You never know what is going to stick with you… for Alyssa Miller, it was quill work. Miller is a Métis Cree quill worker who was born and raised in Hinton, Alberta. She works with porcupine quills and birch bark and she first learned her craft at a cultural festival in Whitehorse in 2015. After a few years of sitting with what she had learned, she was laid off from her job when the pandemic set in. Miller started putting things together in her head and she picked it back up again. For the last few years, she’s been doing so regularly and after a lot of hard work and dedication, the practice has “stuck”. 

Growing up, Miller was always around different arts and crafts. Her mom was into traditional arts and crafts and Miller participated in a range of classes, from sewing, painting and pottery. Later, she was involved with photography and makeup before diving into traditional arts for her mom.

Over the course of her life, one of the biggest obstacles Miller has had to overcome has been her struggle with her mental health. In her battle with anxiety and depression, she has learned about herself and what she needs to keep going. When she needs help, she knows how to reach out for it. Surrounding herself with a circle of supportive people she clicks with, whether friends or family, has helped her cope. Having a way to express herself through the arts and create with her hands has also been important to support her mental health.

When it comes to inspiration, Miller looks to all the skills she’s built up over time, bringing them together into what she loves to create. Her life skills have ended up being transferable for her porcupine quillwork on birchbark, her jewelry making and her business. She loves photographing wildflowers, medicines, mushrooms and things in nature, turning them into reference points for her work. Her mom, a lifelong artist, also inspires her.

If she could share a message with her younger self, Miller would say, “Everything that's going on and that you're doing and all the little bits and pieces that play out here and there may not make sense right now, but they'll all come together, and things will start to fall into place and make quite a lot more sense."

Her advice for a young person thinking about leaving home to pursue their education or find work would be, “I definitely think you should do it, even if it's for a little while… but it's also definitely okay to come back home eventually, if that's how you feel.” Miller’s advice for someone struggling on their path is, “Just keep going for the things that are pulling at your heart, anything that is making you feel good, or in any direction that just feels like right and maybe something new, but also something very exciting, or just go with those, and hopefully it'll will pan out."

Alyssa Miller didn’t know when she first learned quillwork at a cultural festival in Whitehorse how it would change her life. After a pandemic and a lay off, she found a way to make a living and beautiful art while maintaining her mental wellness.  Led by the inspiration of her mother’s traditional practices and the beauty around her, she’s built a business doing something she loves.

Thanks to Alison Tedford Seaweed for authoring this article.