We were lucky to catch up with Ash Duskwood recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ash, thanks for 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 was fortunate to be employed immediately after college and fell into a “regular job.” While the job had been a creative one, creativity in corporate environments is not the same as being creative for yourself. Toward the end of my time there it really started to weigh on me, especially because I had little energy to create for myself after a full day of work. While I had always been making plans to support myself through my art, it all came to a head last year when the company I worked for had to significantly reduce spending and did so through multiple rounds of layoffs, suddenly I found myself jobless for the first time in about a decade. That moment in time was almost like reaching a fork in the road — do I try to find other full time work, or do I jump into my passions and build my life to primarily revolve around my photography, my costuming? While full time work would continue to provide that financial security — something that has and will always scare me to lose — I also know how detrimental to my wellbeing it was to be financially stable but unhappy. I chose happiness, and even in the moments it’s been hard, I seldom miss how it used to be.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My penchant for the fantastical started at an early age, where I was unable to read enough books or watch enough movies that kept me immersed in the feeling of magic. It bloomed into a desire to tell those stories for myself.

I call myself a renaissance woman, not only because I’m a jack-of-all-trades creative, but also since most of my art is inspired by fantasy and historical fantasy — plus I work at renaissance faires. While I have a few other avenues I do on occasion — writing, video, project management, and podcasting to name a few — my loves are photography and costuming.

In 2020 when the world closed down, I suddenly had more time at home and I began to reignite all the sparks that corporate environment all but snuffed out. Over the next few years I grew my craft starting with a reintroduction to creative makeup, which led to learning how to make my own clothes and costumes to wear to renaissance faires and events, then wanting to take self-portraits to place myself and those costumes into a fantasy world, and finally to where I am today, creating fantasy photos and costumes for myself and others.

As a photographer, my focus is primarily on creative portraiture. I go by “The Ethereal Ash” as my style leans ethereal, spooky, cosmic, and moody, especially as I utilize special effects editing to create images that feel like they’re plucked from a fairytale. I’ve created images with dragons, Dungeons & Dragons-inspired characters with magic effects, and cosmic environments.

As a costumer, I create a combination of fantasy and/or historically-inspired pieces meant for events and photoshoots, as well as fantasy-inspired everyday wear that’s both cozy and stylish.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

There are so many aspects of being an artist that is rewarding but I’ll try and just stick with the two biggest ones for myself:

1. Finding your community. I’ve moved around the U.S. enough to know that not all creative communities are made the same. The people I found in Washington state were incredibly community-oriented while the folks I found in the Los Angeles area often saw you as competition first. When I moved back to my hometown and had to rebuild community once again, I took this simple expression with me: community over competition. That has been my guiding light and allowed me to not only grow connections, but real friendships too. I created a Discord server for the mid-atlantic fantasy community that is filled with folks who embody that philosophy and gave me the confidence to jump into artistry full time.

2. Seeing what you imagine come to life. My imagination is bursting at the seams and I can picture so clearly how I want a photo or a piece of clothing or jewelry to turn out, and sometimes there’s no easy way I can replicate what I imagine. But when they turn out perfectly, there is so much emotion that comes flooding in to see that spark of idea become real.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I’ve experienced some significant physical and mental health hurdles in my life — diagnosed with cancer at 20, diagnosed with bipolar disorder and autism in my late 20s — and self-expression is a vital tool in helping me feel my best. I feel deeply and have done and still do work in the health space to support others who are in the places I was before I had appropriate treatments and skills that worked for me.

There is something so special when someone feels seen or validated in your creations, even when your only intention was to create for yourself and get whatever it is out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://etherealashpictures.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.ethereal.ash
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@theetherealash

Image Credits

Cover: Samantha Moger Photography
Royal Ruins: Julie Floro Photography