Meet Ashley Morgan

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

Hi Ashley, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

Imposter syndrome is a very difficult thing to overcome. Growing up, I always felt like I was stepping into every room with the intrinsic belief that I had no right being there in the first place. Being an artist, and being a woman, can absolutely still feel that way.
I’m not going to lie and say that I’m completely cured of the little voice in my head that tells me that i’m not, and will never be, good enough. However, I will say that the easiest way for me to combat that voice is to know I am loved and supported trough my endeavors. I can create artwork that I enjoy. Artwork that proves that I do deserve to have the space I take up. Furthermore, I can create work that reaches other brilliant feminine centered people who also hold the self appointed and highly inaccurate title of “not good enough.” Because I may not believe in myself at times, but I always believe in every brilliant women I’ve met.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My name is Ashley Morgan.
I am a Denver based artist specializing in painting, photography, mixed media, and printmaking. I make work that is feminine centered, queer centered, and sex worker centered. My goal is to uplift women and feminine aligned people by expressing themes of mental illness, love, autonomy, sexuality, childhood, and personal experiences. Truly, I want to create work that can dissect the most difficult and the most brilliant parts of being a woman, being queer, and being utterly and unapologetically yourself. All this, bathed in pink lighting. The ultimate goal of my work is as follows: creating space for the emotions, physical bodies, love, and pain that is often shamed into the shadows purely for expressing them from a feminine perspective. Society does not love women, it does not love queer individuals, and it does not love sex workers. I do.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Firstly: Learn how to accept constructive criticism. At the start of my college years, I was incredibly opposed to the practice of critiquing my work. I was wildly stubborn. It was only after I learned to view my work from an objective lens, that I began to improve.

Secondly: Stand your ground. Not everybody has enjoyed the work I make. In fact, I’ve gotten some awful comments and statements thrown my way about it. That being said, not everyone is going to understand the purpose behind what I make, and not everyone is going to enjoy it. That doesn’t mean that what I make isn’t good, and it certainly doesn’t mean that everyone who dislikes it suddenly has a certificate in art criticism. I stand behind what I make, no matter who has something to say about it.

Lastly: Find your crowd. My work would be nowhere without all the love and support I’ve received from friends, family, my mentor, and my wonderful partner. I may doubt myself a lot, but I know deep down that I am loved, and my creations are loved.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

Breaking out in the art world is truly quite challenging as an artist who also works a day job to pay rent. I love what I do, and I’ve never been one to give up on something like a dream just because it wasn’t easy to achieve. I combat this difficulty with the simplest yet incredibly exhausting phrase: keep going.
As silly as that sounds, I have come to realize that I cannot quit in my artistic endeavors for one impactful reason; I will keel over and cease to exist if I stop painting. So, I search for a day job in the arts that I will enjoy more than desk work, and I take a deep breath as I submit a new piece to another gallery. The secret to being an artist nowadays is nothing more than resilience, stubbornness, and spite.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Amidst_Livingartists

Image Credits

All images taken and edited by Ashley Morgan