A Creative and Passionate Leader

Deb Boblitt is a friend and colleague. I love her energy—she is a born leader. But what many don’t about her is how talented she is as a fine artist. I was invited to one of her homes—she's relocated several times for different business assignments—and she and Ed (her husband) have crafted amazing spaces. They’ve decorated all of their homes, mostly from scratch.  I asked her to share with us her creative process as well as her war stories. In Deb’s words…

Throughout my career with State Farm I’ve relocated seven times. In fact, now when my husband calls the moving company, he tells them the exact weight of our furniture: 36,104 lbs. Through these moves, I’ve had the opportunity to redesign many homes.

A few years ago, I moved to a new house and was looking for the perfect painting to fill a particular spot. After looking for weeks I just wasn’t having much luck. That’s when I decided a better solution was to paint it myself. That was the beginning of a very passionate, creative outlet for me. Not only did I get the perfect painting for the area, I also found a new way to express myself.

I’d never painted before and it was intimidating to take on this new challenge. But as French artist Henri Matisse is known for saying, “Creativity takes courage.” I truly believe this. Not just to have the courage to try new things, like painting, but you must be courageous and think creatively in the workplace as well.

Often when I walk into a room, I get a sense of what’s needed to complete it based on color, design and texture. For example, in my current home, I had the opportunity to showcase my artwork in a new way. My husband, Ed and I repurposed a built-in bookshelf to showcase three of my paintings, two of which are painted solid white, but the texture is what makes them complete the space. 

My next venture is to start working with different materials like rubber, metal and fabric. This assemblage approach will add a three-dimensional perspective to my creations. Although it’s new and different, I can’t wait to get started.