Meet Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton | Writer and Performer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Deborah D.E.E.P, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
When people think if a being an artist, I think they are very closed-minded. We have been taught that the arts are unsustainable and unecessary. But being a writer, performer, and any other art that decides to flow through me feels very necessary to me. Artists teach compassion and empathy. Writers let us travel to entire worlds we may never see with our eyes. And doing that, there is a way to eat, live, and find success.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I consider myself a Multi-hyphenate artist. While poetry is my primary language, I love examining how all txt-based mediums, from page to stage, can be used to amplify the experience of Black folks in the US. I served as Houston’s First Black Poet Laureate and I have been making art for over two decades. There have been many hurdles from gatekeeping to personal struggles with Crohn’s disease to caregiving for my aging family, but all have helped build my character and voice as an artist,

I could not be who I am today without my Houston arts community. Being a transplant to the city, no one had to embrace me, but I have found such family here. I have learned that working in a silo only goes so far, but it is the artist that can depend on other artists that truly becomes successful i a way that lingers long beyond them.

As far as Deep Ink, we strive to highlight the most diverse Black stories and prove that Black folks belong in the narrative fabric of our country, despite all of the attempts to erase us.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would start by grabbing breakfast at First Watch or Mo Betta Brews. I love First Watch’s fresh approach to food and Mo Betta’s elderberry lemonade is worth all of the letters home. I would wander around the Centennial Gardens or Hermann Park, Maybe ride the paddle boats out to see the ducks and have a picnic on the hill in front of Miller Outdoor Theater. If its summer they have a great concert series. I would head to lunch at Chop N Blok in Post Houston. I can ever get enough of that Golden Bowl with the roasted black-eyed peas. Maybe we would share the veggie pies on the rooftop of Post and check out the city. Then, I would check out some local theater at Stages or the Ensemble. Both have great diverse seasons that always have something to see. I think I would round out the night with a night-swim on the roof of the Marriot, or f I’m feeling really adventurous, I would head down to Kemah and cap the night with food on the boardwalk and carnival games.

I love a chill day of discovery so leave me in the Houston Arboretum or the Aquarium and I am a happy camper.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shout out Community Artist Collective. They have been an amazing partner for me as I have grown in my artistry. Under the leadership of the incomparable Michelle Barnes They are constantly pushing Black Art to the forefront of every conversation. From community classes, to exhibits of local artists, to just being there to brainstorm a new project, the folks at CAC are always showing up with a slate of wisdom and hands to help.

Website: www.livelifedeep.com

Instagram: @livelifedeep

Linkedin: Deborah Deep Mouton

Twitter: @Livelifedeep

Facebook: /Livinglifedeep

Youtube: www.youtube.com/livelifedeep

Image Credits
Headshot is Pin Lim