We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Deby Dearman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Deby below.

Hi Deby, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I am a singer who lost my voice — and for a time, lost my way. My hubby and I are partners in life, love, and mission. For years, singing together had been our way of expressing who we were with the world. Our songs traveled the globe and were sung in churches worldwide. When singing was taken from me, I was beyond devastated.
I remember asking, “Who am I if I can’t sing?” That question broke me, but it also became the turning point. Instead of giving up, I was invited by a friend to pick up a paintbrush — something I’d never even considered before. It felt risky and awkward at first, but it became my new way of communicating.
There were days I wept in front of the canvas, wiping my tears and mixing them into the paint. I prayed and asked God, “What am I to do now?” I heard a still, small voice whisper, “Paint moonflowers.” When I asked why, I heard, “Because they only bloom in the dark.”
I was definitely in a very dark place — but slowly, something began to shift. My tears turned into prayers, my paint became flowers blooming in the night, and painting with tears became my new song.
Learning to paint taught me that sometimes the biggest risk is having the courage to let your story be rewritten. I was devastated when I lost my voice, but looking back, I was really being given another way to communicate — One that I would’ve never considered — one that sang through tears on a canvas, instead of notes and melodies.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve always believed that creativity is more than a career — it’s a calling. From an early age, I was drawn to beauty, music, and storytelling, and over the years that calling has expressed itself through painting, dance, photography, songwriting, and teaching. Each season of my life has opened new doors to create, to learn, and to share that creative spark with others.
Today, I work as a visual artist, photographer, and art instructor, helping others rediscover their own creative voice. My work often explores the intersection of art and faith — how beauty can heal, inspire, and reconnect us with the divine. Whether I’m painting, teaching, or curating immersive art and music experiences my goal is the same: to restore a sense of wonder and to remind people that beauty still has the power to change the world.
What sets my work apart, I think, is heart. Everything I create — whether a photograph, a piece of art, or an event — carries a story and a purpose behind it. I don’t just want to make something beautiful; I want to make something meaningful.
What I’m most proud of isn’t a single accomplishment, but the calling to create beauty that lifts hearts toward hope. Thomas Dubay once wrote in The Evidential Power of Beauty, “The truly beautiful stirs us to desire what is higher, what is purer, what is divine.” I’ve witnessed that again and again — how a brushstroke, a melody, or a moment of quiet wonder can touch something eternal in the soul. That’s why I keep creating — because I believe beauty still has the power to heal, to awaken, and to change the world.
If there’s one thing I’d want readers to know, it’s this: creativity is a sacred trust. For me, true creativity flows through us — but only when we’re connected to the Creator who is the source of all beauty — and when we share it freely, we participate in something much bigger than ourselves.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think one thing non-creatives sometimes don’t realize is that being an artist isn’t just a job — it’s a calling. In my article “The Hands that Hold the Creative Gift,” I wrote about how creativity doesn’t really belong to us. We’re simply the hands that hold the gift for a moment, shaping what’s been entrusted to us. The inspiration, the vision — it flows through us.
But what people often don’t see is the practical side of that calling. Many creatives don’t receive a steady paycheck, vacation days, or benefits. We work through uncertainty — often creating because we must, not because it’s easy or profitable. The world celebrates the finished product, but few see the painful process, the solitude, and the faith it takes to keep creating when there’s no safety net beneath you.
That’s why patrons, collectors, and supporters — true benefactors of the arts — are so vital. They make it possible for artists to keep giving beauty to the world. Creativity may be a divine gift, but it still needs earthly hands to sustain it.
So when someone supports an artist — whether by buying a piece, attending a concert, or simply sharing their work — they’re helping to keep that sacred exchange between heaven and earth alive. And that, to me, is a beautiful partnership.
And in that moment, the non-creative becomes the sacred vessel — the one through whom provision flows — helping to sustain the artist so that beauty can continue to speak to the world.

Keep beauty alive—bless a creative, sow into their gift.
— Deby Dearman

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I’ve been challenged by a concept from the book Geeks and Geezers by Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas. They talk about a word I’d never heard before — neoteny — which means keeping youthful qualities like curiosity, imagination, and the willingness to take risks as we grow older. Most people, as they age, start playing it safe and stop taking risks. But those who stay vibrant and creative keep learning, exploring, and taking leaps of faith.
That idea stuck with me. I made it my goal to keep taking risks and to grow more interesting instead of old. When I lost my singing voice, I could have walked away from creativity altogether, but instead I picked up a paintbrush. Later, I took another big risk — I started teaching art classes. At first, my voice was really shaky. Eventually I was able to get Botox injections in my vocal cords to help me speak clearly. Standing in front of a class felt terrifying. But I did it afraid.
Now, teaching has become one of my greatest joys. Several of those students, in that first class are still with me today, and we’re like family. It reminds me that staying youthful isn’t about age — it’s about being brave enough to keep going, even if you feel like falling apart.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cometothequiet.com/home https://cometothequiet.com/deby-dearman-fine-art
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deby.dearman
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDearpeople
• Other: My photography website; https://photoart22.mypixieset.com/

  To hear our music: https://www.reverbnation.com/kirkdebydearman

  https://bandcamp.com/kirkanddebydearman

Image Credits

Photo credit for my headshot and body shot – Anne Mills
Art in rooms – from the Artrooms app.
Others are taken by me.