We caught up with the brilliant and insightful DeAnn Wiley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
DeAnn , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I think my purpose has always been to create joy in people’s lives. Since I was younger I’ve always been the one to make everyone laugh when things were tough or stressful. I always made my family gifts, rather they were handmade or something I worked really hard to buy. Even as an artist, I find the most joy in connecting with people and knowing that my art evoked feelings of happiness, joy, sometimes sadness at a fond memory or missing someone. It’s why I believe I’ve always gravitated towards helping careers, I have a masters in counseling psychology and practiced therapy for a bit, and now art.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I just released my author/illustrator debut titled, Homegrown, in January of this year. It is my first time authoring a book and my 5th book that I’ve illustrated. Getting into children’s illustrations has been a dream come true. From a young girl I’ve always had a passion for reading. My mother would take us to the library every weekend and I’d spend hours just engulfed in a book. So to see books that I’ve illustrated on bookstore shelves and in libraries has been amazing. I’m hopeful that my work inspires children the way books inspired me. I’m currently working on my second book that I wrote and illustrated and I’m excited because it’s about overcoming the pressure to be “perfect” and allowing yourself to try new things. I’m grateful I get to use my art to empower young kids.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
My ability to always try new things, allow myself to fail and my persistence has been essential to getting where I am. I went to school to be a mental health professional. I have a masters degree in counseling psychology and I did practice for about 2 years before deciding to pursue art full time. I was scared but I’ve always been okay with starting over and taking a chance on myself. I started with acrylic art, then digital and since deciding that art was what I wanted to do, I’ve tried several other mediums, pottery, watercolor, jewelry making, sculpting! Trying digital art changed the trajectory of my career. It allowed me to begin learning how to illustrate and now, here I am! My advice to others is to allow yourself to try a little bit of everything that interests you! Enjoy developing skills and learning as much as you can. I believe that’s the only way to truly find your passion and your purpose.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
My support sister, especially my sister and my partner have been extremely helpful. One of the unfortunate sides of being a self employed full time artist is finances. Most ppl may be afraid to say it, but it costs to pursue your dreams! And my family has been there to help financially, mentally and emotionally. When I feel like I should quit and get a “real” job, they talk some sense in me. Without them I wouldn’t be able to invest so much time and energy into taking art classes, learning new business skills, or working on projects that don’t pay me on a consistent schedule. I’m able to put a lot of time into the business side and artistic side of my work because of them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.DeeLaSheeArtistry.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deelasheeart/
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/DeeLaSheeArt
