Today we’d like to introduce you to Ash Beard.
Hi Ash, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I feel like my story really just started. I moved to LA two years ago from Pullman, WA. I got my degree in Broadcast Journalism and worked for a while at a PBS station, helping a team of lovely people create a podcast and digital videos. I moved here to work in film and television and because I needed a change of scenery. And boy- did I get more than I bargained for.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Moving from a small town, pretty much every aspect of life is harder in a large city like LA. Finding a job and paying rent obviously is a challenge but also learning how to drive, go to the doctor’s office, make friends, all of it was way harder than I was used to. I found it difficult to continue my usual creative pursuits while struggling to survive on a basic level. I moved in the middle of the WGA and SAG strike so perhaps that’s on me for poor timing! LOL
Also, being non-binary and neurodivergent, I thought LA would be a paradise for me but, in hindsight that’s not the case. It sort of feels like every extreme exists at once in LA. I’ve met some extremely narrow-minded people here but also some of the most open-minded. I guess it all goes to show that you will find what you look for. I think the television/film industry has a lot of work to do to create more inclusive spaces and I just hope to be a part of that change.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Professionally, I work on the production side of TV and film, anything from PA to Line Producer. Now, I mainly work on vertical films and non-union indie films but would like to work in television more regularly. I still work part-time for the PBS station (remotely) and I am creating an educational web series using archival footage and interviews from the Hanford site (a decommissioned nuclear factory in WA).
In my free time, I am an acrylic painter, actor and writer. It sounds kinda lame but I am just proud of myself for consistently making my rent payments in LA and finding time to dance and create art outside of the endless Hollywood grind. I have managed to get by financially on my film work which is a huge win. My painting and artistic hobbies remain an escape for me and a way to give gifts to my friends.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My partner Patty, who works as a pre-school teacher, is endlessly patient with me and always makes sure I have a warm bowl of soup waiting for me when I get home from a long day on set. There’s this group of equally weird creatives that host weekly art nights at their house and that has been such a blessing to know there’s a consistent place we can go and be surrounded with people all pursuing their passions. Not to mention all the hard working people who are currently involved with vertical projects. People say that LA is shallow but I feel like that’s not true. It takes some time to grow roots here but I am so grateful for all my new friends and the old ones who have stuck around.
Also, I have to mention the community at the Won Buddhist Temple in Koreatown, who have helped me a lot to find peace within the chaos of the career path I chose. I am so lucky to have such amazing people in my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ashbeardcreativeprojects.weebly.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lordashington?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Image Credits
Lucy Lobdell
