Today we’d like to introduce you to Teresa Fiehn Millies.
Teresa, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m an artist and energy worker. Color, numbers, and gut feelings are the only way I know how to function. I love color gradients and poetry. A great color way looks the same to me as the words in a well-written poem. I’m a natural artist and intuitive. As a kid, my grandmother taught me to crochet and embroidery. I quit drawing when most kids do, around 6th grade and started writing, keeping journal consistently since I was 13 years old. In college I studied Psychology with the hopes of doing color and journal therapy. I didn’t even know if that was a thing. After my associates I dropped out to get married. But 10 years later but when my husband started art school, I got jealous and bought a camera. Completely falling back deep in love with color and shadow.
At work, I quickly moved up in the company, becoming a Corporate Trainer. I researched, created, and facilitated content to groups of people, online and in person. It was rewarding and I loved it. I got to write and teach every single day. When my daughter was born, she had a heart condition and I quit my job in 2011. I was bored out of my mind sitting around, not making anything, so I picked up crochet again. I taught myself how to read patterns. When my son was born a couple years later I picked up embroidery again. Around the same time, Aurora’s art community started to spring up and take hold. I was asked to help with ArtBar, a very popular pop-up gallery, and managed it with five friends for three years. All while creating pieces for the gallery each month. This is where I really honed my technique with hand and machine embroidery. Then I started quilting in 2014. Ive chronicled my fiber art up until this point at daisiesforviolet.com
In 2015, I was invited to learn Reiki Level 1. It was like a light went on in my head and has never turned off. I suddenly can feel energy. I immediately picked up Tarot and Oracle cards. I have had a deck since I was a teenager, but never took the time to learn. Now, I realized I could read them intuitively. I look at symbols and talk with the person and feel what the cards are saying and what the person is looking for. I really love reading cards. 4 out of 5 people will will release something to me in a reading. I started my quarterly zine Third Arcana in December 2017 right about when I started Queenofmarigold.com. It’s taken from one of my favorite Beatles songs. In 2018, I completed my Reiki Master Certification in February. Last August, I was asked by the Aurora Downtown to create a fiber mural on a fence downtown. I love working with simple and bold color. As of April 2019 I’m opening my artist studio downtown, together with a kindred spirit names Annie Baldwin. It’s called Arcana Studios, and we are doing tarot workshops, stitch clubs, poetry readings, energy work and putting together a free zine library. I also completed Holistic Birth and Post Partum Doula Certification in 2018 and 2019. And got accepted into a Homeopathy Certificate program. I like being busy!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Doubt is a killer! I have not been formally trained in any sort of artistic discipline. But what I have is a huge support of friends and my little family that believe I can and will do all the ideas in my head.
The only difficulty has been feeling that this life of color and beauty is really mine. When I was younger, I loved art but didn’t believe I was good enough. I couldn’t call myself an artist until I was in my 30s. I spent so much time judging my work or ignoring my need to create. That idea that you aren’t an artist unless you draw. I spent much of this time worried because I wasn’t a specialist in one area. I thought if I could just keep my attention on one thing, I could master it.
A friend of mine sent me a YouTube video about multipotentialites. DING! All shame about being a jack of all trades master of none evaporated. We have interests that span many things and are equally into those things. It makes it nearly impossible to want to do the same thing twice, but it makes it easy to do new things often. And all knowledge learned is retains and used in all areas. We’re information vampires! I make a lot of stuff, I’m interested in a lot of stuff, and I do a lot of stuff. I’ve finally learned that doubt is the only thing struggle when it comes to creation. I’m very big on authenticity. The more you are truly yourself the more opportunities are presented to you. My little brother once said to me “F*ck em, you do you”. I have the luxury of living by that. It’s brought me talented incredible people and opportunities I never would have seen if I were neutralizing myself or playing small. Authenticity is absolutely key.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
This last summer I completed a 20 ft piece on a chain link fence using surveyor’s tape. Thats one of my favorite projects ever. I’m known as the girl that will take that job without knowing how or what I’m going to make, getting crazy stressed out but then pulling it off. I love taking risks like that. I learn as I go and I don’t mind failing. That just means, I get to start over. I get to try again. I get to trust the universe and the path I’m on.
We have so much information and interesting things around us, I want to learn it all and I want to teach it all. I’m currently all in with our Studio and Homeopathy school. My 7 year old daughter and I are working on zines for our table Chicago Zine Fest on May 18th and the summer is coming so you never know where you will find a yarn bomb!
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Sue Ozuna – My mom. When I tell her about something I’m working on, or committed to she usually shakes her head and says, “You amaze me, you can do anything.” She has never told me I couldn’t or shouldn’t be whatever I felt like being, no matter how many times I’ve shifted my path.
Jeff Millies – My husband. He has been watching me shift gears for 13 years and every time he acts like it’s the most logical thing in the world.
My kids – because they like to make stuff too and remind me that it’s not that serious. Creation is fun. Learning is FUN.
My Om family – Steph Martin, Shelli Mullins, and so many other amazing women from my Sister Circle. They have been a source of comfort, encouragement, and love. They have shown me that if I want to do all these things I need to stop complaining and get up and do it.
The artist community in Aurora – so many people and so much community. We are all artists because we have supported each other for years. I’m proud to be part of it.
Pricing:
- Remote Card Reading $22
- Intuitive Tarot Workshop $66
- Reiki Session $40
- Third Arcana Zine – $2
Contact Info:
- Website: queenofmarigold.com
- Instagram: @queen.of.marigold
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
