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When
Megan Miller was four years old
she went on a deep-sea fishing trip with her dad. They
caught mackerel. For the next two years she drew pictures of
a boat, fishing poles, and a smiling Dad and daughter at
least once a day, sometimes several times a day. Later that
year, after seeing pictures of the Far East in National
Geographic, she made a collage about Thailand. And so began
a lifelong intense interest in the orient and all its
culture and architecture. And it broadened her scope in art
as well.
Megan,
now 24, is a prolific artist, working on her art at least 10
hours a day. She has made a specialty of drawing dancers and
cityscapes. The Far East and creatures of the sea continue
to be major interests. The most absorbing interest of all,
however, is in her diagnosis, Asperger’s Syndrome (AS).
AS is a
form of autism, a neurological phenomenon that reveals
itself in intense interests in things and subjects that fill
the mind and become obsessions from a very young age. Motor
skills are often deficient, but it is the lack of ability to
understand social rules and language that causes the most
difficulty.
Life at
public school was traumatic for Megan, who was teased,
excluded, and attacked for being different. Teachers,
however, tried to work with Megan and soon recognized her
talent. Megan’s parents encouraged her interest in art and
provided outside art classes.
“It
helped me to take art classes early. It seemed easier to do
than most things. I also liked the art clubs and
after-school projects because some of the kids were nice to
me.”
Classes
offered by Portsmouth artist Katy Baucke were a major
influence in Megan’s life. “Katy Baucke was an interesting
person who did things differently. She made learning art
fun,” said Megan.
Unfortunately, the peer abuse escalated in high school, and
Megan’s parents decided to homeschool her. Fortunately,
Megan was an excellent homeschooler and immersed herself in
geography, history, writing and, of course art.
Shortly
thereafter she was finally diagnosed with Asperger’s
Syndrome, and that became her new consuming interest. “I
went to all kinds of conferences [see www.AANE.org]. The one
who knew the most was [world-renowned AS expert] Tony
Attwood. He showed me there is a whole world of Asperger’s
that no one talks about,” said Megan.
Gradually over the next few years, Megan’s art, writing and
interest in AS evolved into one goal: to educate the public
about Asperger’s Syndrome. She wrote letters to newspapers
about the abuse kids with AS endure.
Foster’s Daily Democrat featured an article on Megan. She
has been a panel discussion member at an AS conference. One
of her drawings has been published on the cover of the book
Choosing Home: Deciding to Homeschool with Asperger’s
Syndrome by Martha Hartnett (available in stores, and at
Gafney Library.) .
A
long-term obsession with Sonic the Hedgehog comics led to an
email correspondence with Sonic the Hedgehog artist Ken
Penders. As she asked him questions about his craft, and
with his encouragement, her idea solidified: a graphic novel
featuring a heroine with Asperger’s Syndrome. She now has
several comics ready to go. |
