local storiesSeptember 16, 2024

Rising Stars: Meet Ashley Fletcher of Victorville, CA

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Fletcher

Hi Ashley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Growing up I always knew I wanted to help people feel better. When I was younger I believed that desire meant I should be a nurse. But I’ve always had a passion for entertainment and the creative arts. As I grew up, I realized that entertainment can be a form of helping people feel better too!

My cousin showed me how to make beats on the computer and I started a YouTube channel in 2016 thinking I was going to be a dj. That same year I also began taking dance classes.

I trained in all styles of dance but hip hop was/is my favorite. Although I started off with dance I have always wanted to do more. I didn’t know exactly what I was trying to do, but I know I wanted more. I dropped the dj “dream” and began to try my hand at being a YouTuber by posting challenges, singing videos and dance videos. I was throwing everything at the wall to see what stuck.

I was encouraged to stick to dance for fear of stretching myself too thin, and ending up not being particularly “good” at anything. So I stuck to dance and put my YouTube channel on hold. I’m not a natural dancer so I had to work extremely hard, especially because I started dance late. I began posting dance videos on Instagram and tried to gain a following but it wasn’t working.

During the lockdown in 2020 I began really reflecting on my passions and what I ACTUALLY wanted to do. I knew I wanted to sing, I wanted to entertain and inspire, but I didn’t know where to start. So I just kept posting dance to my instagram. Also in 2020, I transitioned from being a dancer, to being a dance instructor/competitive choreographer at my studio.

Even with that job, I still felt a sense of longing within me. In 2022 I was encouraged by my mentor to start my YouTube channel back up. I didn’t know what to post, so I tried vlogs. Nothing was picking up. One day I was scrolling and saw a “POV” storytelling short. And I thought, “I write stories all the time, I think I could make videos like that.” I began creating POV shorts and my YouTube channel blew up, which awakened my passion for acting. That’s when I started training myself to be an actress.

Early 2023 I had decided that I would leave my job as a dance instructor to pursue a career in entertainment as an actress/artist. I began to focus on content creation as a way to fuel my dreams monetarily. In June of 2023 I had an idea for an original game show, planned it in 2 weeks, started filming in 3. The purpose of the game show is to help other creators gain exposure, while also generating income for me through my YouTube channel. Season 1 was filmed in my house with a crew of 2-3 people. I got a concussion after we were done filming, but once I was healed enough I edited the whole season in 2 weeks and released the first episode in November of 2023. The game show is titled Icebreaker. I am currently in the early stages of production for season 2 and I will have an actual crew and location to work with this time!

Simultaneously in summer 2023, I was also working on/releasing music. I understand that I came into the industry a little late so I was grinding and setting myself up for 2024. I released my first song in August of 2023 titled “Hold Your Peace”, and I released 3 other songs over the course of 2024.

For acting, I had taken about 3 theater classes randomly throughout my life, but I had no experience in film acting so I knew couldn’t just start auditioning willy-nilly. I began paying extra attention to actors on screen, mimicking them and noting their skills. Mid-2023 I started to write my own monologues so I could practice my speech and body language. I watched YouTube videos on how to become an actress, took notes, and kept practicing.

So about 6 months into 2023 is when I began simultaneously working on my YouTube channel, music, and training myself to be an actress.

I began applying for short films through backstage in January 2024, and booked my first role in February of 2024. Since then I’ve booked two other roles through auditioning, and a couple of other roles through word of mouth/connections. I had to take a break from auditioning for a couple of months because I was working on music as well and I began to get a little burnt out. I also released two music videos, one in April of 2024 and one in July of 2024.

Another reason I had to take a break from applying, is because I live about 2 hours away from LA. So every time I booked a job or went to an event, I commuted. Sometimes I found a friend to stay with, but most of the time I commuted back and forth. I had a lot of stamina in the beginning, but because I have to drive through the mountains, going back and forth has been taking a toll on my body. Which is why I’m now in the process of moving out.

I fully believe this is what I’m meant to do, and I love to do it. I’m not where I want to be yet, but I know I can get there. My dream is to be a full time actress/artist. When I’m not acting I want to be working on music and performing. When I’m not working on music and performing, I want to be acting.

God has been with me through all the ups and downs and I know He wouldn’t have placed this in my heart and gotten me this far if it was not meant for me to do it.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Doing things independently is already a tough road because not many people understand you, and it can be extremely lonely. Where I live didn’t help with the loneliness at all, because for years I couldn’t find anybody who shared similar goals, passions or drive.

I also struggle really bad with social anxiety. Which is strange because everything im passionate about kind of requires being social in one way or another. Some days are worse than others, but I’m working on it.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Currently I’m still doing content creation as a means to generate income. Because I was on my own for so long, I’ve acquired many self-taught skills. I can do photography, write, choreograph, edit, and assist others in growing their social media because I have studied the algorithm for YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. I specialize in acting, but
I’m currently known for a plethora of things, it just depends on who you ask! Some know me as a YouTuber, a dancer/choreographer, a singer, or random person who does a lot of things ha… but I’m slowly transitioning my following to mainly see me as an actress/artist.

I would say I’m most proud of the fact that I haven’t given up. Because there were a lot of mental breakdowns I went through as a result of doing so much at one time. So my proudest accomplishment is that I’m still here.

What sets me apart from the others is that I truly care about people’s hearts. I’m not just in this industry for the attention or the money. I genuinely love to create and I love giving others around me the opportunity to do what they love as well. I remember when I was younger and felt alone/misunderstood, artists were the ones who made me feel seen. I want to be that for other people, I want to make them feel seen and understood.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Being on set filming, because I don’t have to worry about doing everything alone, and listening to a song I wrote come to life. Because I’ve been writing music since I was 12 years old, it’s always such a crazy feeling to physically hear my song as an actual song.

A couple more things that make me happy are when I get comments of people telling me they can relate to what I’ve shared, and that it’s encouraging them to keep going too. It’s confirmation that I’m doing something right, and I love that I can inspire people the way other artists have inspired me.

Last things that make me really happy are Minecraft, Fortnite, anime and eating good food. I’m especially happy when I get to share those things with people I love.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Jordan Lewis
Ianne Lloyd
Sophie Kairis
Bryssa Padua

Suggest a Story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.