We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashley Rose Nicholas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ashley Rose, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I’ve always been in love with the art of storytelling. Since I was a little girl performing has been my first love. My inner child jumps for joy when i get the opportunity to perform. As of late I’ve dove head first into the acting medium. I had a comedy come out in March called “Who Invited Charlie”, an action film called “The Burden of Nine Lives” Previewing in September, and a sci-fi proof of concept about a HBCU. Through and through I love that I’m expanding versatility in my craft and will always put that above everything else. A focus on craft equals longevity which I prefer over just going viral. I’m looking forward to continuously diving into more roles and living through different character’s perspectives.
Ashley Rose, 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 started performing when I was about 3 years old and fell in love with different mediums of storytelling one by one. I went to a professional conservatory of the performing arts called AMDA and after graduating I found my voice after a bit of exploration. I would express different perspectives of the human experience through modeling, acting,or producing my own projects. Nowadays I’m a successful commercial actress with multiple credits in feature films, a model who has been featured in Vogue 3 times, and a creative director/producer of my own artistic projects of sorts. As a visionary I’m able to build entire stories whether through acting, or modeling, and bring them to life. I feel very lucky to have a career where I can continuously meet people with curiosity and imagine living in another person’s shoes. I’m extremely proud of my perseverance through the many trials and tribulations that come with working in entertainment. There can be dry spells from weeks, to months to even years and you have to push through in order for your breakthrough to come. One of the main focuses of my brand is to authentically be yourself because that is and always will be enough. I will inspire little brown girls around the world with hard work and authenticity. As I continue to elevate I will always keep my purpose near and dear to my heart.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the power to take back certain narratives and use them to transform yourself. When it comes to creation it can be a very cathartic process. Putting your all into expression of any kind is a great outlet emotionally and that kind of vulnerability can feel very powerful. To bare yourself to the world is a very strong thing to do, but it’s also the most liberating. Another great thing about being an artist is you are a vessel for different stories to be told through you. Life never truly feels boring as there’s always more stories to be told and worlds to explore.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
In the very beginning of my career I was so in my head about what i SHOULD be doing instead of just learning through trial and error. In the age of social media there is a fear of not looking put together or perfect all the time. There is a pressure to look like you have it all together at all times and that isn’t how life works. The authenticity is in the struggle and if you mess up grow through what you go through. The only way you’ll know if something works is if you take the risk to put yourself out there. Mess up, dust yourself off, and repeat. Eventually you will find your footing ,but all of that will be impossible if you never try out of fear.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @dancerofstorms
- Facebook: Ashley Rose Nicholas
Image Credits
@theburdenofninelives @dg.noble @a_kid_named_trav