Today we’d like to introduce you to Deann Acton.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I grew up a Military Brat, moving every three or four years and leaving behind everything I knew with each new deployment. Art-making was always how I coped. My parents let me draw all over the moving boxes, which gave me comfort. I always knew I wanted to have a career in art making. I graduated from the University of Texas in 1991 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art. At the time, I worked primarily as a bartender at the Cactus Cafe, Bass Concert Hall, and The Ritz on Sixth Street. I loved being around so much diverse music. I remember seeing Townes Van Zandt at the Cactus Cafe, Ella Fitzgerald at Bass Concert Hall, and all kinds of amazing punk shows at the Ritz. I also had a wonderful community of artists. I performed with a local performance art group named Hard Women and later sang in a cowpunk band called Yeast. Being a young person in Austin, Texas, in the nineties was magical, but I also realized that my art degree didn’t open many doors in terms of career. Throughout one summer, I painted self-portraits exploring what I wanted to do with my life. Someone told me about art therapy- a job based on helping others explore their lives and emotions through art making. There were no art therapy graduate programs in Texas, so I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where I worked towards a Masters’s Degree in Art Therapy and Marriage Family Therapy from Notre Dame de Namur University.
Since graduating in 1998, I have worked in prisons, schools, hospitals, substance abuse clinics, domestic violence agencies, and County Mental health. I taught Masters’s level psychology coursework at two universities. But I always missed Austin, and in 2014, I decided it was time to move my family back home. Once back in Austin, I started my private practice. Art and Therapy ATX focuses on neurodivergent folks struggling in their current life. I work with children, adolescents, adults, families, and couples. I love helping people unpack their experiences, understand their emotions, and find ways to cope with anxiety, despair, and overwhelm. As part of my self-care, I make a ton of art. My second business is Art Nocturnal, where I make and sell original artwork. My work is probably best described as pop surrealism, a mixture of strange hybrid creatures and mythical monsters created primarily in watercolor.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been challenging, but each challenge taught me something important that has helped me in the future. Although I had a ton of experience working with all different populations for my therapeutic work, I needed to gain experience with how to run a successful business. I quickly learned how to market my services and the importance of word-of-mouth referrals. I shared office space at the beginning of my work but quickly realized that I needed my own space. Having my own office was wonderful, but unfortunately, a year after opening, I had to learn how to pivot due to the pandemic. Being immune compromised meant I would need to shift how I worked. I started using a virtual platform to see clients. I miss so many things about being in person, but at the same time, I understand the importance of radically accepting experiences as they are presented to me. On the positive side, seeing clients virtually means I can see people outside of Austin. I also gathered licenses in other states to open my practice to folks outside of Texas. Commuting meant less time for writing notes and handling my administrative duties. Even though we meet virtually, I have also found ways to utilize other means to help people stay creative.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As an artist, I am known as someone who loves painting weird, sometimes creepy, strange things. Fantasy, my Latinx background, and my humor inspire me. I also do a ton of art challenges. I love the idea of showing people that art-making is, above all else, a practice. The more you practice, the better you become. I take part in lots of art challenges. Every January, I participate in a 30-day 30 faces art challenge. In May, I paint mermaids daily. In October, I do an inktober and Halloween artist challenge. I am always amazed at how much my artwork has improved over one month. I encourage others to use art challenges to let go of perfectionism, understand a growth mindset, and experience the positive shifts that can happen with daily art practice. Before the pandemic, I would open my studio for the East Austin Studio Tour, where I would have visitors come to learn more about my artwork and art therapy. What always set me apart from others on those tours was how much art I generally make in a year. Last year, I broke my wrist and ruptured the tendon in my thumb. I tried making some non-dominant hand art, but it was a struggle. I have been super happy to be back to making lots of art this year. I am most proud of how much I constantly improve. I also love it when someone buys a piece of art because it makes them happy.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
This is an interesting question. I am pretty authentic. I understand that I am a neurodivergent human. I am both outgoing and shy. I am smart but can be insecure. I am highly organized and also chaotic. I can be elegant and ridiculously awkward. Most people in my life would also say that I am incredibly hard-working. This is the thing I am trying the most to change. I am learning how to set limits with my time and prioritize rest. I am learning how to make time to play.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.artandtherapyatx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arttherapytx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Art-and-Therapy-ATX-Austin-353321062006789
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deann-acton-857622/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7CYkJD0NqqQsJh8x7ULK1A
- Other: www.artnocturnal.com
