Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Blackwell.
Hi Ashley, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Well, it’s super interesting… because I didn’t discover that storytelling was my true calling until later on in life.
Yeah, I knew that writing had always intrigued me, and I was good with words. I also knew that I held a great creative gene (s/o to my mama, “Bebbie Jean,” for that). Ha! However, I didn’t realize that this was actually a gift of mine that God wanted me to unwrap before the world!
Throughout my adolescent and teenage years, I spent most of my time falling in love with my first passion (singing), reading tons of books, playing around with makeup, and (don’t judge me) running fan pages for my favorite boy bands as if I were getting paid for it. This was back in MySpace, early Twitter days! The golden era. If they needed a leader for their marketing team, I would’ve gladly been it. I promoted the heck out of artists I fangirled over so much that people often thought I was on their payroll, but I got a kick out of it. I genuinely enjoyed doing it. I enjoyed the celebrity interactions, feeling as if I was the person with all the tea on when and where they would be or what they were doing.
At the height of the ‘Love & Hip Hop’ craze, back in 2011, I garnered over 20,000 followers on a fan page I built on Twitter, then with the help of my sister, who took the platform to Instagram, we brought in 90,000 on there. As the reality series grew, we went from being invited to one of Mama Jones’ events (Jim Jones’ mother) to, years later, receiving exclusives directly from the cast members of each franchise. The hype has since died down because we’ve ventured off into doing other things, but it was a wonderful learning experience.
So, because of all of that, in the beginning, I always assumed that I would either be a songstress, a celebrity makeup artist, or a publicist. Whatever I did, the dream was to work with the stars! I was too shy for the stage–and I didn’t take my vocal ability seriously–so, ultimately, I told myself that I would, at least, have a place behind the scenes.
Penning fiction was only seen as a hobby at that point in my life, and I hadn’t even completed a full novel yet. Only short stories, poems, and dozens of unfinished documents under my belt. So, as I grew into my adulthood, that’s when I really started learning about the world of Media. Through attempting to get into Publicity, I came across Journalism! I thought that if I could break into Journalism, that would make it easier for the door of Publicity to open for me because they sort of go hand-in-hand.
But… little did I know, I would accidentally get sucked into Journalism and the once goal I had of becoming someone’s press agent would soon die out. I was overwhelmed with a sense of eagerness and fulfillment after each and every article I wrote or public figure I spoke with. The adrenaline rush came from literally painting the individual’s story on a canvas with my words.
Before entering the business, officially, I spent countless hours, with no experience but lots of willingness to learn, searching for internships. I was a freelancer who was so dedicated to climbing up the latter in this field that I donated my time and my talent to a lot of publications with no compensation necessary. I knew that if someone had just given me a chance, the knowledge would eventually come. I could pass the test! I’d been blogging since 2010/2011, but I was forever somewhere starting then stopping. And my focus was all over the place! [laughs] I couldn’t decide on whether I wanted my content to be beauty, lifestyle, or pop culture-themed. I just did things my way, on my own terms.
The great thing about creating my own blog was that I was able to use a lot of those articles as writing samples for potential jobs. In 2015, I randomly logged on to Baller Alert’s open forum (at that time) and just started writing about the latest entertainment news in hopes of being seen someday. Mine were so good that they ended up featuring them on the main page!
From there, I believed, more than anything, that I could really do the Journalism thing. I was grabbing gigs left and right–including Kontrol Girl, which was a sister outlet to Kontrol Magazine, in 2015 as well. The following year, in 2016, after serving as a contributor for a few months, I was named Editor-in-Chief of Polish Magazine, an online publication focusing on young girls of color. Then… my big break came with Parlé Magazine. That was where (not only others but) I started to see myself as a Journalist. From there, I gained more than I could’ve ever imagined. 60+ celebrity interviews later, I’m still here and still growing. Today, along with my role as an Entertainment Editor for Parlé Magazine, I also serve as a Staff Writer for The Jasmine Brand.
Amid my journalistic success, in 2018, a story I’d written on an online writing community called Wattpad became my debut novel, “Fallin’ for a NOLA Hoodlum: A Houston Love Tale.” People then knew me as a published urban fiction author under the pen name ‘Ashley Te’Arra,’ and later that year, I released my Amazon best-selling series, “If These Pews Could Talk.”
I’d revisited my inner child! My extreme love for books, which I attribute to my mother, Beverly, paired with my admiration of creative writing all made sense. I’d originally wrote that novel for fun! I had no intention of publishing it. God had other plans, though. An amazing woman by the name of Ariel Carter came in my inbox after reading my story on Wattpad and suggested that I sign to the publishing house she was signed under at the time.
Her. It was her who gave me the steps on readying myself enough to go forward with entering the authoring game. I kept telling her I didn’t think I could do it, but she sparked an amount of belief in me that left me no other choice. Unfortunately, I didn’t sign with her publisher, but I signed another deal, which I released “If These Pews Could Talk” under the duration of my contract.
After a few years, I decided to spread my own wings, and I’m now a self-published author. I debuted my first book as an independent author last December, titled “Stolen Mistletoes.”
