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

Ashley , appreciate you joining us today. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

The kindest thing anyone has ever done for me is believe in me, even if it came after I already showed the world how much I believe in myself. I am on the road less travelled, and while I faced a lot of trial and have had a lot of critics on the way up, I am in a place where the amount I’ve poured into the world and the art scene is being poured back into me. Every comment, like, message, show attendance, purchase, article read, truly touches my heart. I have a beautiful circle of sisterhood, artists, loved ones and friends around me that cheer me on. It lifts me up through burn out, it keeps me going so I can be an example for young minority girls in urban neighborhoods to look up to, for artists that don’t know where to start or don’t have anyone that understands the road less travelled, for women of color who want to build an empire.

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’ve always known that my passion was in the art field, and as a career path often referred to as “limited” it’s safe to believe that art chose me.

As a female artist of color, there are limited opportunities and knowledge of how to pursue a career path in the arts. Holding a BFA in Fine Arts, my experience throughout my art education provided a scope of knowledge in art history and personal development as an artist in skill and purpose, but limited career opportunities to the oversaturated fields of art education itself and graphic design. As an aspiring artist, you don’t learn how to pursue being an artist as a career path in current-day society, and with the statistics regarding opportunities for artists of color it can be discouraging. As a product of an urban environment, I wanted to develop a resource for minority and other underrepresented artists and creatives to gain exposure as I sought those opportunities for myself. During the last year of my degree, I began explaining the concept of creating something “for the culture” to a close friend who is also an artist and identified with the concept. This one conversation sparked the concept and development of The Culture Candy, an urban arts organization that creates opportunities for underrepresented artists. We are an all-minority-woman-owned business and want our artists, and visual artists in general, to be celebrated and receive the same recognition as those in other creative fields such as actors and musicians. We’re so proud to now be on our 50th curation and have been widely recognized in Crain’s, Forbes, and other publications for our mission.

I want people to know that buying art is important, especially from living artists. I want artists to know it’s possible to be seen and it’s worth the risk to pursue their passion. As far as my personal art career, I want to be a pop artist with purpose. At the heart of my art lies a powerful message about internal wealth and the importance of recognizing one’s intrinsic value. Symbolized by my diamond signature, my art serves as a constant reminder of the inherent riches that reside within each individual. Through my creations, I aim to spread this message of internal wealth and inspire others to embrace their own unique worth.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

This is a loaded question and here’s why. There are so many more limitations to overcome as a person of color, a woman, a person from an urban environment, and as a creative. There’s so much you have to unlearn from years of generational survival in order to leave your mark and demand to take up space in our society. You have to be disruptive and do things people in your position won’t understand right away, and you have to be a fearless and champion through the process for not only yourself but others after you. I always knew I was made to go the distance, but I didn’t understand how to heal and unlearn generational patterns until I began studying sociology, pursuing it along side my BFA in college. I dug deep through history and understood the importance of intersectionality, the study of intersecting social identities and related systems of oppression by Kimberle Crenshaw, as a multiracial minority woman from an urban environment, and figured out how to incorporate that understanding in my purpose. My life’s work not only fulfills my own dreams of artistic expression and entrepreneurship, but provides a safe path of healing for aspiring artists, for minorities, for multiracial experiences, for products of urban environments, for women who want to lead, all alike.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

There are many resources in the underground art scene, and you’ll need to have discernment and evaluate what to invest in. Networking will be your biggest ally when you start, you need to get in front of people and get seen, find a community and be open. Be inspired, but be an original. Everything will come together with time and effort.

Contact Info:

• Website: leeleelacubana.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leeleelacubana/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-amber-miah-ba6282195
• Other: theculturecandy.com