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

Hi Ashley, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I believe every business-minded individual needs a certain tolerance level for risk. Similar to investing, the more you increase your risk level, the higher the pay-off potentially is. That being said, I don’t believe you should always operate at high levels of risk. Train yourself to be prepared for the moments you do need to take more risks. I’ve made many decisions in my life that had risks attached to them. Most of them worked out for the best, propelling me forward to an operating level I couldn’t have obtained before. You just have to have the guts to do it and enough backbone of belief in yourself.

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.
I hear that my art brings a lot of emotion to the table. I partly believe that’s because I invest myself in my paintings. I’m most proud of the way it reaches through to people that I know. There’s something meaningful about watching a person you care about being in awe of an extension of you on a canvas. I paint to show my past, present, and future, encompassing abstract and cubist styles.

Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Being that art is a personal hobby and passion of mine, it took a while for me to get comfortable allowing the public to see it. The biggest challenge for art was a certain pressure (from being public) to paint more when sometimes I didn’t have the energy or desire. I’d work all week and want to rest my body at the end of the day. But then I found a way to make it something of a routine that I looked forward to (read that in a book). I come home from work on Friday, relax with a glass of wine, and brainstorm ideas on what I’d like to paint. It’s become a guilty pleasure of mine. I want the world to know that no matter how tired you are, no matter how distracted you are, there’s always time for you. The you that you are inside. You have the mental capacity to overcome what you temporarily believe; you just have to start.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
Concerts: I’d probably see if there was a small concert in the Bronze Peacock Room or White Oak. Parks: Buffalo Bayou Park is my favorite with a downtown view, followed by Hermann Park’s Miller Outdoor Theater. Restaurants/Bars: Cuchara for brunch or Nancy’s Hustle for dinner, then we’d go to Boheme and Anvil. Museum: Museum of Fine Arts, then I’d show them the “Bean” outside.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family, of course, started my path, propelling me forward. My dad has been my #1 in life, always showing up when it mattered and when it didn’t. He made sure I knew someone in the world was proud of me, and that was my motivation for a long time. My two dearest friends in life, Kayla and Keardon, deserve the world, and I’m indebted to them for their unconditional love and support. My life has grown and morphed into what it is now, over many experiences and development from those experiences. From that, I’ve been able to form more meaningful relationships with friends and people I meet. The more people you engage with, the more you allow yourself to learn about life’s rapture.

Website: https://www.andrussart.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleyandrussart/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AshleyAndrussArt/

Image Credits
Kayla West Photography