We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Ashley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sarah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

There’s much room for improvement in the modern education system. Yes, the topics and subject matter taught to students are valuable and do provide a solid knowledge “baseline” to build upon. Yes, I believe higher education is a worthwhile experience, if only for that—the experience of life, people, and new ideas.

However, there is a severe gap between learning and real-world implementation. The education system does a lousy job of preparing students for life after school. While classes like English and History have been core subjects for years (part of that baseline I mentioned), why not personal finance? Why are students not being taught how to build their credit score or how to buy their first home, as part of their core classes?

Additionally, there’s a massive difference between learning, say, Marketing in the classroom and then becoming a Digital Marketing Specialist in the career world. Most students have no idea what to expect once they sign their first offer letter at their first job, which I believe is a direct flaw of the education system.

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

My name is Sarah Ashley, though in business I usually go by Sarah E Ashley. I’m a copywriter and creative writer primarily working with small to mid-size businesses that need three things: a voice, a consistent writing style, and more time. Right now, my services focus on providing brand copy, product descriptions, web copy, and content (blogs & social media captions).

When I’m not writing copy, I’m pouring my heart out into creative endeavors. One thing I’m most proud of is my feature in the 2022 movie The Art of Love. My poem is in the last scene of the movie before the credits, and the film just made its debut on Netflix UK. That was such a fun and exciting project to work on, and it really opened my eyes to the potential of creative writing in film.

Beyond all that, I’m an entrepreneurial creative at heart. I run a poetry account and an art account on social media, and I’m always dipping my toes into new ventures and trying new things. Life is meant for experimenting!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part of being a creative is the connections you make with like-minded people. It’s an incredible feeling when I take a chance and produce something, a poem or video, that I’m uncertain about at first but that others resonate with once it’s out in the world.

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

There are so many excellent informational resources for creatives. As a creative who is also a business owner, I wish I had known earlier about the three business personalities: the technician (artist), the manager, and the entrepreneur (risk taker). Look it up.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.saraheashley.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saraheashley/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah95/
• Other: TikTok: @saraheashley Pinterest: @saraheashh

Image Credits
Abby Grace Photography