We recently had the chance to connect with Deshonna Buchanan and have shared our conversation below.
Deshonna, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day for me starts with gratitude. I wake up and thank God for another day, for my family, and for my friends. I take about 15 minutes to gather my thoughts and mentally prepare for the day. Then I wake my son for school, prepare his lunch along with my fiancé’s, and make sure he’s dressed, brushed, and ready. After seeing my fiancé off to work with a kiss, I take my son to school.
Once he’s off, I dive into work for Sunflower Soul Studios — answering and sending emails, writing for my music and film projects, attending in-person or Zoom meetings, and conducting interviews. I’m also dedicating time to my Portfolio Review for the upcoming school year at Jacksonville University, making sure I bring my best creative work to the table. If you feel called to help cover my $500 enrollment fee, I’ve created a GoFundMe — any support, whether through a contribution or by sharing my page, would mean so much. The links can be found on my Instagram and Facebook pages. I also make sure to take small breaks throughout the day, like letting my dog Bless outside and giving her some attention.
In the afternoon, I pick my son up from school, help him with his homework, and then start preparing dinner for the family. After dinner, we enjoy a little family time before getting ready for bed and setting everything up for the next day.
And then the cycle starts again!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello! I’m Deshonna Buchanan, also known as Sunflower Soul. I am the founder of Sunflower Soul Studios and the initiative ‘From Out My Parents’ Closet.’ My work revolves around healing, storytelling, and advocacy, with a special focus on survivors of trauma, the unhoused community, and children on the autism spectrum.
What makes my brand unique is the blend of creativity, compassion, and faith. Through Sunflower Soul Studios, I create art in the form of writing, photography, storytelling, and music, all centered around good intentions and spiritual grounding. My initiative, ‘From Out My Parents’ Closet,’ is inspired by my own experiences and aims to create safe spaces and provide clothing and resources for those in need.
While everything we release is rooted in good intentions, I also believe in the importance of confronting and acknowledging trauma as a vital part of healing. Sometimes, we need to face these difficult truths to truly heal and grow.
My work is God-centered, and I strive to ensure that everything we do uplifts the soul and promotes healing.
I’m passionate about making a positive impact and continuously learning and growing along the way.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
The people who taught me the most about work and perseverance are undoubtedly my parents. I grew up watching them make countless sacrifices for our family, coming from very humble beginnings.
My mother grew up in a small town in Missouri called New Madrid, where life was not always easy. She even worked in the cotton fields with her brothers while still in high school to help support her family, as her mother was a single parent.
My father, on the other hand, served in the Navy for about 20 years, dedicating his life not just to our family but also to our country. He would travel from Chicago to Missouri to visit his grandmother in New Madrid, which is how he met my mother. Their love story led them to get married, and she moved with him as he was stationed in various places. I’m learning now, that this help save my mother so she could get a fresh start, and bring back love and resources to our family in New Madrid.
I was fortunate enough to experience life in different places, including a stint in Italy when I was about six years old. I have fond memories of riding my bike with friends down the mountain we lived on and taking the ferry to the mainland.
Despite the challenges, my parents always showed incredible resilience and dedication. Even after they separated when I was 17, they maintained a strong friendship for my sake, which has been a huge inspiration for me. I’m also blessed with supportive bonus parents, and together, they all continue to help me build my future.
My parents and step-parents have shown me firsthand that it truly takes a village to raise a child. When adults work together and put the child’s needs first, the child is able to grow, thrive, and feel secure — even when parents separate or life gets complicated. It’s so important for children not to be exposed to the drama between adults, because what they need most is stability, love, and guidance.
When caregivers collaborate in this way, it doesn’t just benefit the child in the present — it lays the foundation for generational wealth and helps break cycles of generational curses. I’ve seen how cooperative, supportive relationships among adults create a nurturing environment where children can flourish, build strong values, and carry those lessons forward. It’s a principle I apply every day in how I parent and show up for my son. I’m not always perfect with this, but I recognize it enough to set the foundation for my child and his future.
