Meet Michalla: A Home for art
There are not words to do justice to the work that Michalla is doing for our youth through her business: A Home for Art where she provides arts programs for disadvantaged youth. Her story is powerful beyond words- don’t miss this one. Our members are honored to have Michalla as a Guest Contributor this month to present her workshop session on Mediation and Expressive Arts for Self Care and Connection.
1. Tell us about who you are and your journey to where you are now!
I began my life as an unattended child, traveling with my parents from state to state. We lived a gypsy lifestyle and as professional ice-skaters; my parents did the best that they could for me. However, they could not always do the best for themselves. We showered at truck stops and occasionally slept in cars, but behind the stages, I lived a life filled with imaginative adventures.
Around the age of ten, I was sent to live with my grandparents in Florida. My father was a struggling drug addict and domestic abuse tendencies had mounted, while my mother suffered from mental illnesses that interrupted our daily living.
I struggled with the idea of permanency, receiving referrals, bullying others, and destroying property. I had developed a self-harming coping mechanism in the form of dermatillomania, and I had missed so much schooling over the years that I was eventually held back and began attending summer schools regularly.
Despite a confusing start, my grandmother began to provide me with various opportunities. Her encouraging words and support edged my life in a transformative direction. By the age of twenty-three, I had obtained experiences as a professional singer, voice-over actress, commercial model, published author, Disney entertainer, magazine manager, public speaker for youth, and teacher.
With a newfound sense of confidence and autonomy, I would create my first company, a party-planning business that provided services to youth and adults throughout Florida. Later, I began my own self-publishing company called The Barrie Patch, where I have been developing books and game applications for children that are inspirational, educational, and encouraging ever since.
I also gained a new appreciation for education, becoming the youngest PEL student at Eckerd College, and completing two bachelor’s degrees with honors in Creative Writing and Psychology. I then went on to begin my master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of the Cumberlands (UC) where I was accepted into the Chi Sigma Iota honors society.
It was in my first year at UC that I watched a documentary on PBS called Poor Kids, which followed the lives of several impoverished youths. At that moment I knew that I wanted to combine my education with my life experiences to form a nonprofit organization. A Home 4 Art, Inc. was founded in February of 2019 and is 501-3c providing art, music, drama, and literary programs to disadvantaged youth. Currently, I serve group homes and schools throughout Florida but look forward to expanding into homeless shelters and private foster homes in 2020.
In order to continue to foster my goals I recently began my Expressive Art Therapy Certification degree at the Expressive Arts Institute in Sarasota, Florida. I have also entered my senior Internship at Loving Life Today, where, under supervision, I provide individual counseling, Reiki, meditation, and Expressive Art services to individuals of all ages. I have also been honored to recently receive a partnership with the Fierce Women Project, where I will be co-hosting live media events that advocate for this outstanding organization and its services
In the future, I hope to attend more events as an inspirational speaker. I aim to complete a second master’s in creative writing from Harvard and a Ph.D. in Expressive Arts from Lesley University. I also have plans to write and produce short films and documentaries that advocate for the populations that I serve because the way I see it, no matter where you come from, anything is possible.
2. What is the mission of your brand? How does it empower women?
A Home 4 Art is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing disadvantaged youth with the tools that they need to succeed. We aim to offer creative opportunities and imaginative solutions that empower children ages six to seventeen. In this way, I am able to empower women via multiple outlets. One, I work with young women in disadvantaged populations, encouraging, insoiring, and motivating them to succeed, find strength, and follow thier dreams. Two, the women who volunteer with us are often empowered through the advocacy soul work that my organization provides. Finally, many of the centers that I work in are run by women who are eager to make a difference in the world. By collaborating with these orgonizations we, as women, empower each other.
3. How do you collaborate with women working towards a better world?
We work with women leaders and women within the programs we serve throughout the community to produce a better world. The children and adolescents that we engage with are hopefully prompted by the activities we do to change the world for the better as they transform their own beliefs from self-doubt to positivity and personal growth. As previously stated, the women who lead these schools, shelters, group homes, and private foster homes, and bussineses are eager to make a diffrene in the ways that they are most passionate about. that shines through in everything that they do. They are strong leaders with enormous hearts and business savvy, combined to make a tidal wave of motion for the better.
4. What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to press through as a female entrepreneur and what are the steps you’ve taken to overcome it?
The biggest challenge that I have faced as a human being, that then happens to bleed over into my work as an entrepreneur is an initial lack of self-confidence. It is important to note that I do not define myself as a female entrepreneur because I feel that this adds to the idea of females having to work harder or suffer within the industry. I am simply an entity coming in and going out of this world the same way as everyone else, with the same inner power as everyone else, harnessing myself to the best of my ability in a world driven but ideas that are seen as facts.
That said, when first entering into any new line of work or venture I always struggle with imposture syndrome, stemming from a childhood need to already be worthy and perfect enough for love and admiration. However, this is not often the rational case, and therefore, I imply a fake it until you make it stance. I have found that most insecuritues stem from a childhood belief that no longer serves me and that is overcome by seeing things from the adult mindset while still providing reassurance to that inner child who may have experienced difficulties in her upbringing. It is this same uncertainty that allows me to connect with the youth that have traveled down the same roads as I have, providing me with a unique way of connecting to and processing with those I serve. That said, it is important that we find the root of our challenges and see them as strengths in some way. In this way, we can find empowerment for ourselves and others.
5. What advice would you give to a female entrepreneur in the beginning stages of launching her brand or business?
Honestly, do not expect instant success, ask for help, have enough financial baking to last you a few years, and know the marketing industry. You can have the best foundation set into place but if you do not have support, finances, ways to constantly market, or help you are lined up for a rough ride. It took me three failed start-ups to learn these lessons. I thought that if I made a professional site, marketed on social media, took a nice headshot, and learned how to do it all myself that I would be launched into sucesss. Not so. Trying to run every single department of a business is literally impossible. Take it from someone who insists on and wants to do everything herself. You have to handle billing, marketing, graphics designs, website management, social media management (in itself a full-time gig), press, the actual activity itself, shipping, etc. Trust me and go in prepared to ask for help, spend a lot of money in the first year (the average is 10k), to have to market daily, and know that growth takes time. You are competing with millions of other people in a world of billions of ads, posts, sites, and products. Take your time, trust yourself, and work hard and I know you will do amazing things. All of that said, never underestimate a good college intern.
6. What sets your brand apart from others?
Nothing, I am just one more person in the world trying to do a good deed while following my passion, attempting to make a living, and hoping to inspire others along the way. We are all equal in our pursuits of meaning and joy in this world. What makes US different is how we choose to live our lives and the examples that we set for others through our unique stories and experiences.