Today was beautiful. My life is my favorite place in the world right now. I’m so grateful and I am feeling so loved, not only by Johnny but also by people who have the most generous hearts and want to share them with me, by friends and fans, – and also by myself. And I’m doing a lasting comeback when it comes to painting. “The Core” is actually the first painting of 2016. But hopefully I’ll be able to keep this flow of creativity and mojo that I’ve got working for me right now. Even if I still have a long way to go until I’m ready to show my art in a gallery again, I’ve achieved more than I thought was possible in a short amount of time. I feel proud of myself.

I’ve changed a lot as an artist since the long hiatus. I want to celebrate this change by making a statement, so this is the perfect time to officially change my last name from the original Finnish spelling – Mäkilä – to the international version – Makila – even in my Swedish art career, where I’m known by the original spelling and pronunciation. Mia Mäkilä doesn’t exist anymore. No more dots. Just a clean place to start over.

This is the dawn of the life, the adventures and successes of Mia Makila! I feel like celebrating…