Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Deb Soromenho. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Deb, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Well, my journey is actually about losing my confidence and then finding it again! I was extremely confident when I was young, I never thought twice about what people thought of me or doubted I could do anything I wanted. At some point though I lost my way.
As I got older and life felt more “important” I started to doubt who I was and started to lose my individuality to what I thought people wanted me to be. I didn’t notice I was doing it, I just became less and less happy as the years passed. I mean, I was happy in the way that I wasn’t always sad or depressed, but I wasn’t filled with joy. I was just going through the motions of life.
When I turned 50 though, I decided to get the tattoo that I’d always wanted but never got because, well, I wasn’t supposed to have tattoos, they were for other people, not Moms who had an image to portray! But suddenly, turning 50, made me realize that I was living my life through someone else’s eyes, other people’s ideas of who I should be and I realized that I had completely lost myself.
Well, I got that tattoo and it changed everything for me. It was like a wake up call. I decided that I was going to do things just for me and live my life in a way that gave me the most joy.
Somedays are still a struggle to push past the “what will people think” stigma, but I just remind myself that life is short, I deserve to live in joy every day, and I don’t need to please anyone but myself.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m a wife, mom, and die-hard creative, lol. I always have to be doing something artistic or creative. Sometimes it’s crafty projects, but mostly it’s painting, I’m a full-time mixed-media artist. I like to think of myself as a “Soul-Led” artist, I not only paint what resonates within my soul but also what others feel connected to on a soul level. My paintings are of things that carry a lot of meaning and symbolism, things that people feel a deeply connected to.
I just love seeing when someone connects with a piece of my art, you can literally see it in their face. You can see that they have a deep visceral feeling towards it. It speaks to them, it has real meaning to them! The best part is that they always have stories behind that connection. I love listening to those stories and sharing my own.
I like bringing those connections to other parts of my life too. I’ve recently started a project called Arts Alive that is all about connecting artists and community. My goal is to bring artists out into the community, to places people already go, such as bars and cafes and even the public library. I want people to feel the joy of art without expecting anything from them, without requiring them to make the trek to a gallery or exhibition. The events will be like mini art fests; the focus in on live painting performances and interacting with art and artists, but there will also be live music, interactive art projects, and more!
I’m super excited about the upcoming one at Native Hostel in East Austin on July 2nd but plan on doing many more in the future!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most? For me, the three most impactful are 1) Knowing yourself, like really taking the time to understand who you are and what you like and don’t like. Forcing yourself to do or be something that you’re not is never sustainable. 2) Giving yourself grace. This goes along with knowing yourself because you need to understand your weak areas and work with them, know your strengths and use them, and forgive yourself for not being perfect. 3) Living in joy! You simply cannot be your best or do your best when you are not feeling joy in what you do and in life. You may still be good if you’re not, but just imagine how great you could be if you were filled with joy!
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner? I would absolutely love to connect with Austin area venues that would like to host an Arts Alive event!
Arts Alive is sort of a mini art festival, meant to be fun and interactive, with a focus on visual artists painting live. There is also interactive art activities, live music, food and drink, and possibly other performers. It’s super scalable too, so having anywhere from a couple of artists to a couple of dozen is feasible!
And, of course, I’d love to speak with any local Austin area artists who would be interested in doing some live art at one of the events.
I can be reached by email: [email protected] or through Facebook or Instagram messages!
Contact Info:
Website: debsoromenho.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/
Facebook: https://Facebook.com/
Image Credits
Deb Soromenho