My journey has been filled with many ups and downs and side to sides, but I’m not going anywhere. There’s so much more for me to do, and I can’t wait to see exactly what that is. Sometimes, I still can’t believe that this is really my job. I wake up every day and write for a living. Wow. Not only write but create… as a whole. I also do social media content creation and graphic design. It often seems like I have so many irons in the fire, so when people ask me what I do, I simplify it and just say, “I’m a creative entrepreneur.”
I think that sounds alright.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
No! It definitely hasn’t been the easiest… at all.
I suffer from a severe case of anxiety and panic attacks. Along with that, not only comes the physical ailments but the mental and emotional ones, too.
I’m constantly overthinking, overachieving, and overanalyzing every aspect of my life. I’ve always wanted things to be roses and rainbows, but I’m (painfully) realizing that it’s not! [laughs] Growing up, I was sheltered a lot. I’m the baby of the family, so a lot of the tough stuff I didn’t have to face. Now that I’m grown and getting a taste of the real world, I’m like, “Did I read the terms and conditions? Because, baby, adulting is not where it’s at!” Thankfully, I have an amazing support system, and my mother is my rock! But… if I could be a kid again, I certainly would.
So, as a Journalist whose job literally revolves around “getting it right” all the time, that can be very emotionally taxing. Especially for someone who’s still extremely shy and reserved like myself. I’m an introvert in an extroverted line of work–what was I thinking?! [laughs] But I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’m trying to teach myself that it’s okay if you get it wrong. It’s okay if you mess up; just make sure you learn from those mistakes. I’m a perfectionist to my core, but understanding that you have to offer yourself grace in the midst of it all is key. I have to remind myself, “It’s not the end of the world, Ashley! It may feel like it now, but it’s not.”
When I was working for Baller Alert, there were times that I got blasted for forgetting to credit a makeup artist in the images that I used and even popped off at in the DMs just because someone didn’t like what I chose to write about. I felt so low, questioning whether or not it was even meant for me. My writing was critiqued so much, but I didn’t let it stop me.
I can also remember when I got the amazing Paula Jai Parker’s last name wrong in an article I’d written on her, and she got me together quick! As she should’ve. Then… when I had the groundbreaking opportunity to interview Mr. Mathew Knowles, and I failed to put a handle on his name out of respect (shame on me, I guess it was the nerves) and he addressed that with me, I felt like my whole life was over! By the end of the interview, I was able to redeem myself, though, because he seemed to have enjoyed speaking with me.
I’ve learned a lot in this business, but I’m grateful for it all.
As an author, I would say my biggest struggles are remaining consistent and not letting one’s opinion change my view of what I’m trying to convey through my stories. It’s sad to say, but readers can be cruel! Those Amazon reviews will humble you fast. But… the beauty of what I do is that I’m able to use my voice, and everyone’s voice won’t sound the same. However, that’s okay. Those who get it get it, those who don’t don’t.
My lack of trust in myself has held me back a lot, but no longer!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m an Entertainment Journalist, African American Fiction Author, Graphic Designer, and Social Media Content Creator! Self-taught! Additionally, I just got into journal-making. Earlier this year, I released my “BRB, I’m Healing and Shxt” journals in honor of mental health for Black men and women.
Honey, I do it all, but I love what I do–even in the times that I hate it. [laughs]. And, honestly, that’s what I’m most proud of. I’m proud of my ability to tap into a skill and master it the best way that I know how. I may not be perfect, but I try my hardest to get it done. My heart is pure and so are my business practices.
I’ve missed deadlines, and I’ve had certain things fall through, but somehow, I manage to pull through. And I give it my all, too. Whatever I do, I go at it 100% in order to produce quality. If I’m telling a story, I want the readers to leave with something. Be it in the chapters of my fiction books or the introductory blurbs of my next interview.
That’s what sets me apart, I believe. I write to feel and evoke feelings. I’m heavy on the detail, and I’m poetic with my words. My sister, Brianna, often jokes with me and tells me I do too much, but hey, I wasn’t born with a crown on my head for nothing! [laughs]
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
My sister’s podcast, Goal Diggin’ Hustlers, is a go-to for Black entrepreneurs. She’s forever offering insight and inspiration through the topics that she covers… each and every episode. I think what I love most about her podcast is that she’s her truest self. She’s a realist, and she lets that shine. She gives it to you real and raw!
As for resources, LinkTree, DIYBookCovers, and Canva are my best friends. I use LinkTree to store all of my important links so that if a reader or a customer is looking for something, I refer them there. DIYBookCovers helps me when it comes to making mockups for my books. If I need to make a quick flyer and I don’t feel like opening up Photoshop, Canva is where it’s at for me.
I’m also in a variety of Facebook groups for writers and readers. I found them through a keyword search. WritersofColor and WomenWritersWin are virtual blessings on Twitter! They cater to freelancers looking for work, and I just think that’s so awesome. It’s hard out here for a writer, so to know that they actually take the time out to not only find the jobs but pass them along? That’s dope in itself!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.authoressashleytearra.info/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/ashleytearra
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ashleytearra
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/ashleytearra
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/ashleytearra
