We were lucky to catch up with Ashley Boynes-Shuck recently and have shared our conversation below.
Ashley, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
This may not seem like a risk to some, but I decided to finish grad school at the age of 40.
I’ve always been career-focused, working steadily since I was 15. Along the way, I earned multiple professional certifications in addition to my Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Still, after years in tech and healthcare—industries I enjoyed in terms of the marketing and management work I was doing—I found myself edging toward burnout. Even my freelance projects tended to center on medical topics, so the imaginative, artsy side of me wasn’t being fulfilled.
I’ve always been both a creative and cerebral person—someone who needs to feel emotionally fulfilled and intellectually challenged. At that point, I wasn’t in a role that fully utilized my writing background or creative skill set.
Deep down, I knew I needed a change—something truer to myself. Since childhood, I’ve loved writing, fashion, animals, and music. In fact, music and writing have carried me through some of the most difficult times of my life.
Early on, I had already dipped my toes into those worlds. In college, I minored in Music Business, interned on-air at 96.1 KISS FM with DJ Bonics (who now tours with Wiz Khalifa), wrote entertainment and romance columns for my college newspaper, and chaired the Entertainment Committee for Relay for Life. Those experiences lit a spark, but I hadn’t pursued them further—until a couple of years ago.
I began researching graduate programs in music business, media, and entertainment writing. My dream had always been to work in PR or A&R in the music industry—maybe even in licensing and sync—or to contribute behind the scenes at a major record label, MTV, or the Recording Academy. I also dreamed of writing for publications like Rolling Stone, SPIN, or Billboard, while pursuing lyric writing on the side. I figured it wasn’t too late to try.
Eventually, I found the perfect fit at Point Park University: a Master’s of Professional Studies program that allowed me to design my own areas of concentration.
I chose Sports, Arts & Entertainment Management alongside PR, Journalism, & Advertising, to complement my existing certifications in AI, Data Analytics, Music Business, Positive Psychology, and Songwriting. I applied and was accepted—and, as fate would have it, was soon part of an unrelated mass layoff from Noom, the health tech company I worked for at the time. That layoff cleared the way for me to fully commit to grad school. I’m proud to say I graduated last December—with all A’s.
Pursuing grad school at a “seasoned” age was certainly a risk—an investment of both time and money—but it’s one that paid off.
Today, I’m working full-time as a Data & Enterprise Marketing Manager for two arts nonprofits—the modern dance company Attack Theatre and the Grammy Award-winning MCG Jazz (named one of the top jazz venues in the world!)—while also freelancing as a writer and PR professional.
And I’m not done taking risks: I’m preparing to publish a poetry collection, launching my own online brand and website called Lyric & Muse (premiering this winter, hopefully before the holidays!), and I’d love to secure funding for a metaphysical-meets-physics book I’ve been developing. But—that’s a story for another day.
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.
I’ve already shared some of my academic and professional background, but to really understand me, you need to know this: I’m a classic Libra, an ENFP-T, and—first and foremost—a polymath.
I always have been.
At times, my wide-ranging interests and expertise can confuse or even intimidate potential clients, editors, or employers. I’m passionate about many things, I’ve studied across disciplines, and I never stop learning. Above all, I’m driven to share my passions, interests, and expertise with others. At the heart of it all, the common thread is staying true to myself—I live at the intersection of music, literature, fashion, wellness, tech, academia, and pop culture, without feeling the need to pick just one lane.
Sometimes history, science, comedy, conspiracy theories, or politics filter in, too. Other times, it’s my advocacy for animals, my communications background, my personal experiences with chronic illness, my interest in law, or simply my love of giving back and helping others that takes the lead.
In short: I am not just one thing—and neither is my portfolio. My résumé and LinkedIn may look like a patchwork, but to me—and to those who truly get it—this tapestry all makes sense. It reflects the way my neurodivergent, “former gifted kid, current Mensan” brain works: connecting ideas across disciplines and creating something original and new from their overlap.
Authenticity is non-negotiable for me. I can’t shrink myself into a neat little box just to meet someone else’s expectations. That can be challenging in a corporate world (or in an algorithm-driven society) that thrives on keywords, clickbait, hashtags, arbitrary rules, and easy labels. People often want to categorize me—but, for better or worse, they can’t. And honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Of course, this identity crisis has shown up in my career. I wrestled with it while applying for jobs, and again while designing the pitch deck and mood board for my forthcoming hybrid brand, Lyric & Muse. At first, my loved ones didn’t fully understand. “I don’t get it,” they would say. My response? “You will.” And now, they do.
Lyric & Muse is an eclectic, rock-inspired brand built on the through-line where music meets literature.
The website will feature third-party fashion and accessories, repurposed band tees and concert merch, artisan collectibles, custom hand-embellished pieces, and curated vintage and resale goods inspired by music, art, fashion, literature, and unique décor— all of which is on-brand, on-theme, and very “me.”
It has been a lot of work, and a lot of fun— I’m even developing a few character IPs to bring into the mix, too, as well as a charitable component that, believe it or not, combines my love of dogs, music, and books.
