Why Ashley Tibbits Says You Should “Write Sh*t”
“Being able to write is something you’re born with — but you can never stop honing your craft.”
Source: Pisces Dreams
Ashley Tibbits is a writer and founder of Clever LA.
What was the Lightbulb Moment that inspired you to fully dive into what you do?
I initially went to college to study photography — commercial photography, to be exact, because I assumed it was the only way to channel my creative passion into a lucrative career. But after my very first art history class my freshman year, I completely changed courses. After receiving my Bachelor’s Degree in the subject, the goal was to work as an art critic: Being able to write was always a gift I’d had and my studies had sharpened my analytic skills, so it was the perfect way to combine both talents.
Shortly after graduating, I had begun work as a critic for our local independent paper. Other writing gigs (on other topics) followed quickly and eventually I decided to leave my hometown of Milwaukee for Los Angeles, where I imagined I’d be able to continue my growth as a writer. But due to the death of print publications (particularly art publications), this wasn’t so easy. I pivoted to waitressing jobs and fell into wardrobe styling. While the latter was certainly more creatively fulfilling, I couldn’t deny that my heart still belonged to writing.
With that goal in mind, I signed up for a UCLA extension class, took on unpaid writing jobs to freshen up my resume, and ultimately landed a position at a fashion and lifestyle publication — and I’ve been working in this space ever since, as well as publishing personal writing projects when I can.
What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve learned in your current career?
Being able to write is something you’re born with — but you can never stop honing your craft. Reading authors that inspire me and challenging myself with creative, non-work-related projects regularly allows me to keep evolving as a writer.
What often sparks your creativity or gets you into the creative zone?
I have a unique dilemma in that I write for others as a day job, but also desire to write personally and creatively when I’m off-duty. So in order to hit the reset button in my brain, I always get out the pen and paper and sit anywhere but my desk when working on a short story or personal essay. It helps to take a walk to divide the day and clear my mind, take a bath (sans phone), or squeeze in a candlelit yoga session.
And although I don’t get to write about art very much anymore, there’s probably no other medium that inspires me more. I’ll look back on works by favorite artists like Marc Chagall and Paul Klee, or make an appointment at a local gallery to check out what emerging artists are doing.
What is your unfiltered advice for anyone looking to break into your industry?
My UCLA writing professor used to say “write shit,” meaning to not be afraid that your first draft probably isn’t going to be Crime and Punishment. Getting to the finish line will absolutely involve making mistakes and writing bits you don’t instantly love. That’s okay, you have to write shit to get to the good stuff.
Oct 12, 2020
By Creative Career Club