, and makes smaller works for joy and grounding in his Zero Ground for Good collection, which channels art into mental health support.
About the collection
The images on this page are all of artwork featured in the Zero Ground for Good collection, including:
- Anchor in Blue - the fractured surface and deep blue layers reflect how, even in times of strain, there is strength that holds. A reminder that stability can be found even when the ground beneath feels uncertain.
- The Way Through - a snowy trail, marks how far we have come and how our footprints can guide someone just beginning.
- A Pair of Pears - holds a quiet truth that beauty is everywhere if we give it our full gaze.