Name: Ashley Rose Krieger

​Born in Idaho, U.S.A

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." - Pablo Picasso

To the left, is one of the only pictures I have of my earliest art.

My Early Family Life

I grew up with a twin brother, and three older sisters on my grandparents' small farm in rural Idaho. We couldn't afford art lessons, however, that didn't stop me from being creative and learning from free opportunities at schools and libraries.

I think art for me was a way to work out drama early on - it was my therapy. My family was bullied at school in my early elementary years which made me feel unsafe and unloved there. It made us a tight family as we had to look out for each other.  From an early age, I learned the importance of being kind despite our differences and spreading joy, not hate.

I enjoyed art for fun as a kid, just like many of you. I believe anyone can learn art... because I wasn't gifted. It took effort, but it was also enjoyable. Those who loved art as a kid can still find that joy now. To the right, my daughter is enjoying the fun that comes from painting.

I know this because I still experience it. But I had to return to it in a childlike way. I do this by loving the process more than the outcome. Which means I practice letting go of perfection and embracing play. I emphasize this all time in my lessons so that I can bring people back to experiencing the joy they are missing out on.

I took, and continue to take, every opportunity I can to learn more about art. Whether that was taking advantage of every art class in school, taking college art classes when possible after I graduated, or enjoying the plethora of knowledge on the internet today. I learn faster by reading, so I will read about art whenever I can as well. I understand that we all learn differently so I try to give my students many options. 

Which is also why I love to homeschool my kids. I want to teach them in the ways they learn best and take it at their own pace. I love that I can create a safe environment for them to learn in and we can travel the world learning so many things. Life is an experience of learning that we can do at any age and with whatever opportunities we have. I always encourage my students to learn at a pace that is comfortable for them and have fun with the learning process.

After graduating high school, I left my small town and moved to Seattle, Washington. I took a break from school.

My view of the world exploded with an appreciation for diversity and a realization that not everyone believes the same thing. I grew to love travel, different cultures, beliefs, and especially, ART!!!

Eventually, I returned to school and went to college. I had most of my working experience in the medical field, so it made sense to go the medical route. I took art classes in college but I graduated with a degree in Respiratory Therapy.

During this time I was making art and dabbling in selling it. Even though I was, I believed what I was told, that I could not make a living from creating art.

I ended up passing out at the hospital when I was continuing my education in Respiratory Therapy. I realized I could not work long hours in a stressful environment. I scrambled with what else I could do. I applied to different medical programs but was told I could not be pregnant during their intense programs. I was planning on having a family.

I married my high school sweetheart, Kacy and we moved to Pocatello, Idaho to attend graduate school. I worked to support him and start my family. I also opened up an art studio to sell and teach from.

When I got pregnant, I became severely ill with Hyperemesis Gravidarum. I was still making art even though it was very challenging. I think painting helped me get through this hard time. After I had my first baby, I closed my studio and began teaching art from my home. I was told it was unfortunate I had sacrificed my art by having children. But, I did not believe a word of that.

With two kids in tow, we moved to Alaska for my husband's first job. While we lived there I kept teaching art but found that most galleries were struggling and not taking in new artists. I decided to just make art for my own therapy and not pursue selling it.

After my third and final brutal pregnancy, I decided that it would be much better to teach and sell art online around taking care of my kids. I had no clue how to start an art channel or build a website, but I knew how to learn.

At the end of 2015, I started my YouTube channel and built Createfulart.com. I quickly learned that I needed to teach kids and adults on separate channels. After a few years, the adult channel grew more quickly and the acrylic videos were doing better. I began to niche down to teaching acrylics to adults. I still enjoy making art in many different mediums and occasionally I will teach kids.

While I worked online, we decided to sell our home in Alaska and travel the world! We started by visiting all 50 states in America, where I painted a scene from each state. We recently went international with our travels.

By, 2021 I was able to support my family with my art business. While my husband still loves Geology, he now helps me run Createful Art.

I'm so glad that I chose to follow the path my heart was leading me, instead of believing my doubts about having a career in art, waiting until I had a degree to begin, listening to the limitations others had, and holding myself back because I didn't know what I was doing. If I can become a successful artist, anyone who wants it bad enough can too.

At Createful Art, I teach how to go from a beginner artist, just like I was, to a professional artist that sells their work, like I do. I also don't think it's a career for everyone, because just enjoying the self-care and joy of making art is enough to keep creating.

I'm truly grateful that I can be here to support artists as they go through discovering their artistic voice and becoming the artist they want to be.