Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashli Owens. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Ashli , thanks for joining us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

I came up with the idea of Ashli Unframed when I was about 18 and in college. At the time, I just needed a digital place to serve as my portfolio. The name Unframed came to me came because I had this desire to tell stories that I felt were unique or stories of people who felt “othered”. I guess because growing up, a lot of times thats how I thought I felt and I was like, well certainly other people have to feel this way too. So yeah, I moved forward under the guise of Ashli Unframed. I put a lot of pressure on myself to create these stories and photographs that were ground breaking *lol, but it never was hitting and it also didn’t feel authentic to the art I wanted to create. At first navigating this space felt so embarrassing and I couldnt even utter the word Unframed out loud. It felt lame and like a stupid idea. But if my goal was to tell authentic stories what was that saying if I couldn’t even step into the power of sharing my own.

I reminded myself of why I originally fell in love with photography –  I just wanted to tell stories and create connection.
As I grew into my craft it became less about seeking out unique and stories but really this idea that we are all on our own path’s and navigating them in ways that work best for us, which is really what i think Unframed has come to mean to me.

As a photographer I have the privilege of meeting so many people and create a moment of connection. Unframed is a story of my journey, the people I encounter, and the stories I wish to tell. Whether they be bold or safe, quiet or loud, colorful or black and white… I want the photographs I take to reflect the people I meet and the paths they take. This is the space where I believe my work belongs, with people who desire to tell their story no matter what it looks like. A story that inspires others to keep going on their path, whatever that looks like for them.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Ashli, I am a Brooklyn Based Photographer and Creative. My grandfather gave me my first camera when I was a preteen and I was fascinated in just capturing moments. I use to hide my camera in the plants at home to see if I could catch candid moments. From there on I knew I wanted to be some sort of documentarian. Through my time in College I studied film and photography and began leaning more into photography and I have just kept with it. I love my camera, I am awful at math but the mathematics of my camera just make since to me. Now I am a 28 year old artist based in Brooklyn NY trying to help you tell your story.

I am the founder of Ashli Unframed.

unframed stands for breaking the narrative, paving your path in a way that works best for you. Taking all of the knowledge you have gained, all the obstacles you have faced, deconstructing them and recreating them in a way that works best for you. This is who we are. Whether it is your story to be chaotic or bold, whether you move in silence or decide not to move at all. Tell a story that is yours.

I offer photography services, videography services, creative direction, content curation and make really cool colorful prints to personalize your spaces.

Currently I am on a mission of building a digital community for Unframed. I want to remind you to live freely and embrace your path. I do this by highlighting the dynamic and individual stories of people who are on an Unframed mission through photographic stories, video documentation and visual art. I want you to be a part of it so please find me @ashliunframed on all social platforms. (YouTube and instagram are the big ones right now!)

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?

How much creatives dedicate to their work and also how personal our work can be.
In the past I have been presented hit with the: “Maybe it’s just time to give up on your dream and get a normal job.”
Which is very insulting, because being an artist is a “normal” job. We invest a tremendous amount into our craft, time, emotions, money and often our work is undervalued or not respected. Being an artist takes a lot of commitment just like any job, and it also is extremely personal. A lot of us are trying to shape a world that we hope to see. Suggesting to give up on that dream is kinda cruel. I think it’s extremely important to show up for your friends who are trying to create something. Share their work, purchase it if you can, support them and try to remind them the work they are doing is important and valid and needed.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A bit about my background: When I first moved to NY I thought I wanted to work in fashion. I did for a bit but honestly was quite miserable. Covid happened and I was laid off. From there I worked at a production agency – what I thought was my dream job at the time. I felt like I capped out with my time there and wanted to explore opportunities to grow my business. I quit my job without any savings (I don’t t recommend) and clung to the hope of instant success. Surely, I was an amazing photographer how could I not instantly make a full-time career with my work. Well…that did not happen. I was scraping for clients and work and took a lot of ODD jobs to pay my bills.

I was so embarrassed and also felt extremely defeated and untalented. I was seeing colleagues of mine make it look so easy and often fell into the spirals of comparison without knowledge of their circumstances. With social media it is so easy to cling to the idea of instant gratification and success but that is not the reality of being an artist and a business owner or a person even. It was a tough lesson that I think I had to learn.

Immediate success was not in my plan and that is ok. Of course my path looks different from everyone else because we all have different paths! Once I was able to swallow that pill ( as in a couple months ago) I realized my focus had not been on my mission but rather just chasing a paycheck to survive. Younger Ashli was very steadfast on the idea that to be a successful artist it can only look one way. Today I am much more comfortable leaning into the foundations of building something important overtime. When I made that shift from focusing on being a notarized artist or making x amount of dollars i realized the right opportunities were coming to me. Working to survive doesn’t make you any less of an artist or a business owner. But it was a lesson I needed to learn for myself. As long as you do not give up you do not fail – we in this for the long haul!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ashliunframed.com
• Instagram: @ashliunframed
• Linkedin: Ashli Owens
• Youtube: ashliunframed

Image Credits

Image One – Jade Fox
Image Three – Rahel Tebo
Image 4 – Sowilo Retreat
Image 5 – Aly Garcia
Image 6 – Irkah