We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mia Broder a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mia, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Four months after Russia decided that borders no longer applied to them, fear and terror moved into the Olkhovskie’s home in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Only 40 miles from the Russian border, their days are filled with wondering not if they will be attacked but when.
That’s when I met Alla Olkhovska in June 2022. She was a gardening Facebook friend of my mother’s and was selling Ukrainian stamps to raise money to support her family. I was like so many others who believed the War in Ukraine was absolutely horrific. I wanted to help and bought a set of stamps. But I knew I could do more…

Alla has a garden at her Granny’s house in the center of Kharkiv where she cultivates rare plants and takes the most beautiful photos. Both provide respite from the chaos. She stays in Kharkiv because she must. Her husband, Vitaliy is still too weak from a covid infection to travel. And her Granny vows to never leave her family home. Alla is the caretaker of the family now, learning skills she never thought she would like being an electrician.

I started my art fundraiser almost immediately. Alla knew they would need a generator if they were to survive the winter, so that was my first goal – raise $1,500 to help her buy a generator.

I am an artist and graphic designer. My initial plan was to create art pieces based on Alla’s garden photography and sell them on an online store that I built. There was a real sense of urgency as the war intensified during the summer. By August, I was able to help Alla purchase a portable generator. But again I knew I could more…

In the beginning of August I started to put together an art show “Alla’s Garden: Connecting Art & Ukraine” to be held at a local gallery in September 2022. I found four other local artists, who graciously donated their time and art work, which was also inspired by Alla’s photography. The gallery donated the space and food. I also set up a GoFundMe account to go with the gallery show. All funds raised went to Alla and her family. It was amazing.

After the show, all the remaining art pieces went on the online store (www.allasgarden.com).
Since June I have raised over $12,000 that helped pay for house repairs due to nearby shelling, a portable generator, replacement appliances that were damaged during the blackouts, funeral costs, medical procedures, along with critical medicine and food.

In the beginning, Alla often asked why I would choose to help complete strangers I’ve never met. It is simple, because I can.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

For the longest time my creativity has two basic sides, the business – paying bills side and the curious, yet self-soothing side. I went to Creative Circus and Portfolio Center after my degree in Advertising from the University of Georgia all which gave me a great foundation in the business side of the Creative world. I’ve used that knowledge for over 20 years and currently work as a freelance graphic designer.
My artist side revealed itself as a form of therapy and self-discovery. In my 20s my art work leaned towards processing something internal I needed to understand. As the years passed it evolved to more whimsical 3d mixed media pieces.

In my 30s I discovered my true purpose in that giving my creativity was far more fulfilling than just creating for me. For five years I taught art weekly at a local domestic abuse shelter. My most recent project has bought all my creative skills together – business and artistic. With the Ukraine art fundraiser I created the artwork and the online store, as well as organized an art show. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is that hard and impossible are different.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was 24 years old. I have navigated through the years with determination to fight for my sanity. Though my inner strength wasn’t truly tested till I was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) when I was 40. FND is a random episodic illness that steals my ability to talk, limits mobility and causes pain. When combined with the bipolar life can be very challenging. To be honest I’m still learning the balance between the two illnesses and a “normal” life. However I know I have the grit to survive.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Using my creativity to give back is always incredibly fulfilling. Whether teaching art at a domestic abuse shelter or implementing an art fundraiser for a family in Ukraine, I know I am at my best when I am creating for a cause.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miabroder/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mia.broder
• Other: https://allasgarden.com/