Meet Ashley Terrell | Creative Director and Owner of My Sassy Canvas

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Terrell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
To be honest, it was just a hobby that I used for therapy. I never intended on it being a business! However, after sitting down with my sister and reevaluating my talent and my hard work, she encouraged me to turn it into a business. It was not easy to start, however, I am so grateful that I did, because it has brought more joy into my life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is…ME. It presents my pain, my passion, my hardships, my ups, and my downs in a beautiful way, In general. I love Color. I love the way that color can stand out, blend in, compliment, or contrast almost anything the eyes can see. Everyone has their own perception when it comes to color, therefore when it comes to my art, I love to get my client or customers’ perspective on what they see. Sometimes the term “business owner” and “artist” do not mix. Simply because an artists’ dream is to just be able to create their art, share it with the world, and then get paid. Unfortunately, to be a successful, profitable, artist, you must master both. That was the hardest hurdle for me, Over the last five-plus years, I have had to grow myself personally so that my business could grow. I experienced growth with budgeting finances better, growth in my mental mindset, and growth within my heart. My brand is me and I am my brand; My Sassy Canvas. Everything that I do, I put my own twist to it. I take a very basic, sometimes traditional concept and add my sassiness to it. So no matter what the canvas is, whether it be a piece of jewelry, an actual canvas, or anything that is a part of my life, it will never just be a regular canvas. It will always be My Sassy Canvas. Because this life is my canvas, and I’m going to paint it how I want it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It’s Saturday morning, and we are wanting a good breakfast. so where do I take them? Egg House Cafe, of course. The food is amazing and the staff is always super friendly. From there, we would do a little shopping on the Square. There are so many adorable boutiques and small businesses that can be supported. For lunch, we have to stop by Hoochies Casual Dining for some amazing cajun seafood. My family roots are in Lousiana, so I am very picky about how people label certain foods “cajun”. However, they do an amazing job and I am pretty much a regular! In the late evening, We would definitely stop by Steve’s Wine Bar for some amazing wine and a good time! As dinner time approaches, we have to go to Komodo Loco which is on the list of my top 3 favorite restaurants of all time. Komodo Loco takes Asian cuisine and puts its own twist to it! To end the night, we could go to the Eastside Social Club and relax with some beers and enjoy their amazing patio. If we get hungry, we could visit the food trucks that are behind the bar or head over to Back Dough and get a gourmet beignets. The fun thing about Back Dough is that they make the beignets and sell them out of the back door Queenies Steakhouse.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My sister, Latoria Bolden, owner of Little Dandies Learning Academy. She is the reason I started my business and my family is the reason I continue my business.

Website: www.mysassycanvas.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mysassycanvas
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mysassycanvas
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mysassycanvas