Healing Hearts Through Art and Poetry

Discover Althea’s Empowering Journey in Our Latest Podcast Episode

Are you ready to be inspired?

Our latest podcast episode, “Healing Hearts Through Art: Althea’s Empowering Story of Community and Creativity,” takes you on a transformative journey that highlights the incredible power of art and community in healing and personal growth. Join us as we talk with Althea René Miller, a multigenerational artist whose creative path spans from the vibrant streets of Los Angeles to the heart of Wisconsin.

Meet Althea: A Journey of Resilience and Creativity

Althea’s story is one of overcoming challenges and embracing creativity as a form of expression and healing. With roots in Los Angeles, she now calls Wisconsin home, where she has spent the last 17 years cultivating her artistic talents and pursuing her passion for education. A proud graduate of UW Madison with a degree in psychology, Althea is currently working toward a master’s in multicultural education. Her journey is a testament to the power of education and community in addressing local disparities and fostering acceptance.

In our episode, Althea shares her experiences with the Posse program, discussing the initial hurdles she faced and how these challenges motivated her to create supportive networks for herself and others. It’s a story that resonates deeply with anyone who has ever felt out of place or struggled to find their voice.

The Power of Artistic Expression

Throughout the episode, Althea dives into her diverse artistic endeavors, which include dancing, singing, songwriting, painting, and poetry. Her experiences in the arts program at UW were instrumental in helping her develop her skills and foster a sense of belonging within a community of like-minded individuals. From her early days in dance ministry at the Church of the Harvest in South Central LA to her passion for poetry sparked by a competition in American Girl Magazine, Althea’s artistic journey is rich with inspiration.

Althea emphasizes the importance of connecting with children through creative expression. Drawing from her own challenging childhood experiences, she passionately advocates for understanding the deeper contexts behind children’s behaviors, urging listeners to recognize these actions as expressions of underlying trauma rather than mere misbehavior. Through engaging in creative activities, she not only supports children but also facilitates healing for adults, celebrating individuality and resilience in a world that often imposes rigid societal expectations upon us.

A Poignant Reflection on Identity

One of the highlights of this episode is Althea’s powerful poem, which beautifully captures themes of insecurity and identity. Using the metaphor of a dandelion, she illustrates the resilience and strength that can flourish amidst adversity. This poignant piece serves as a reminder of the beauty that can emerge from struggle and the importance of embracing our authentic selves.

Poem:

I awake, worrying that the ground cannot hold my weight
Yet curious about who lives in my reflection
And what awaits outside.
What is it about my body that makes my soul yearn for
another Galaxy?
And when will I find a home in these bones?
The mirror reveals a furrowed brow.
Dark circles form moon phases above heavy cheeks punctured
by a smirk.
Black coils spiral gray past my ears, to shoulders upon
which many stand
But few acknowledge.
Outside, the wind is resolute, the sun hides its face. 
Birds rush from log to nest and back again, and the trees surrender
to it all. 
All to be rooted like they, to claw the earth and understand
it, 
to brush the heavens and be humble. 
But I am just a dandelion, plucked and strewn to whet the appetite
of the wishful. 
Whimsical yet inconvenient, unyielding but delicate. 
When did the soil turn to cement? And what fruit can I bear here?
If given a chance, I would smile. 
I'd be cloudless and gold. 
I'd sing at sunrise and laugh while being trampled underfoot.
I'd talk about not fearing the squall and cyclone because yes,
the wind is resolute, but it's gravity you've got to reckon with.
She's the one with bite and a vendetta, 
pulling and pushing the moon just to throw water a shore, 
shaking deserts and gurgling lava, bragging about swallowing
light. 
She hides stars in her cheek and causes whole universes to fall
at her feet. 
And I, I am just a dandelion. Little but not insignificant, 
both firmament and fallow fight for my attention. 
I am a menace, but not without merit. 
I scratch the earth and soften it. I tickle the sky and feel
it. 
I enter the void and soothe. It cut me and I breathe anyway.
I stretch anyway. 
I plunge into the earth and root anyway.
I turn smut into something worth telling while getting cast aside
for gentler, prettier, more submissive sprouts. But I be anyway.
I have teeth and conviction. Pulling and pushing only propels
me to purpose, 
cracking concrete and pouring nectar. 
I gloat about how light flows through me, 
how disaster birthed me. 
There are universes in my seed, yet I am still just a dandelion.
Little but not insignificant, perennial and prolific, with moons
in my cheek. 
I think gravity has to reckon with me.

Althea also reflects on her two-year journey of storytelling, which has allowed her to achieve closure and celebrate her artistic and personal growth. Her insights will resonate with anyone who has navigated the complexities of identity and healing.