Who Is the Person Behind the Artist?

A student recently asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks:

“Who is the person behind the artist?”

It made me smile — and it made me pause.

Because while I often share my artwork, my classes, and what I’m creating in the studio, I don’t always talk about the deeper story behind it all.

So today, I want to share a little more of me.

Whispers from the Canyon - mixed media fiber art inspired by the Arizona Desert by Deb Deaton

Learning to Prove I Was Worthy

I didn’t grow up with encouragement. In fact, I grew up hearing the opposite — that I would never be good enough, so why even try.

Those words stay with you.

So I learned early to prove my worth through effort. Through discipline. Through achievement. I pushed myself hard in everything I did, believing that love had to be earned.

Sports became my first outlet. I held track records through school, but gymnastics was my passion. I trained at an Olympic level, even alongside an athlete who would later go on to win gold. I didn’t make the team — but I learned perseverance, focus, and how to push past limits.

Later, I stepped into modeling, walking runways alongside icons like Cheryl Tiegs. From the outside, it all looked glamorous. Inside, I was still trying to be “enough.”

Around that same time, my love for art followed me everywhere. I had been drawing constantly since childhood — capturing everything I saw, always creating with my hands. That passion eventually led me to the Art Institute of Colorado.

And while I loved being immersed in art, I quickly realized something about myself: I wasn’t wired for art history. I wanted technique. I wanted to do. I wanted to learn with my hands.

So yes — rebel that I am — I left with an Associate’s Degree in Art and a clear knowing that I was going to create my own way and develop my own style.

I didn’t need permission.

I needed freedom.

Corporate Success — and Losing My Soul

Eventually, I moved into the corporate world, first with IBM and then Microsoft, where I worked directly with Bill Gates on implementing their sales systems, rolling them out to more than 35,000 employees and selling into government spaces.

It was successful.

It was demanding.

And it owned my soul.

I was traveling nearly 90% of the time, missing my kids, living in constant high stress, and slowly becoming ill from the pace and pressure.

So I left — because I needed peace.

When I told my parents, their response landed hard. They said I was a complete disappointment to them. That I had everything and walked away.

Sit with that one for a minute.

They valued status. I valued presence.

They valued titles. I valued time with my husband and children.

Walking away wasn’t failure.

It was coming home to myself.

That led me to become a medical massage therapist — work I truly loved. I was helping people heal, one body at a time.

Then life changed everything.

A serious horse accident left me with a broken neck, fractured ribs, and multiple injuries. Massage was no longer possible.

Once again, I had to reinvent myself.

From Healing Bodies to Healing Lives

I moved into business consulting, helping companies grow, and into life coaching, helping people overcome obstacles. Along the way, I studied with Klemmer & Associates, an intensive self-development organization that challenges you to uncover what’s holding you back and move through it.

Part of that journey required me to write my life story — all the trauma, all the hard truths, all the things I’d spent years burying.

That became my book, Prison Without Bars, Forgiveness Holds the Key, which went on to become an international bestseller.

Writing it changed me.

I also began speaking publicly about overcoming adversity. I loved that work. If I could touch even one person with my story, I felt successful.

And I did.

One person told me they didn’t take their life because they read my book and realized they weren’t alone.

That moment still lives in my heart.

Choosing Art (Even When I Didn’t Feel Good Enough)

At one point, an acquaintance gently told me something that shook me:

“You should stop talking to people and embrace your art.”

That was terrifying.

Even with two bachelor’s degrees (Business Management and Computer Science), graduating summa cum laude, years in corporate leadership, consulting, coaching, and speaking — I still didn’t believe I was good enough as an artist.

But eventually, I listened.

I chose art.

It didn’t truly take off until I moved from Colorado to Arizona. That’s when fiber art became my livelihood. That’s when thread, fabric, color, and texture finally became my language.

Animals, landscapes, eyes, spirit — these aren’t random subjects. They’re reflections of connection. To nature. To emotion. To stories that don’t always have words.

My philosophy became simple:

No Rules. Just Art.

I thrive in freedom. I love process more than perfection. I love watching students surprise themselves. I love seeing confidence bloom.

Love, Loss, and the Places I Found Strength

Scottie and me (in front) - my heart horse who carried me through some of the hardest years of my life.

Around the time I began my work at Microsoft, my world was shaken to its core.

My oldest son was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit.

Nothing prepares you for that kind of pain. It lives in your chest. It changes how you breathe. It makes everything else feel suddenly small.

During that time, I was also running a small horse rescue in Colorado — and that’s when Scottie came into my life. He became my heart and soul. Somehow, he seemed to understand what I was carrying. We would ride, then simply sit together in quiet stillness. He didn’t need words. His presence alone held me together.

I honestly don’t know how I would have survived that chapter without him.

Twenty-three years later, my son was finally released, with evidence of his innocence brought forward through the work of the Innocence Project. Today, he is a free man, living a full and beautiful life. That miracle still humbles me.

And now, life has brought me into another season of love and responsibility.

My husband Kevin and I recently celebrated 40 years of marriage, and today I walk beside him as he shows signs of early-onset dementia as a result of Covid. Is it hard? Yes. Some days are very hard. But when you’ve shared a lifetime with someone, you stand by that relationship no matter what.

Art has become my outlet through this season. It’s where I release emotion. It’s where I breathe. It’s where I find balance again.

Love has always been my greatest teacher.

Where I Am Today

In my studio, creating Whispers from the Canyon - where fabric, thread, and story come together

My journey hasn’t been linear. It’s been filled with reinvention, heartbreak, courage, and choice.

There were many moments that could have stopped me in my tracks.

But I’ve always believed that things happen for a reason. You can either be a victim or victorious. It's a choice. When challenges appear, I try to ask: What am I meant to learn here?

Today, I create, teach, and build community through fiber art. I help students find their voice. I hold space for creativity. I guide others through techniques — and through trusting themselves.

Art grounds me.

It heals me.

It challenges me.

It reminds me who I am when life feels loud.

So that’s a glimpse into the person behind the artist.

Thank you for being part of my journey — whether you’ve taken a class, followed along online, collected my work, or simply paused here to read these words.

With gratitude and creativity,

Deb

No Rules, Just Art