Ange Miller – Aesthetic Mapping Journal

I grew up in rural hub country town Tamworth, NSW, Australia with productive parents who brought forth 7 children. In High School I remember largely feeling misplaced. When we would have career path advisory days and other students would be abuzz with gathering information for chasing their particular Dream Job; I floated aimlessly, wondering if I should just find a rich man and have his babies.

Wandering through life is the best way of describing the next 20 years. I did find a rich man. Not rich in monetary wealth but rich in spirit and purpose. I had four of his babies. But Something always kept me floating around… I knew there was Something More that I was missing. There was Something More to this. I have always been an artist, and the escape my creativity provided was definitely a vital harbour in the emotional storm.

It wouldn’t be until my 40th birthday that I would realise why I was so lost in that school hall on Career Path Advisory days.

There was no banner with “Advocate for Humanity’s Creative Identity”.

No Banner with “Whole Hearted Searcher and Tester”

Not even a banner with “Artist/ Creative/ Entrepreneur”!!!

You see, it was creative expression which kept me intact through years of depression caused by the confusion of my purpose.

At the end of my rope, my spirit cried out and at the same time I was convicted that I must search harder, deeper, more purposefully and with all my heart.

In the most subtle but powerful way Creativity reassured me of my Name. Not “Ange”, but the name too deep for words. The name of my spirit. It’s too deep for words so I must use paint, actions, songs and love to speak it and understand it. To know my value.

Rewinding several years before this time I was employed as a lecturer at Avondale College University. I facilitated Lab in Painting & Drawing for 1st and 2nd year Bachelor students.

As I searched, I bounced things off my students and tested my findings with crafted curriculum and unique approaches.

Over the years of whole-hearted searching I came to realise for myself AND for my students that our Creative Identity had been imposed upon by the common value system which promotes Performance and Product over search and expression. This has enabled a creative confidence deficit in much of the population.

People are disconnected from their creative truth.

This enables competition, greed, desperation, anxiety, depression, narcissism, irresponsibility, oppression, emotional trauma and suicide.

What I stand on is make-or-break for me.

It has empowered such value, purpose, joy and goodness in my life regardless of circumstance.

This is the basis for my teaching.

So if you only want techniques, sorry (but not sorry).

There will be an ever-unfurling supply of training starting from here.

And I am SO EXCITED to see what ripples out from this little spot on the world wide web. Your feedback means SO MUCH TO ME!

If this teaching answers the call of your heart’s cry for FREEDOM, please reach out and let me know!

Be BLESSED. xo