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Ashley Cleveland
Ashley Cleveland
01:16

Ashley Cleveland

Nashville, TN USA

"Using the gifts that you’ve been given really contributes to a sense of purpose and place."

Career Roadmap

Ashley's work combines: Music, Writing, and Being Creative

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Day In The Life

Musician

I am a singer and songwriter.

My Day to Day

I wake up at 5 a.m. every morning because I like the feeling of quiet, peace, and independence that the early morning gives me. When I get up, I'll typically have some sort of devotional time. Then, I'll write. Writing is difficult for me—for every one great song that spills out of me, there are 200 that I'm unhappy with—but I make time every day to do it because using the gift that I've been given gives me a sense of purpose.

Skills & Education

Advice for getting started

Everyone has something broken about them. So many people try to hide that away from others. They're embarrassed of it and don't want others to know that piece of them. But I believe that whatever is broken about you is the best thing you have to give away. I'm open about my struggles with addiction because I can help others who are also struggling. I lead with my brokenness.

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

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Life & Career Milestones

My path in life has been direct

  • 1.

    I was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and moved with my mother to the San Francisco Bay Area after my parents divorced.

  • 2.

    The cultural differences between the South and California were very difficult for me to adjust to—I ended up moving back to Tennessee as a teenager.

  • 3.

    I started playing music in clubs when I was 16 years old.

  • 4.

    I went to the University of Tennessee for about two years before dropping out because I was spending much more time playing music in clubs than going to class.

  • 5.

    I had been struggling with alcoholism and addiction for many years and my illness got even worse when I went back to California to play music along the West Coast.

  • 6.

    When my daughter was born, there was a change in my spirit and my faith was renewed—it took a couple more years before I really found sobriety, but she was the jumpstart to that change.

  • 7.

    I moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and was admitted into addiction recovery treatment.

  • 8.

    Through it all, I kept at my music and eventually landed a record deal—in addition to my music career, I’m also very involved in matters of recovery and helping others who are struggling.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Society in general:

    You should hide your struggles and brokenness.

  • How I responded:

    Everyone has something broken about them. So many people try to hide that away from others. They're embarrassed of it and don't want others to know that piece of them. But I believe that whatever is broken about you is the best thing you have to give away. I'm open about my struggles with addiction because I can help others who are also struggling. I lead with my brokenness.

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

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  • I struggled with alcoholism and addiction early in my career. I was broken in spirit and really struggling. When my daughter was born, my faith was renewed. I got treatment for my addiction. I'm recovered now and committed to helping others.

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