For most 10-year-olds, painting is a fun hobby.

For Grace Miller, it's also a way to tell her story.

Grace loves to draw, color and paint. She especially loves sea otters.

But behind every piece of artwork is a challenge many people can't see. She has lived with juvenile arthritis since she was 5 years old.

"It feels like you just got punched a lot of times. And it hurts so bad," Grace said.

Explaining what she experiences isn't always easy.

"It gets hard trying to tell people what it's like because most people don't understand," Grace said. "But once they understand, it feels much better."

Now, Grace is sharing her story through the "Art for Arthritis" program, where she's paired with professional artist Laura Simmons. Together, they've created paintings that will be auctioned to raise money for arthritis research.

Simmons said the partnership is about more than creating art.

"On the outside they look like everybody else, but on the inside, they're really suffering with a silent disease," Simmons said. "So they do have to take breaks."

She hopes the project not only raises money for research but also helps children with arthritis gain confidence and feel seen.

"Their eyes light up and they see what I've already seen the whole time," Simmons said. "That's the 'aha' moment, and it's really wonderful."

Grace said working alongside Simmons has been one of the highlights of the experience.

"It's been very exciting and fun being able to work with Laura because she's so, so nice," Grace said. "The painting turned out so good."

Simmons couldn't agree more.

"I love what she did, and I'm so happy and so proud of her," she said.

The artwork will be featured during the Arthritis Foundation's Art for Arthritis event, where proceeds will support research and programs for people living with arthritis. Tickets and more information are available at arthritis.org/kcart