We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashley Rogers. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashley below.
Ashley, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
I’ve been an artist my whole life. For the last twenty years, my husband and I have also been in full time ministry in various forms. About ten years ago, I found myself sitting on my floor with my two little ones and piles of paint and shoes around me. I’d started up a business custom painting canvas shoes to help pay the bills and get out a little of my creativity. In between painting shoes and taking care of little ones, I had young adults stop by on a frequent basis for what I would call, “couch counseling”. But my art world and faith world felt completely separate. Over and over again throughout my life I’d heard people say to me, “oh I wish I could paint, but I’m not an artist.” Something always felt off in my spirit about that. It felt sad. It felt exclusive that only “artists” could experience the joy and freedom of creating with God. As an artist, I never knew where I fit in the church, but I knew deep in my spirit there was a space where the creative, the community and the church co-existed in beautiful collaboration; I just didn’t know how. So I went on a quest. My first stop was art therapy. I enrolled in courses to begin my masters, but even that fell short of what I knew could be that just didn’t yet. I began googling. I typed in words like, arts and Jesus, creative ministry, faith and the arts. I was hungry to learn from anyone that could teach me how to help connect people to God’s heart through the creative process. Again, nothing. I went to a creative Gathering of Artisans in North Carolina and the Lord gave me a vision and a passion that I didn’t know I held in me. It was a whisper that grew to a thunder: “If you could do anything, what would you do Ashley?” And instantly I knew what we needed to do. We were going to pioneer something new. The freedom to dream, the freedom to create something that didn’t exist yet and the excitement of knowing I was getting ready to build something with Jesus was enough fuel to get things going. It took a year and a lot in between, but in 2015, i opened up Created Ministry. The heart was to invite people into a safe and creative space to walk through a creative process that helped them become aware of themselves and their relationship with God. I trusted that while I facilitated these purposefully led sessions, God would do the heart healing. After a few years, I realized leading sessions in the studio we built on our land was too limiting to anyone without access to drive out to us. I began working out of a rolling cart and going where I felt God told me the need was. He opened doors for me to be present to refugee and migrant communities coming across the border, children’s homes, section 8 housing communities, small groups, business groups, retreats, and young women’s shelters. After working mobily for a while, I began writing down the Created story (“Creating with the Creator”) and the curriculum God had helped me create. Through this process I realized something powerful- this could be taught to others. The next round of ministry began. With little to no marketing, I had people from around the world reaching out to me and asking for training. Time after time I heard the same story: ‘God put something on my heart and so I started googling’. But this time, instead of nothing coming up, Created was showing up as they searched! in 2019 we launched the Created Arts Ministry Program and now have been able to train up close to 200 other arts ministers, 24 from countries outside the US. While I don’t know the next doors for us, the mission has always been the same: to connect people to the healing heart of God through the creative arts.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
One of my first memories was using pecans to create a giant image on my living room floor. In kindergarten I used to draw pictures of Ninja Turtles and sell them to the boys in class for a quarter. My father was a motivational speaker and entrepreneur and my mama was a spanish teacher. So I suppose all things considered, it’s not a huge surprise that I became a little bit of all of the above.
I graduated from Baylor University with a Fine Arts degree and immediately began teaching middle school art in Waco, Texas while my husband and I did youth ministry. We ended up moving back to San Antonio, Texas (my hometown) the same year our oldest daughter was born. We now have two teenagers and a second grader. Our youngest was born in 2015, the same year Created Ministry was born. To our surprise, concern and unexplainable joy, she was born with Down Syndrome. In the last 9 years God has changed our hearts, direction and vision drastically. We started a non-profit called Wildfire Network that helps empower God’s people to live out the out of the box missions God has called them to (Created Ministry is one of them!) In raising a child with special needs, two creative teenagers and directing Created Ministry that is constantly shifting and changing, we have learned so much about being flexible and responsive to the needs of times rather than digging in our heels for a certain vision. We don’t care about brands or names. If you never know what Created Ministry is, or who I am, but you are empowered to bring the arts into your community to bring healing, then I rejoice. We don’t care if you spread our names or put us on a platform, but we do want you to hear the creative voices and ideas that God is stirring in your cities and streets. We have been given access in ways that others have not. Therefore, it’s important to both Taylor and I in the things and ministries we run, to empower others in ways we have been empowered. In our culture we have learned to assign value to certain people, cultures, hierarchies and structures over another. In this, we miss out on such beauty that teaches us about the vast array of God’s creative design and character. At Created Ministry, I want people to experience God’s heart for them. Through the training program, I want people to feel equipped to take the arts into their contexts and love on people alongside the Holy Spirit. I do NOT want miniature versions of Created San Antonio to pop globally. How boring!
