We recently connected with Ashton Ryan and have shared our conversation below.

Ashton, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

It’s hard to say when my “creative career” really started. I’ve been scribbling stories on paper scraps since I was a kid and taking photos and videos of everyone I love for as long as I can remember. Maybe it wasn’t a career then—but it was all practice. It was instinct, ritual and a way of seeing the world that never really stopped.

I guess the more official start came later, when I finally allowed myself to take it seriously. At that point, I was somewhere in between lives—navigating the edges of what was expected of me and what I actually wanted. Creativity had always been the constant, but it took time to see it as something I could build a life around, not just escape into.

If I had started sooner, maybe I’d have more work out in the world—but I don’t know if I would’ve had the clarity or emotional depth. If I had waited longer, I might never have started at all. So no, I wouldn’t change the timing. It unfolded the way it needed to. And I think that slow burn—growing up with it, stumbling into it, choosing it over and over—is what’s made the whole thing feel real.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Ashton Loren Ryan—a writer, photographer, creative director and visual storyteller who’s always been drawn to the poetry of the everyday. My work spans words, imagery and intimate experiences, all rooted in one idea: capturing the wild beauty of a life fully lived.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when this became a career. I’ve been telling stories and taking photos since I was a kid—documenting everything and everyone I loved, like I was afraid it might disappear if I didn’t. Over time, that instinct turned into a practice, and that practice into a body of work.

Now, my work flows through several deeply personal projects:
ALR Imagery is my visual storytelling home—focused on soulful photography and videography that captures people and places as they truly are.
Wild Homes and Gardens is a lifestyle publication celebrating untamed spaces and grounded living, where beauty and grit live side by side.
whatilovedoing.com is an online lifestyle guide and creative archive for wild-hearted women exploring joy, freedom, and intentional living.
The Wild Ones Collective is a community for creatives who live off the beaten path—storytellers, seekers, makers, and lone wolves.
And Wild Press is the publishing house that holds all of these worlds together—a home for independent voices and untamed narratives.

What I offer—whether through writing, photography, or collaborative creative direction—is honest storytelling. I help individuals, brands, and publications strip away the noise and get to the heart of who they are and what they want to say. I don’t do trends. I do truth.

What sets my work apart is the soul in it. It’s raw. Intimate. Sometimes messy. But always real. I’m less interested in perfect polish and more drawn to what’s alive beneath the surface.

What sets me apart? I don’t do surface-level. My work is deeply intuitive. It’s emotional. It’s personal. I believe in slow storytelling, in depth over noise, in leaving space for what’s real to come through. I want every image, every sentence, every project to mean something.

I’m proud of the creative life I’ve built—a life rooted in freedom, beauty and connection. I’m proud of every woman who has said “me too” after reading something I wrote and every client who’s cried (in the best way) after seeing themselves reflected in a photo.

If you’re just discovering me or my work, what I want you to know is: I’m not here to perform. I’m here to create from the soul. If it resonates, you’re probably one of us—the wild ones.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Absolutely. I’ve never really followed a traditional path when it comes to business or management, so I’ve always gravitated toward resources that feel more human than corporate—things that speak to intuition, creativity and resilience over hustle culture.
My approach to creativity, entrepreneurship, and leadership has been shaped far more by inner work and storytelling than traditional business resources. I’ve always been more drawn to depth than strategy—less about “how to scale” and more about “how to stay true.”

Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way was foundational for me. Her concept of morning pages and creative recovery completely changed how I see my work—not as a grind, but as a daily practice of showing up with honesty and vulnerability. She reminded me that discipline and devotion can be soft, soulful things.

Debbie Ford’s work, especially The Dark Side of the Light Chasers, taught me to embrace the full spectrum of who I am. As a creative and entrepreneur, shadow work has been essential. Her philosophy helped me understand that the parts of myself I once tried to hide—my doubts, fears, restlessness—are actually sources of power when brought into the light.

Natalie Goldberg, with Writing Down the Bones, gave me permission to write without judgment. She helped me fall in love with the rawness of the page, the mess of the mind, and the rhythm of repetition. That kind of presence and honesty shows up not only in my writing but in how I build and lead everything—whether it’s a brand, a shoot, or a publication.

Some creative business books have been helpful along the way too:

Tara Mohr – Playing Big (perfect for creative women ready to claim their voice and power)
Erin Loechner – Chasing Slow (a soulful look at redefining success, deeply resonant for creatives)
Danielle LaPorte – The Fire Starter Sessions & The Desire Map (emotional intelligence meets entrepreneurship)
Kate Northrup – Do Less (integrates the feminine cycle with business planning—super aligned with intentional living)

I also love essays, interviews, and long-form pieces by women who have carved out their own spaces. I’m always looking for voices that feel real and lived-in—ones that value soul over strategy and show that it’s possible to build something meaningful without compromising your truth.

At the end of the day, my entrepreneurial philosophy is rooted in self-trust, wildness, and depth. I don’t want to build an empire—I want to build something lasting, something felt.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I couldn’t work the job I got with my college degree—one I thought would be the logical next step, the one I had planned to build upon with further education. It wasn’t that I didn’t try; it’s just that, deep down, I knew it wasn’t the right fit. I had worked hard for that degree, and I thought that this job would be the path I was supposed to take. But once I started, I realized something was missing. My mind wasn’t engaged, and it felt like I was just going through the motions, stuck in a routine that didn’t feed my creativity or spark my passion. I was suffocating in a position that didn’t challenge me, and I couldn’t separate my work from my personal life. It was draining me.

I wanted more. I wanted work that made me think, feel, and create—something that would light me up instead of leaving me feeling empty. So, I made the decision to pivot. I chose to walk away from a safe, “practical” career and follow the creative path I knew I was meant for.
It was during this time that I discovered photography and journalism—two fields I didn’t study formally in college but that felt like an instant calling. I threw myself into learning photography, teaching myself the technical side of things, and discovering the beauty of capturing moments. Journalism, similarly, became an outlet where I could explore storytelling—how to weave narrative, capture truth, and share it with the world.

These self-taught skills in both photography and journalism were my pivot. They provided a new lens through which I saw not just the world, but my place in it. I realized I didn’t have to fit into the traditional career path or stick to the “safe” jobs I had been taking. Instead, I could use my creative skills to build something entirely my own.

I started taking on freelance work, building my portfolio, and gradually stepping into the world of creative entrepreneurship. Photography and writing became the foundation for everything I do now—from ALR Imagery to Wild Press, Wild Homes and Gardens, and whatilovedoing.com. They gave me the freedom to express myself fully and to create a career that was both mentally stimulating and deeply fulfilling.

In the end, it wasn’t the formal degrees or titles that defined my career—it was the hunger to learn, the willingness to pivot, and the courage to trust in my creative instincts.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alrimagery.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/alrimagery_intimates
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/wildhomesandgardens

Image Credits

First image : Thicker Than Water Photography