Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Etter.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I have always been artsy, mostly without even realizing it. I had a rough, challenging childhood and once I got older, I found that painting was an easy way to escape. If I ever felt sad or unsure about something, I would go to the store and buy a canvas.
After I became a mother, in 2017 I suffered from postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, intrusive thoughts.. you name it! After a few months, I realized I had to do something about it.. I started joining mom groups, forcing myself out of the house, I read more books, made more time for myself, I really tried to understand the postpartum phase as well as I could. I figured if I can wrap my head around what is happening and why then I can beat this… I finally, after much hard work on rediscovering who I was, I found that I felt more like “me” again. A friend invited me to a cookie decorating class in October 2018. I loved it! But I had never made icing or sugar cookies before. I bought a pack of premade icing from our local grocery store and went home to try and remember what I had learned in my class. I didn’t care for the consistency of the icing, much less the taste. I knew I could do better.
That Christmas I asked for a mixer and started making cookies in 2019. My first large order was this Valentine’s Day. I made roughly over 150 cookies with none to spare.
Please tell us about your art.
I specialize in decorating sugar cookies. I also bake custom cakes. I think what makes the cakes/cookies I make so special is the amount of time put into each detail. It really is a work of art. I get lost in creating, almost as if I’m in my own world doing what I was meant to do.
I hope that people look at my work and see that no matter where you started, no matter your skill set, or the struggles you face, you can be successful doing what you love.
In the hardest time of my life, I found something beautiful. I found a way to express myself and support my family as well.
Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. I missed out on so many opportunities because I was too scared to try something new. I didn’t want to fail.
But who cares! That’s what life is all about! That’s the only way I actually learn something is by messing up, each time I make a mistake, I don’t look at it as a failure anymore. I see my skill set rising because I know that I will never make that mistake again.
Get messy. Mess up. Get back on top. Don’t stop.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I post all of my work on my Facebook and Instagram pages
FB : https://www.facebook.com/BakersGonnaBake941/
IG : bake_my_day_941
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Bake_my_day_941
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BakersGonnaBake941/
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