We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashley Love a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ashley, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

The most unexpected problem I faced in my business was when a person contacted me to create a book cover, but did not want to sign her contract nor pay the invoice. This was my first potential client in Dallas. I can’t remember if she found me on social media or if she googled fashion illustrators and found my page. Either way, she contacted me to tell me she was writing a book and wanted a fashion illustration. When she saw my artwork, she wanted to hire me. She even told me her story of how she got the idea to write a book.

When I sent the contract and invoice, I noticed she never signed or paid either (I have specific instructions within the contract to pay half of the invoice so I can start the work). When I asked her if she received it, she said “Yes, but I’m not going to sign it or pay the invoice until I see the work first. I let her know that is not what we agreed or how I operate. She stated she wanted to see the quality of my work first. I told her she saw it when she viewed my website. What was even more strange was that when I asked another entrepreneur, he suggested that I do the work first, but put my watermark on it…..weird! So, I added a watermark and signature. She still wouldn’t pay! She made all types of excuses about being a realtor and that she gets paid when she makes a sale. Then, she had the audacity to ask for more revisions in the contract and talk badly about the sketch that was sent to her (with the watermark and signature).

I gave her another week. Sent another reminder to sign the contract and send the invoice. When still wouldn’t sign, I canceled her contract and invoice and sent a text message letting her know of my actions. She had all the audacity in the world because she texted back with, “Wow! I was going to hire you to do my book! Well, thanks for the opportunity that was given!” I was always told that not all money was good money, and in that case, it was true. That was the first person whose contract and invoice I had to terminate.

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?

I’m Ashley Love, and I’m a fashion designer/fashion illustrator in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I have over 22 years of fine art experience, 16 years of fashion design/fashion illustration experience, nine years of higher education teaching experience, and five years of graphic design experience. I create original fashion illustrations and offer fashion services to individuals/companies who are creating fashion collections and fashion brands. My skills include fashion illustrations, fashion flats, and tech packs, and I design activewear, swimwear, and sleepwear.

What sets me apart from others is that not only do I have years of industry experience, but I also have a Master of Fine Arts in Fashion, which is the highest degree attainable in the fashion industry and I teach fashion design courses on a collegiate level. The things I’m most proud of:
1. In my career, I haven’t had to really look for clients. They have found me. This has always been my norm, but I didn’t know it was not common until I had communication with another fellow fashion designer.
2. A lot of people who contact me are happy that I’m local and I’m able to travel to them, if possible.
3. I’m starting to get noticed more.
4. I designed a collection for Shein that had a lot of sales. It was advertised everywhere!

The thing I would want my potential clients to know is that I’m reliable and I know my stuff when it comes to fashion design. The thing I would want my fans/followers to know is that I’m grateful for their support. It really means a lot to me.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Although I have been freelancing for a long time, there have been many times I’ve had to pivot. There have been times I’ve experienced depression because of the dry spells, lack of money, etc. I’ve always worked and freelanced, but there have been more hard times than easy. I’ve had to bite the bullet and apply for positions I knew I didn’t want to work because it didn’t give me the freedom to be as creative as I wanted so I could pay the bills. The first time I had to pivot was when I had to move back to my hometown until I got back on my feet. Although I didn’t want to go back home, it helped my creativity because more people wanted me to design or create artwork for them. Just recently, I had another financial setback that made me very depressed. It made me have a lot of self-doubt and made me feel like a failure. With the encouragement of friends, prayer, and affirmations, I’m slowly, but surely getting myself out of that dark place. I’m realizing what I want to do is achievable and I’m being more positive.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

One thing I feel non-creatives struggle with is how being a creative entrepreneur is not easy. In my journey, I’ve encountered non-creatives telling me to either move to a place with jobs in my field or just create my own clothing line. All of those things sound great except moving to a different environment is not easy at all, and creating my clothing line is also not easy. With moving, you have to find a place you can afford, either look for work or network in this new place to get yourself out there and hope everything works out. It is attainable, but it is hard work, especially in a new environment. With “creating my own clothing line”, I have to find a way to get the funds to manufacture my clothing, look for manufacturers who can actually create what I want to be designed, find space for the clothing, and figure out how to sell, and market my products. All of these things are not easy, and it takes a long time before it is even mastered. I have a store on Etsy with my products, and I’ve only had three people purchase my items, and my store has been online since 2014.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.ashleydlove.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashley.d.love/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AshleyLoveIllustrations
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-love-95210115/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ashleydlove
• Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ALbyAshleyLove

Image Credits
Shein (for clothing)