We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashley Blackwell a few weeks ago 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’d like to think that the entrepreneurial spirit has been within me since the womb! Literally! [laughs] I owe it to my mother, who’s always been a waymaker and shown me what it truly means to be your own boss.

Whether she was selling handcrafted flowers out of our home or slinging phonebooks and candles from the truck of our car, I grew up seeing her hustle… by any means necessary.

However, when she wasn’t wholesaling, she put her talent to use through her first passion(s): decorating and making floral arrangements. That’s where my creative gene comes from; I’m a natural-born creator.

I’ve only held two “regular” jobs in my twenty-something years of living. One was as a receptionist at the American Red Cross, the other was as a political surveyor that I did virtually. Neither of those positions lasted long at all, and I didn’t enjoy them.

I was familiar with the work-from-home force because my mother also held many 9-5s and kept the bills paid in her pajamas… right from the comfort of her own computer desk in her room. What hasn’t she done? [laughs] MY HERO!

But… it wasn’t until I did some research of my own that I realized there were avenues for me to exercise my gifts of writing and designing without having to live in a big city or clock into someone’s office every day.

Ashley, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve always loved to write, but I never saw it as anything past a hobby. From penning (pitiful) poetry–haha–to short stories in adolescence, I now know that the art of storytelling had to have been deep-rooted.

With that said, digital Journalism was where it all started for me… in a serious capacity. With no solid experience other than a personal blog of my own and a deep interest in pop culture, I just…. went for it! Initially, my blog was centered around lifestyle and beauty, but then I delved into entertainment topics.

I was celebrity-crazed, ran many fan pages, and even considered chasing a career in publicity. I was all over the place and couldn’t really see a clear map of the path I was supposed to take. I just knew that I wanted to work among the flashing lights and the stars that lived within them. That childhood desire I once had to be a makeup artist to the A-listers shifted when I learned that I could merge so many of my innovative talents under one umbrella in the world of media.

Through trying to see what it would take for me to become a publicist, I fell into journalism, which sort of works hand in hand with public relations. Those same articles that I wrote on my blog (ultimately) helped me when pitching to publications, hoping that someone would give me a far-fetched chance. When I say I had nothing but a dream… a DREAM!

Everything sort of aligned. My first big gig was with Baller Alert… as a contributing writer. From there, although still new in the game, I went from doing write-ups to being promoted to Editor-in-Chief of an online magazine that targeted young women of color. Then… Parlé Magazine happened! MY LIFE-CHANGER! Lead writer, editor, interviewer—I gained soooo much experience! I was getting opportunities to speak with heavy hitters left and right.

To date, I’ve conducted over 60 interviews with some of today’s most celebrated entertainers. Lynn Whitfield, Tank, Fred Hammond, Mathew Knowles–the list goes on. I’m forever grateful to Kevin Benoit, the boss man! He took me under his wing and didn’t let me go.

2018 came around and I decided that I wanted to venture off from journalism (just a tad bit), so I revisited my goal as a youngster of becoming an author. I’d written a book on this writing platform called Wattpad, not knowing that it would be my entry into the literary field. The 90,000+ novel that I wrote for fun ended up being sought out by someone from a publishing company.

Unfortunately, I didn’t sign with that publisher, but I did go with another small publishing house. It was when I started penning novels that I rediscovered my love my graphic design. At the time, in an effort to self-promote my work online, I started putting together my own flyers.

I went from making (hideous) social media headers/templates in the Myspace era to creating eye-catching graphics that helped me build my brand. I just kept getting better and better at it, so I figured… “Why not do this for other people?”

Now, aside from being an author and journalist (catch me on The Jasmine Brand, too!), I run my own graphic design business where I offer reasonable services for entrepreneurs who want quality promotional material but don’t have the hugest budget.

Additionally, my sister, Brianna, and I opened our very OWN publishing company, BriAsh Media, which is set to officially launch in August!

The shy little girl who wanted to be heard but was afraid of being seen is bursting with joy, I’m sure. I’m proud of myself for doing the things I’ve always wanted to do…. my way, on my terms.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

How important our mental health truly is. Not to say that others aren’t, but (for myself, especially) creating takes a lot of mind energy. I can’t create anything if my brain isn’t right.

I know we live in a world where hustle culture is the how-to-get-rich manual for the road to success. As millennials/Gen Z, we spend so much time trying to live up to the expectations that are placed on us, and sometimes… we lose ourselves in the midst of it all.

Artistically, we’re always expected to deliver greatness, which is something I’ve had many conversations with my therapist about. Some days, I can’t even show up for myself enough to show up for others.

So, grace. Grace is the lesson that we need to become more comfortable with learning and understanding. The ideology of perfection has creatively stripped me in the past, but we need to remind ourselves that it isn’t real. It’s an illusion.

There are days that you will be able to get it done and there are days that you won’t. Both days, you survived, and you made it through to try again the next.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is having the capability to tell stories and bring people’s vision(s) to life!

Whether I’m interviewing a public figure or designing a logo for a brand, I get to go beneath the surface and visually paint messages–be it through my words or designs.

I love seeing the end result, and the responses are usually priceless. I’ve always been one to enjoy bringing happiness to others and making them feel good.

So, it’s a WIN!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/ashleytearra
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ashleytearra
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/ashleytearra
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/ashleytearra