We were lucky to catch up with Ashley Love-Mills recently and have shared our conversation below.
Ashley , appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
I’m happy as a creative. It definitely comes with a lot of challenges in doing this full time which isn’t exactly peachy(lol) but just the thought of not being an artist full time makes me sick to my stomach. Working in the entertainment legitimately is the hardest thing I’ve ever done but I’m too far in to turn back. I must see it through. There have been many moments in the last twelve years where I’d thought about quitting and go back to school for my masters. I’ve even envisioned myself working at a high rise office in corporate America. I know that I’m smart, educated and resourceful so no matter what I do decide to do for work, I would probably garner some success from it. But if can do that working a corporate job, why wouldn’t I take my God given talents, go after the life I really want and the desires God put in my heart? I am on a relentless pursuit.
I’ve accomplished a few things but I’ve yet to fully tap in. I’m committed to living out my dreams and being happy making a living doing something I actually like doing even if it takes a while to see the fruits of my labor. Acting has taught me to have discipline but to not take life so seriously, enjoy playing and being a kid again. Being in this business has really helped to change my perspective about the way I see my life and how I should live it. Nothing is easy. You just need to have to discernment when it comes to choosing your “hard.”
Ashley , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
This is the second write up Voyage has done about me. The first was when I was starring on Tyler Perry’s Too Close To Home which originally aired on TLC and OWN in 2017 and 2018.
Time flies. I was so green back then and just excited to have finally booked something big after years and years of a relentless pursuit. I’m honestly still trying to navigate my way through it all but I’ve stayed busy since the show. I’ve booked a lot of commercial work and print jobs. I did another movie in 2020 called The Baby Proposal that aired on UP Tv. I guest starred on an episode of The Vampire Diaries on the CW and ABC’s The Baker and The Beauty. I executive produced and directed a short called Glaciers. Most recently, I had a Christmas movie premiere this past December 2021 called A Jenkins Family Christmas starring Golden Globe winner Regina Taylor, Kim Coles from Living Single, and myself. Regina playing my mother and Kim my aunt; the film directed by the legendary Robin Givens. It premiered on BET and can be streamed at anytime on BET+.
In between filming, I’m still auditioning and traveling the country modeling. Some of my regular e-commerce clients include Tj Maxx and Zappos. I teach the youth acting classes at LS Acting Studios which is based in Los Angeles and has a space here in Atlanta for students. I also have a film company so I’m in the process of getting original content green lit. Lastly, I graduated in June receiving my Yoga Teacher Certification so I do currently teach Yoga and mind-body alignment classes twice a week.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
When it comes to resources for the entertainment industry in general, I wish I’d been told earlier that one of the best resources I’d ever have would be me! [Not based on experience, because of course I didn’t have any when I first started.] But to be clear, everyone has their own journey and people often times are looking for the fastest way to reach success and possibly mimic what they see others do hoping to speed up their own process. For me, learning to trust myself, lean into who I am and what I’m not, embracing where I’m at as well as what I’ve been through, flipped a switch. I’ve watched things manifest in real time which is wild. Just be you and be patient. Grow and evolve. Everything you want can happen but it may never come all at once. But it WILL come.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Hoping I’m answering the question right—there have been many situations in my life that were completely outside of my control that I reacted to poorly. But I reacted to that way because that was behavior I learned young. As most of us do, I had to learn via trial and an error as an adult. Understanding my own levels self awareness enough to learn, unlearn and learn again when necessary.
I’ve had bad anxiety for a number of years for a number of reasons. Usually surrounded around the idea of fear of disappointment, seeking perfection within myself and never making mistakes. All rooted in fear, yet ironically enough I chose to pursue a business that perpetuates that fear Haha.. Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment, because I wouldn’t have it any other way. Working as an artist full time is LITERALLY performing trial and error everyday.
So with that being said, I’ve been working a lot on learning how to give forgive myself and exercise grace. It’s easy for me to do that for others, but unlearning how to not be so hard on myself has presented its challenges. Despite that, I’m enjoying the process regardless.
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