Meet Ashlee Baldwin

 

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

Ashlee , so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever head any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?

I beat my creativity block by reading Julia Cameron’s activity book “The Artists Way”it helps you unlock your creative blocks and it really has changed my life.Doing my morning pages every morning helped me commune with God, the most high source and pour my first thoughts into my journal. It’s called automatic writing, its when you’re freely write from your conscious mind as it flows ,It was very therapeutic and healing for me, I would do at least three pages every morning for 12 weeks. There were questions that had me face my childhood trauma, questions that had me take a seat of the soul and have knowledge of my inner child and how she truly feels. I was triggered for sure, but that’s what I needed to unlock my creativity which helped me face my trauma in order to connect with my art.

I haven’t done my art in 24 years ,as soon as I focused on healing my inner child ,moved to a new state, I was in isolation and surrounded by peace . I was able to be still with God and focus,I was removed from my distractions ie people, places, and things . The Artists Way is a 12 week exercise that helped me tap into all forms of artist expression. I was dancing in nature as the sun basked over me and the birds would chirp and fly around me I felt like a Disney princess. I was already doing photography for a couple of years that’s a gift I manifested from a chant(Nam Myoho Renge Kyo) that was answered and my love for visuals which is my natural eye for beauty. I wasn’t doing photography as much as I use to, I had to rebrand I was in a new environment and I had to readjust and network again.Painting and creating art took over my everyday, my life was consumed. I was just happy to be creating again, after moving away from California back in the summer of 2021. I lived in Los Angeles, California for 8yrs off and on,I had a profound spiritual awakening that played a big part of my resurgence of my art after decades.

I was on an intentional healing journey for 3 years, as I settled in my new found peace I created a mixed media collage painting made out of embellishments, wood, fabric and many different textures. I posted it on Facebook and it got so much traction that it was sold the very next day to a lovely little girl in California. That was my first sold painting EVER, after that I took a year off from working a 9-5 jobs just to focus on my art and I started selling more paintings. I was embodying true artist expression, I was breaking barriers moving me into alignment with my souls purpose.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m just a woman who loves the arts Singing, dancing and drawing , listening to a variety of music I was such a hypersensitive child growing up I felt everything so deeply. I always wanted to express my self and use my mediums as a form of healing . Being multi faceted in a world that tells you to choose one thing and focus on it I could never get with that I have too many interest that’s are interconnected. I’m a feeler so I want my art to be felt I want to shift energy and disrupt the status quo. Wether it’s my music that touches your soul or my paintings that take you to another dimension I want my art to make you feel , too many people are desensitized nowadays, I love nostalgia so I want to take people back to the time of “the good ol’ days” even if it’s just for a moment. Next I want to work on a mixed media fashion series that has elements of fashion , music ,film and art . I have a love for videography so I’m look to merge these mediums to share my passions and big picture ideas.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

My three qualities that helped me on my artist journey is

1) Curiosity: I wanted to experience life through feeling the energy of wander lust ,my thirst for adventure and exploration helped me learn about who I am and wisdom to carry out my days as I stay curious as a child .Moving around state to state for over 20 years, I’ve met many types of people,I’ve seen amazing views and skylines that inspires my art.

2) Audacity: The drive to keep going even in the face of fear and the labels people put on my my whole life I have audacity to change my story to walk in the path that was always set for me.

3)Child Like Energy : Being a free spirited woman who is in-tuned with her inner child gives me the abundance of creativity . I’m constantly bombarded with ideas that come to me because of my love for play, curiosity and imagination.

My advice to any creative will be to explore the unknown, to keep an open mind and heart. Don’t rush the present moment enjoy it and bask in the energy of what you’re experiencing . Live your life full and be childlike, your creativity can make beautiful art with a vivid imagination . You’ll be amazed at what you can create with your hands and mind when you are still and let the ideas flow through you .

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

When I’m feeling overwhelmed I chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo it’s the practice of Nichiren Buddhism. Whenever I chant It helps me shift my mind state, my energy and the world around me. I’ve been my practicing for six years now and it has help me heal and transform my life condition tremendously. I have many outlets that help me recenter myself when life can be challenging.

I love music,a heart wrenching ballad, smooth jazz helps me feel my emotions and brings love and peace to my core. Dancing shifts the energy sectors in your body and it just takes me to a place of ecstasy and euphoria .Frequency music relaxes me and helps me raise my vibration, meditation allows me to clear my mind and practice stillness. Going into nature is one of my favorite things to do I get to sit with God/Mother Nature it helps me calm down and breathe the fresh air and the beauty around me helps me forget my problems .

Lastly, art helps me release,I’d just get in front of canvas and throw paint or sketch what’s on my mind, art helps me dump my emotions and create a masterpiece in the end. My honest and most authentic feelings expressed through my art.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Photography by me Ashleesnapz

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