But despite my DNA being the melody of this brand, it’s certainly not just about me— it’s for consumers and artists alike. Creativity is its pulse. Eventually, the site will also include a space for poets and songwriters to showcase their original work.
I haven’t been this excited about a project in a long time, and I can’t wait to share it with the world, while also allowing other fresh voices to share their art with the world, too. That’s actually the piece I’m most looking forward to developing further— spotlighting and uplifting all of the amazingly creative and talented people out there!
Our tagline is “Live Life at Full Volume”—and that’s exactly what I try to do in my work and in my life. I encourage others to do the same.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Yes. My creative journey has always been driven by a commitment to authenticity—staying genuine and true to myself—with the hope that others will relate, want to know more, or even be inspired to “Live Life at Full Volume” themselves.
Lean into your truth. Be authentic. Be extra. Be cringe. Don’t box yourself in. I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a rebel or a revolutionary, but I refuse to make myself small or dilute who I am just because “that’s the way things are done,” because of outdated and archaic norms, or solely to meet someone else’s expectations. I have no desire to shrink or conform “just because.”
For years, I fell into the trap of people-pleasing, but I’ve realized it’s time to live life for me—unafraid of what others think and unconcerned if my path looks a bit different from those of my peers.
My journey is filled with passion and curiosity, fueled by imagination and introspection, guided by empathy and eccentricity, and grounded in those ever-present polymath vibes that have always shaped who I am.
Being okay with being a bit of a weirdo has allowed me to contemplate who I am and what I want to be doing— so I encourage everyone to never lose that spark of “weirdness” that makes you, you!
How did you build your audience on social media?
Any following I have today comes down to one thing: keeping it real and being myself. My advice to others is the same—stay true to who you are. Don’t let trends or algorithms dilute your voice or sanitize your content until it looks like a copy-and-paste of everyone else’s.
When I first started on social media, it was mostly blogging on Tumblr, Twitter, and MySpace—posting about celebrities, pop culture, and what my friends and I were up to on weekends.
Then I built a following of more than 40,000 across platforms in the late 2000s/early 2010s as “Arthritis Ashley”—an online persona centered on patient advocacy, living with rheumatoid arthritis since childhood, and my work with organizations like the Arthritis Foundation, Autoimmune Registry, and College of Rheumatology.
That advocacy work opened incredible doors: shout-outs from Oprah Winfrey and Paula Abdul, quotes in Teen Vogue and Good Morning America, two published health memoirs, TV appearances, a medical reporting role with Healthline, partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies, and even the chance to speak before Members of Congress on Capitol Hill.
But here’s the twist: I walked away from most of it.
Why would a micro-influencer in a thriving niche give it all up in their late 30s? Because “Arthritis Ashley” began to consume me. I felt reduced to my diagnosis, as if my entire identity was that of a patient—and I hated that. There was so much more to me that people never got to see.
After all, I’d been inducted into Pittsburgh’s Fashion Hall of Fame. I’d interviewed or met celebrities like Ed Sheeran, Nicole Scherzinger, Tyson Beckford, Diane Keaton, and Martha Stewart. I’d been named one of Pittsburgh’s 40 Under 40.
I write poems and lyrics, play instruments, go to countless concerts, rescue animals, travel, do reformer Pilates, collect tattoos and antiques, love to learn about physics and astronomy, obsess over true crime, and write fiction novels. I am a Swiftie. I collect Barbies. I believe in aliens. I love karaoke—the list goes on. I wanted the world to see all of me, not just one part.
So, I stepped back from the Arthritis Ashley blog and socials, quietly unpublished my health memoirs, and started fresh. I revamped my personal site (abshuck.com), launched two podcasts (Deconstructing Bush and Badly Branded, with a new one forthcoming), and sought out more opportunities in fashion and music.
That pivot led to collaborations with Gavin Rossdale’s brand Sea of Sound Design, bylines in Maniac and Whirl magazines, hosting a Macy’s Fashion Week event, reviewing books for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, taking piano lessons, teaching myself guitar, winning awards from Inspiring Lives Magazine, and landing social media partnerships with Brevani Jewelry, Forward Hat Company, Paws N’ Claws Eyewear, and more. (My beloved pets – Olive Magnolia, Pip, Pancake, Dexter, and Slash – also make a lot of social media appearances with their very own hashtag, #shuckzoo!)
My active following now isn’t as large as it once was—but it feels truer. It feels more me.
And my hope is that some of my original Arthritis Ashley followers will someday find their way back, curious to see what I’m doing next—whether that’s analyzing Bush lyrics on my podcast, sharing poetry on Instagram, or launching my newest passion project, Lyric & Muse.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://abshuck.com (and lyricandmuse.rocks …coming soon!)
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/writerlyfangirl and https://instagram.com/abshuck_writes
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/AshleyBoynesShuck
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/abshuck
- Twitter: https://x.com/abshuck
- Other: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/abshuck
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/abshuck.bsky.social
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ash_abshuck
Portfolio: https://clippings.me/abshuck … And keep an eye out for Lyric & Muse on your favorite social media platforms!
Image Credits
Dean Ferraro, Attack Theatre, MCG Jazz, Women Who Rock, Angela Jade, Jill Farrar