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hi, i'm ash!
Creator of the New Travel & Design Series, 'OTHER PEOPLE'S HOUSES.'
Travel writer & host, cultural explorer, and architecture & interiors freak.
Meet ash >
I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈
I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈ I THINK YOU'RE REALLY GREAT ✈
The Newsletter
Every week, we're exploring global culture through the lens of the home. From floorplans to fixtures, we examine how houses are built, designed, and decorated around the world (with a side of sass, of course!)
The Podcast
The only podcast where we pass on the pyramids and poke around in the plumbing. I’m Ash, and I'm, exploring the strange, smart, and wonderful ways houses are built, designed, and decorated around the world.
The Books
A new series of OTHER PEOPLE'S HOUSES books designed to help you try on a new life in different places around the world—by getting to "go behind closed doors" inside local homes to discover what it's really like to live there.
Thank you. Just what I needed. I want to create an online business, but I just cannot find my way there. It’s good food for thought, Ash!
COMPLETELY get it—the online business industry as a whole has a real gross ick about it, so it always helps me to think about about it from the perspective of ‘useful technology + modern tools’ and how it can help us all create more meaningful careers, rather than “online business.” Yuck!
I just struggle with my topic.
In terms of finding my style, about two years ago,I started writing creative essays, about the combo of life with a traumaticbrain injury living with a family of autistics, and all the colorful drama of dysfunctional family members. (maybe my theme? motivation is my issue)
The Meat & Hair writing course shaped my first story about my daughter and the wonders of female puberty, which my friend said was bloody awesome! It’s now
the base of my style in addition to a pinch of David Sedaris, is just a amazing combo!
Life has gotten in the way of consistent writing now, like finding and apartment in the Netherlands, which is nearly impossible, but I am planning on using a little M&H for these dry, no rule-breaking Dutchies. I may win them over yet to house my little fam post-divorce. 🙏(Fellow American living abroad)
I had always wanted to send you a thank you for how awesome your book and course was. I glad you have not “Irish goodbye’d” us on Substack, Ash.
So happy I have found a way to send it!
Would have no idea how to create technology out of where I am except my experiences to help people who have been in my situation. It could be a newsletter or Substack. My business is communications. With online courses being so DONE and podcasts everywhere, what kind of tools are there?
That’s the process I am in. I will likely go back to reading this newsletter again!
Thanks, Kristi!
I agree with Kristi, course are not Done, not only does Ash do them but look at all the people taking Amy Porterfields course, including myself. It’s what you personally can bring to the table to make it different and appealing to your audience.
OMG ASHLEEEEEEY!!!! You are so in my head on this! Gurl, I feel like it’s groundhog year and we are repeating 2020 and the world is burning, but very few are paying attention and me having a conversation over here about fabric and wallpaper makes me want to 🤮 because I know in mid-March we are all going to be living in some unrecognizable hell-scape that makes the LA fires and the pandemic look like a kids birthday party! I hope I’m being irrational and overthinking all of this, and focus on a purpose instead.
I mean, I DIE over these mood boards you’ve been putting together with the fabric and the wallpaper and all the things! Like, I 100% need your newsletter. I think the only question is whether or not it’s driving *you*. If it is, then you’re on the right path! I only meant this for when you find that whatever you’re doing still feels hollow and less meaningful than you would like. But, lemme tell you what, Farrow & Ball came out with new colors this morning and I am LOSING MY SHIT, so basically, I’m pretty sure the real key to life is just doing whatever the hell really does light you up. Because that light can be so meaningful to not just you, but others, trying to find theirs.
Thanks Ash, that makes sense. The encouragement is nice. Creating those fabric and wallpaper concepts give me life. I could do that shit all day and sometimes do. Been at a dear friends mom funeral but I need some joy in my life so I’ll be back at it this week! 😏
“Renovate an entire town”?!?! Have you been to Gary, IN? I drive through it daily, and each time it boggles my mind why someone hasn’t.
*googles Gary immediately*
Home of THE Michael Jackson!
Oh Ash, I’ve been going through this my whole damn life. My parents were strictly against creative jobs because “nobody takes you seriously when you sit around and color all day.” Fundamentally, that shit rubs me the wrong way. I was born in the late 70’s, I’ve been raging against this machine since I was a damn toddler. I’ve got BIG BIG ideas, always have, but what about that pesky electric bill? Those people don’t give a damn about my angst or idealistic spirit. Day after day, year after year, I stay the course because I don’t know how to do anything else. I think it’ll work out. Just know that you are the north star for me and have been for several years. Thanks for this 🏴☠️
We should really connect. I’m a rage against the machine, Gen X woman in a rampage type of artist who has a group coaching program filled with exactly the same type of women. People absolutely do care about this theme + interest. More now than ever. 🫶
You really have no idea how much this makes do a little dance in my kitchen to music that’s not playing. I will be following and connecting as soon as my chubby little fingers finish this message.
We should start an Ash Ambirge fan club, would that be weird? Here’s a confession: the other day I had this idea that I would pull up the Middle Finger Project blog on the wayback machine. What a fuckin’ treat it was reading early Ash posts!!
As a writer, it’s really a learning experience to see how you’ve refined your voice over time, Ash! How long has it been since you went back and read those first posts?! I sure hope you take a moment to be proud of all that you’ve accomplished. It’s pretty awesome to watch from a distance.
I think we’re in the Ash fan club because we read everything of hers! 🤣 So glad to connect.
Popping back in to say renovating a whole town sounds like a cool tv series. I recently saw on the Magnolia Network (don’t ask🤦🏾♀️) a show with a focus on renovating this countries old motels. They did one along route 66, it was pretty cool. I Can’t remember the name of that show.
I WOULD LOVE THAT SHOW. Going to look for it!!!
I love this. I have no shortage of ideas as you know from our conversations at the farmhouse table! Which if anyone is in doubt on whether to do that with Ash, DO IT. You’ll find inspiration there I promise and worth every penny. The most helpful thing for me in this article was this: figure out what motivates you. (Theme.) And you find a way to connect your interests to it. (Plot.). Putting it in that framework and giving examples I found very helpful for my brain, especially on a Monday when it doesn’t think to well first thing in the morning lol. Finding a way to put it into a frame work like that (Theme/Plot) is like the perfect template for running your ideas thru it. Awesome.
Ash, I thought I had motivation + interest in writing about elder care, but your article made me understand why I keep failing to publish consistently on any platform. Your framing set off all kinds of light bulbs for me – like the part about Kinda Pregnant being about something deeper. It made me realize that the topic isn’t really about elder care, it is about the challenges of midlife, finding work-life balance, and dealing with unresolved family dynamics. Lots of food for thought. Many thanks!!