I truly believe that their hard work and sacrifices have shaped who I am today, and I hope to honor them by giving back in every way I can.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes. Earlier this year, I faced one of the hardest moments of my life. I found out my condo was facing foreclosure, and it felt like everything I had worked so hard to build was slipping through my fingers. The thought of losing it — especially knowing I was building this home for my son’s future — was devastating. For a moment, giving up seemed like the easier option.
But I knew I had to step out on faith. I was suddenly faced with the challenge of raising a large sum of money in a very short time, or risk losing everything. By God’s grace and with the support of people who showed up for me — through financial help, encouragement, and love — I was able to keep my condo.
That experience changed me. It reminded me that resilience isn’t just about surviving — it’s about standing up for yourself, using your voice, and refusing to let circumstances define you. What I thought was a breaking point has become a blessing, not only for me and my family but also for the future of Sunflower Soul Studios and the work I plan to do in our communities.
I learned that even when the odds are stacked against you, even when you’re underestimated, you keep growing. You keep fighting. Because your voice, your presence, and your purpose matter..
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
In essence, the public version of me is indeed the real me. I strive to present my true self, sharing my beliefs, values, and experiences with authenticity. However, I also believe in protecting my energy and my family’s privacy, so I do keep certain parts of myself reserved for my inner circle.
One of my beliefs I hold is that our world, in its current state, is in disarray. There’s a lot of chaos and uncertainty, and sometimes I feel that a complete reset might be necessary. It’s like tending to a garden: sometimes the soil needs a thorough refresh that includes all sorts of natural materials, even the less pleasant ones like manure or decomposed organic matter.
These elements help enrich the soil and create a fertile environment for new growth. Similarly, I believe that if our societal systems were to fall, it would allow us to rebuild them with more care, more equity, and more sustainability. A fresh start….a reset.
In essence it takes shit to grow shit lol.
This perspective doesn’t come from a place of harm, but from a hope for a brighter, more resilient future.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people will say that I lived in love and faith, and that I stayed resilient no matter what challenges came my way. That I didn’t just endure hard times but transformed them into opportunities to grow and help others. I want to be remembered as someone who stood up for herself and others, created safe spaces, and left behind a legacy of compassion, strength, and hope.
Everything I do is for future generations, whether it’s within my own family or for the broader community. I want my great-great-great-grandchildren, and beyond, to look back and say, “Do you know what my ancestor did? She made a huge positive impact, and because of her, we have the freedoms and opportunities we have today.”
I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism later in life, and that diagnosis really shifted everything for me. For so long, I carried this feeling of being misunderstood — even by myself. I often felt uncomfortable in my own mind, pushing myself harder, thinking I just wasn’t enough. But once I had the diagnosis, I finally had the awareness to understand myself better, and it allowed me to show myself grace instead of being my own harshest critic. I’m not saying that I mastered it yet, but now I can recognize and reflect on it when it happens. I’m learning as I grow.
A big part of that journey also came through my son, who is on the autism spectrum. I believe our children are our reflections, and through him I began to see myself more clearly. Parenting can be hard because sometimes our children reflect truths we aren’t ready to face — but I am so thankful for my son. He’s a beautiful spirit, full of love, wisdom, and truth, and God has used him to help me embrace who I am.
This isn’t just my story, though — it happens to many women, especially Black women. Too often we go undiagnosed, not just because of lack of resources, but because instead of seeing the signs, people label us as difficult or a problem. That misunderstanding is painful. But now I know my differences aren’t flaws — they’re part of what makes me powerful. And I hope by sharing my story, I can help other women feel less alone, and give themselves the same grace I’ve learned to give myself.
Now I see that God never made me wrong — I just had to learn how to embrace the way He made me. And if more of us share our stories, fewer women will have to carry the weight of feeling misunderstood in silence.
Stay Soulful
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sunflowersoulstudios.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunflowersoulstudios?igsh=eTF6ZGs2NWxkanR3
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunflowersoulstudios?
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@missunderstood904?si=xUVQVk0Lk4dqTCc1
