Meet Miki Anderson | Mental Health Expert & Miscellaneous Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Miki Anderson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Miki, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I have always been drawn to art–the various methods used to create something that previously did not exist, and I have wanted to be a part of that however I could.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Hmm… What do I want the world to know about me? Well, I’m a neurospicy mental health expert, and I have dabbled in a little bit of everything. This will get a bit long-winded, so hold on. When I was maybe five years old, I equally wanted to be a singer and a writer. I sang my little heart out for every school musical performance, and I would type short stories about the Care Bears. I wrote poems and short stories in middle school and high school, but most of those works will never see the light of day. I moved away from writing in college and shifted my focus to photography, which I still pursue semi-regularly. In between therapy sessions, I enjoy sitting outside in nature and listening to music while photographing a beautiful tree in my backyard. In 2018, I began mixing samples and eventually began publishing my music, which can be found under Pax Minerva and Electromanic, the latter being an electronic/rock project with my long-time friend, Justin “JR” Allen. We began collaborating on songs together, with my electronic music (and occasional vocaals) and his amazing guitar skills, and we began booking shows in Raleigh, NC through a company called Afton, I believe. However, the pandemic killed our momentum, and Electromanic dissolved. However, I continue to make music as Pax Minerva. And, finally, I started teaching myself to paint a year ago.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Fayetteville. If my best friend were to visit the area, I would suggest going downtown to check out Gaston Brewing Company, the Arts Council, and Rude Awakening–which is an amazing coffee shop on Hay Street. I would also want to go to Greg’s Pottery, where we could paint things and pick them up at the end of the week after they have been in the kiln. I would also suggest that we visit White Rabbit Pub for karaoke one night during the week.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shoutout to my children, Nathaniel and Lisa! They are my biggest supporters and encourage me to pursue my creative endeavors.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.miki.magnolia

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikianderson/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/pax.minerva.music

Other: https://www.threads.net/@dr.miki.magnolia

Image Credits
Miki Anderson