Meet Ashley Bowman | Owner of Cre8ur Studios, a shared workspace with a focus in the digital media arts.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Bowman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
We started as a Facebook group to connect other creative entrepreneurs in our area. We then noticed that there was a need for a creative space to provide content creators a home to create content for their business. We service an underserved neighborhood that houses a bunch of the creators in the Louisville Kentucky area. To promote the economic growth of our communities and to prevent us from having to travel outside of our neighborhoods to create, I decided to open a creative space in West Louisville. It has become the most rewarding thing that I have done in this business thus far because when the kids of the neighborhood walk past and ask what we are doing or see photoshoots, podcasts, etc. happening in our space they become amazed. I love showing the new generation that having a business is not far out of reach, and they get so excited seeing these things happen in their own community.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Cre8ur Studios was created to be a content space for creators. That means that if you have a business or social media, we have the equipment that you need to create your reels, your posts, your photographs, your videos, your podcasts, your content. We pride ourselves on being a safe space to create. What sets us apart is that we focus in the digital media arts and provides equipment for our member’s. We also produce our own content through various media forms such as photo series, live podcasts, and an interview series that spotlights other creative entrepreneurs. I have made it to where I am today by being original in the content that we produce as well as being the ONLY creative space in the West Louisville neighborhood. This journey has been one of the most difficult yet rewarding due to overcoming the challenges of being a woman led business and getting support in the forms of grants and loans due to the location that I operate in. Although I am still working to overcome this battle, I have been successful by getting support from creatives by booking our space on a consistent basis and in the process of working on a crowdfunding campaign. We have outgrown our current building and expanding to the warehouse behind our current location and looking to get the funds to assist in our growth,

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Since Louisville is known for the Kentucky Derby, I would take them to Churchill Downs and enjoy a night race. We would definitely have to go to Daddy Richs for some of the best wings in the city and then to the Palm Room (one of the oldest black owed lounges in West Louisville) for some nice live music and a drink!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to of course shoutout my mom, Faye Wells, for always being supportive and encouraging me to keep going and helping where I fell short. Also Id love to shoutout my friend Asa, who has helped me establish a foundation for my business model and inspiring me in all of my creative journeys. Asa has taught me so much from the importance of a consistent social media presence, how peer spaces operate in bigger markets, and even how to sew lol!

Website: Cre8urStudios.com

Instagram: @Cre8urStudios

Twitter: @Cre8urStudios

Facebook: @Cre8urStudios

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZV8BH5IK0PWkCyWyFeZO1w