About Amelia Weber
Born with a creative spark and an analytical mind, Amelia Weber has spent her life balancing the brilliance—and the chaos—of being both right- and left-brained. A dancer, entrepreneur, and now author, she knows firsthand the challenges of thinking in both big ideas and meticulous details. Diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, Amelia has learned to harness what others might see as a struggle into her greatest strength: an ability to think fast, adapt, and turn adversity into an advantage.
Her journey began in a small town in rural Illinois, where she fell in love with dance at the age of two. Overcoming physical setbacks early on, she developed a relentless work ethic that shaped her approach to both the arts and business. That same drive led her and her husband, Brian, to build a thriving family of businesses, including a performing arts center, a real estate investment company, a dance convention and competition and a nonprofit that brings the arts to children in underserved communities—including Cite Soleil, Haiti.
As the creator of Millie MaTaska and the Marvelous Meeting of Minds, Amelia draws from her own experiences of navigating an artistic soul in a structured world. Her story is a love letter to the dreamers and the doers, the planners and the free spirits, and to every child (or adult) who has ever felt at odds with their own mind. She believes that understanding both structure and creativity isn’t just possible—it’s a superpower. Watching her own creative children grow has only deepened her passion for helping young minds embrace their unique strengths, proving that the most beautiful ideas often come from the balance between order and imagination.
Amelia credits her mom, Jackie, for teaching her that determination knows no limits and that every person matters, and her father, Mark, for showing her the power of growth through action. She gives thanks to the arts for shaping her journey and to Jesus for guiding it.
When she’s not writing, leading, or creating, Amelia finds true joy in being fully present with family and friends, surrounded by good music, great conversation, and delicious food.
From a young age Ashliana Rae often beat to the sound of her own drum. She insisted on her pacifier being upside down as a baby, was defiant on choosing what clothes to wear as a kid, has always been particular on how food is presented, and she never liked coloring books because she’d rather draw her own images.
Drawn by the creativity of the arts she began drawing from a young age. She drew everything from her pets, to fashion, to plants, and even original characters based off herself and her friends. Ashliana began to take art more seriously when entering high school. In addition to taking art classes, she also was a part of the art club and the National Art Honors Society. After graduating high school, she went on to study graphic design at Bradley University. At college she won the Outstanding Student in Graphic Design award her senior year and graduated summa cum laude.
As illustrator of Millie Mataska and the Marvelous Meeting of Minds, Ashliana was able to see herself in Millie. As a girl with her own highly task-oriented mother, she is familiar with discourse over organization, fashion, decorations, etc. Despite their differences, Ashliana and her mom get along well and both have an appreciation of the arts, often going to see live theatrical performances.
Ashliana would like to thank her parents for encouraging her to always do her best, her dear friends who always support her, and God who has led her to opportunities like these.
When not illustrating, Ashliana enjoys reading, watching movies, theatre, dancing, going to events with friends, swimming, spending time with family, and a good cup of tea.
About Ashliana Rae
Millie MaTaska was created by Amelia Weber
Copyright ©️ 2025 Amelia Weber, All Rights Reserved.