I have watched my children, all three of them, do things differently and out side of the box. In particular, we have watched our youngest constantly fighting what others tell her is possible for her. We watch her show others how to view life from a different perspective. She sees what others miss. She feels what others don’t. In the moments that I think pioneering and launching new ministries is too hard, I think about her walking into school each day. She knows she will be misunderstood. She knows people wont “get” everything she’s trying to communicate. She knows on the outside, her little rainbow eyes stand out. But she walks in anyways. Sometimes bravely, sometimes dragging her feet. But she always goes. And it gives me courage to do what Im called to do. Sometimes bravely, sometimes dragging my feet. But on we march so that others too can experience the freedom, joy and creativity that I have found in following God’s heart for me.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I had to unlearn perfectionism and a strong desire to control the outcome. If I’m honest, Im still learning this! As a classically trained artist, I had technique and skill, but very little heart behind what I created. It was a constant wrestle to figure out how to create a piece of art that felt like it came from me. As an entrepreneur, arts facilitator and teacher, I liked things to be done excellently. That’s how I was taught and I didn’t like presenting anything other than “perfect” (truthfully in all areas). There are many little moments along the way that paved the road of breakthrough for me, but in 2019 something shifted.
I had already begun to hold in person training schools for art ministry, but in the fall of 2019 I felt an insanely strong pull that I should switch to online training. I had a very short timeframe to create over 24 hours of video and teaching resources and perfectionism wasn’t an option. This meant, one take, one shot and let it just be natural. I can’t explain why I felt it was so important to get this online training course done by December of 2019, but when the world stopped in 2020 and everything moved digitally, all the pieces came together for me. There was a need. The world didn’t need me to present a perfect version of myself or my material, but people just needed something I had to offer. My pride was the only thing standing in the way. Did I care about how I looked to the world or did I actually care about the vision and mission?
Interestingly this feeling of, “just get it out there” began to translate to many areas of my life and creativity. My book, hte courses, my artwork, my children’s book. The less I cared about perfection, the more freed up I felt to just get out what I was creating to the world. There were mistakes, whoopsies and less than lovely parts of this process, but I began to loosen up in all areas. I began doing a lot of “mess-making” on my canvases as a backdrop. As I wrote, I would free-write for hours and not worry an ounce about how I was writing it. I would share videos and training as things came to mind rather than waiting to perfactly edit it. Now I would normally say this isnt best way to do business. In a word in which we are mesmerized by filters and m=branding and perfect eye catching marketing, this defies all logic and best practices. But I realized in this space, my goal wasn’t to grow my business, it was to get my work out there to the world. The right people would be drawn to it- and that’s never been more true! I find people have appreciate the honesty, the rawness, and the empowering idea that there’s nothing more special about me than them- but if I can inspire someone to live bravely and take steps of faith, thats a win! I share all the time with art ministers I train, “Just step out there! Give it a go. Being brave is never a loss.”
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
One thing I’ve learned in ministry is that flexibility is a must. It’s no different in a small business. At one point, things were moving so quickly, that I made the mistake of trying to grow too much at once. I went from just me, to excitedly bringing on 3 partners and team members. I decided to do branches of Created at the same time and was on an entrepreneurial high from all the new things happening. 5 months later, I had no team, the branches idea completely backfired and I was left feeling more alone than ever. I move quickly when I move. I was a sprinter growing up- always hated the long runs. But sometimes I can move too quickly with others. I learned that I could pivot quickly by myself, but when holding hands with others, it’s a bit more challenging. So after a few crash and burns I had to figure out a good pace to move not only for myself, but when bringing others along. Now when I collaborate, I have to remind myself it will go at a different pace than if I do things by myself. The beauty and life that comes from it though is worth the pace change! I found there’s a place for me to move quickly by myself, and a place for me to move slower.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.createdministry.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/createdministry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/createdministry/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_EKIrbkl1FRQkzkRgx8qqQ
- Other: www.purposefullycreated.com (Ashley Created blog, writing and personal artwork)
www.wildfire.church (Wildfire Network)
instagram.com/ashleycreated (artwork page)
Image Credits
Some photography by Esther Makau Photography