We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashley Hoskins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashley below.

Ashley, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

The professional work that I do is closely tied to how I define myself personally. I haven’t always identified as a creative. Prior to committing to working full-time focusing on my creative pursuits, I wore many professional hats. I have had careers as a classroom teacher, quality control/assurance professional, legal assistant and most recently, a trial coordinator. All of those careers appear to be reputable and financially stable careers. However, none of them have given me the pride that I feel when I am out in the community working as a social art creative. I will be remised if I were not transparent about the struggles of living and working as creative. I miss having the security of a steady paycheck and knowing when I was getting paid. Deciding to quit my job and dedicate my time to working on The Free Black Women’s Library was a bold risk. Yet it has been the most rewarding risk I have ever taken. I wake up every morning proud to dedicate my time to pursuing a passion that has lived within me since I was a young girl.

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

As the Director of The Free Black Women’s Library HTX, I am dedicated to creating spaces that are centered on celebrating the voices and creativity of Black Women. I am most proud to be able to provide platforms for young and emerging authors to discuss their writings. Literature has been at the center of my being since early childhood. I consider myself to be a lifelong learner and I constantly enrich myself through reading. It is reading that gives inspiration to my work. I love when I am contacted by other artists and creatives with an idea of a collaboration and I am tasked with putting my creativity to work. I am purposeful in my creativity; all of my creative projects have to be meaningful to me and the audience. I like to tell my friends that I am a problem solver. When I explore through reading, I notice popular trends and come up with ideas about how to shift cultural norms and understanding. My mind starts to churn and I begin connecting puzzle pieces in my brain and a new creative project is birthed.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I am most focused on expanding the cultural experiences of my community at large. The best way for me to do this is to be akin to popular culture and how the minds of those around me are shifting and growing. African art, music, travel, and literature is growing in popularity, I remember being in grade school and there was shame around African culture. Media wanted us to believe that the continent of Africa was struggling and poor. Africans were looked at as unattractive and savage. That is the farthest from reality and media has now shifted to highlighting the beauty and richness of Africa. I am inspired daily by African culture and traditions and I incorporate them into my creative projects. The intention is to bring awareness to the beautiful connection Africans dispersed in America have to the motherland. This is why you will see Adinkra symbols on the crates that I use to display library books. Africa is the birthplace of all humanity and I am driven by paying homage to her throughout my creative work.

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

I used to think I was a part of a minority of people who enjoyed reading. It was hard for me to find community with people who enjoyed reading as much as I did. When I began doing work as the director of The Free Black Women’s Library HTX. I was excited to discover that I had community all along. People would try to discourage me by saying that people don’t read anymore and if they do, they read on their tablets and not physical books. The most rewarding part of what I do is connecting with individuals who are as eager as I am to continue supporting Black women authors and love reading physical books. Whenever I host an event, I am pleased to be in company of women and men who are familiar with books that I too have read or books that are on my to be read list. Books are a portal that connects all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds. I am blessed to be working in this field.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thefreeblackwomenslibraryhtx.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreeblackwomenslibrary_htx/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefreeblackwomenslibrary.houston

Image Credits
Sarah Ontiveros Troy Ezequiel