We recently connected with Ashley Gossett and have shared our conversation below.
Ashley, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
As an artist and a writer, I find inspiration around every corner and especially in the simplest everyday moments. There, where perhaps no one else is expecting it, I love finding a story beginning to unfold. A treasure hunt through my favorite local antique store, coffee shop talks with a friend, fresh flowers shared at Bible study, homemade Christmas sugar cookies, my family’s golden cavadoodle pup named Charlie who thinks he’s the goodest boy. (He is!) There is so much creativity all around, if only we’d look up for a moment and take it in. God gives us winks in our everyday places when we look for Him there. Think about it: He who created all things made creativity itself! His wonderful creativity is what inspires and fuels my own, too, as I feel like its what I’m made to do and share with others. After all, we are His masterpiece, created in His image for good works (Ephesians 2:10). Since my heart is bent on using these creative gifts He gave me, I find more creativity comes when I give it attention, space, and time. Patience and persistence aren’t always easy in a world caught up in instant gratification, but I am learning more and more that simply and continuously showing up provides opportunity for creativity to grow. Like planting a garden, creativity flourishes too when given a sunny day sprinkled with a rainy one and lots of pruning and patience in between.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My company is Winnefred Austin, an heirloom gift and lifestyle brand in Nashville, Tennessee. Winnefred Austin’s namesake was my many-generations ago British granny turned American pioneer. Winnefred means “joy and peace,” which both felt like the perfect fit for my brand’s mission. Captured by the whimsy of childlike faith, my product lines of calendars, books, journals, purses, and more serve as everyday visual reminders of hope-filled Truth rooted in the gospel. Dedicated to being a village to children worldwide, we partner with Compassion International. A part of every purchase supports the child sponsorship program.
I’ve worn a lot of creative hats over the past ten years of being a small business owner, from creating art and designing products, to sourcing, marketing, and shipping out products to customers and stores worldwide. It has been quite an adventure of trial and error, woven together with an entrepreneurial spirit and passion for sharing Jesus with others.
I’m excited to share a few of my recent and upcoming product launches with you! In February 2024, “Different By Design” by Monica Mangiacapra released. I had the joy and honor of illustrating her story, and it was so fun seeing it come to life! This summer, a new hardback edition of my children’s book “Starlight and Sun” released. This fall, a new expanded edition of my children’s Christmas board book “Joyful Noise” is coming! All of these books are available at winnefredaustin.com.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Here are three important values that continue to guide me as a writer, artist, and business owner:
1 – Faith. My worth is not rooted in my own or my company’s successes or struggles, but in my Lord Jesus. Nothing else in this would can truly satisfy. Having faith in Jesus also means trusting Him with everything I have, including my company. He is guiding me on a far greater adventure than I could write in a business plan, so I am entrusting each step to His lead.
2 – Seek out friends, family, community, and mentors. It’s so important to have people who understand your vision and goals, but also can help point out blind spots along the way. It takes a village to build a business and to keep the momentum going through ever-changing exciting and hard seasons. Having close people in your corner to encourage, inspire, and bring a cookie on a bad day are the best kind of people. I’m grateful for them, and I want to be that person for others, too.
3 – Run the race with perseverance and focus on what truly matters. Hebrews 12:2 has been framed and hanging on a wall wherever I’ve lived since my dorm room in college. Backing up to include verse 1 it says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2) When I keep my eyes on Jesus and run towards Him, I find the race I’m running is full of purpose and direction, no matter what comes along the way. Good things take time but there is so much hope knowing the race is marked out for me – yes for me! And for you, too.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
There’s nothing like collaborations to foster creativity and fun! I have done many over the years and always enjoy connecting with other creatives in different spaces.
Here are a few examples of collabs I’d be interested in learning more about:
-Children’s book authors/publishers looking for an illustrator
-Publishers looking for children’s book manuscripts
-Retailers looking for faith-filled products to include in their store’s collection
-Churches, libraries, small businesses, and schools looking for book readings and author pop-up shops
If you’d like to talk more, please reach out to me at https://winnefredaustin.com/pages/contact-us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://winnefredaustin.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winnefredaustin/ and https://www.instagram.com/ash.gossett/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-n-steiner
Image Credits
Anna Pearl Photography (the book reading photo at Magpies children’s shoppe in Nashville).
All other photos courtesy of Ashley Gossett.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
