We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashley Brooke a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ashley , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
In December 2022, I had a repressed memory surface of childhood abuse along with vague apologies from my abuser. I struggled most of my life with various health issues and regularly found myself in abusive relationships despite countless hours in counseling. Two years ago, I began to suspect I had a repressed memory that was the root to my problems. With prayer and counseling, I remembered more and more abuse. I spent December and January in shock. In February of this year, I began to process and heal. Since then, I have written a memoir about my struggles and my hope for a better future. I want to share with the world not only the struggle of childhood abuse, but it’s aftermath, and hope for healing.
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 am a comedian based out of Nashville, Tennessee. I started doing standup after friends endlessly encouraged me and a few Tequila Sunrises. I really fell in love with all aspects of comedy and began acting and producing sketch comedy. I moved to Chicago and took classes at The Second City and took advantage of the Chicago comedy scene to improve my writing and performance. I was voted as one of the Top Three Comedians in Nashville in 2022 by the Nashville Scene. I am the first woman to make the list and I am pretty proud of that and I am also pretty proud of my thrifting skills. I love a good deal.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I know it’s a common thing to say, but it isn’t something I really grasped until the last year, but for me, it’s all about the journey. Being a creative really took me not only on a creative path, but onto a healing path as well. It was through writing, I was able to go to places I don’t think I would have gone if I were living any other way. Comedy taught me not to be afraid to share who I am and what I have gone through with the world. I think that’s a good way to live…boldly.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
A huge part of my creative journey has been sharing my struggles with my health and relationships. I have never held back on this and because of it, I have women reach out to me and tell me I inspire and encourage them. I am able to further share my story with them and hopefully, help them to put pieces of their own stories together so they can heal. I comfort them and pray for them. For me, it has to be the most rewarding thing a woman can have, the chance to help other women. Maybe in a few years, I will add a kid to that list. Who knows? 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ashleycorby.com
- Instagram: @ashleysgotjokes
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ashleysgotjokes
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-brooke-49778857/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ashleysgotjokes