How a Singapore ‘Artist’s Way’ program is rekindling my creativity

Rediscovering my creative self has been one of the most fulfilling yet challenging parts of my journey with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

A few weeks ago, I started an exciting adventure with Wildly Creative, a 14-week arts and wellness program run by the Singapore theater company Wild Rice. Led by Edith Podesta, an Australian director and playwright, the program explores Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way,” which features exercises to unlock creativity and reconnect with the artist within.

The program has been a chance to reflect on my past, rediscover my passions, and envisage what could lie ahead for me as an artist.

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June 22, 2020 Columns by Hawken Miller

Creativity Allows Me to Surpass Any Physical Limits

From childhood joys to a later reawakening

As a child, the world of theater was a magical realm I eagerly stepped into. My mother, a literature major, had a unique talent for bringing stories to life, and my father gifted us — my older brother, Isaac; our older sister, Jane; and me — a childhood filled with wonder through attending stage performances catering to kids our age. Theater became a shared love for all of us.

As the grip of Duchenne tightened, however, venturing out of the house became increasingly challenging, and my connection to the stage began to fade. By the time I became an adult, my passion for the performing arts had almost entirely vanished, overshadowed by the difficulties of living with a restrictive lung disease and severe mobility impairments.

In 2022, after years of struggling with grief and depression following Isaac’s passing, I found my way back to the arts. Painting was my first love. Isaac and I created art together for a decade, even using our work to raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (Singapore). But in 2012, a sudden illness left my hands too weak to hold a paintbrush.

Losing that ability felt like losing a part of myself. But it wasn’t the end. A dozen years later, I’m co-running Rebirth Ensemble, a visual art-making business, with my girlfriend, Amanda. We’ve found new ways to tell stories and connect with others through art. It’s not about creating perfect pieces; it’s about embracing our imperfections and sharing our journey.

Finding strength in unbridled creativity

Being part of Wildly Creative has already taught me much. Each session reminds me that my artistic dreams never left me; they’ve just been waiting for the right time to bloom again. This year, I’m writing and performing in my first play with ART:DIS, a disability arts charity in Singapore. It feels like reclaiming a piece of my identity that I thought was gone forever.

As I type this column with my stylus, I’m reminded of the delicate strokes I used to paint on rice paper. Those moments shaped who I was, and they’re still part of me. Duchenne may have taken away some things, but it’s also given me the drive to adapt and thrive. Creativity doesn’t rely on physical ability. It comes from adapting, innovating, and persevering.

Rediscovering my artist self isn’t just a personal victory. It’s a testament to the enduring power of art and how it can heal and inspire. It’s about turning loss into something beautiful and creating a legacy of resilience and hope. And that’s what being an artist is all about.

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