Mesa Designer Ashley Cooper: 100 Creatives

Phoenix is brimming with creativity. And every other year, we put the spotlight on 100 of the city’s creative forces. Leading up to the release of this year’s Best of Phoenix issue, we’re profiling 100 more. Welcome to the 2014 edition of 100 Creatives. Up today: 43. Ashley Cooper.

Late nights and early mornings are business as usual for Ashley Cooper.

The Mesa-based textile designer, illustrator, and blogger runs an eponymous design studio and is in the midst of launching a stationery line in addition to working on greeting cards, commissioned illustrations, web banners for companies like Brickyard Buffalo, and a “top secret project” she says she’s excited about but can’t provide details — yet.

See also: Phoenix Photographer Abigail Lynch: 100 Creatives

“I think I’m lucky (most days) that workspace is in my home,” says Cooper, a 28-year-old mother of three including a newborn.

Cooper, who was a Big Brain Award finalist in 2013, scatters her work throughout the day and punctuates it with time with her kids and husband. While her kids play, she catches up on e-mails, fills orders, and works on illustrations and commissioned pieces.

And things aren’t slowing down for Cooper any time soon. She has a few collaborations in the works, including one with a local artist and a few with fashion bloggers.

“If I have a full week of deadlines, you can usually find me working late into the midnight hour,” she says. “At night with some headphones on, a quiet house, and usually a piece of chocolate is when I can really focus and zone in on what I’m working on.”

I came to Phoenix with my family in 1995 from Seattle, Washington.

I make art because it feeds my soul. I am a creative person to the core, it’s how I look at most things. I have always loved creating and trying to make things more beautiful.

I’m most productive when I have some music playing and usually late at night. I work out of my home, so I’m also most productive when my home is clean and tidy. It makes my mind work better and more clear because I can focus solely on what I am creating.

My inspiration wall is full of ripped out pages from fashion magazines, work from other artists that I love and images of beautiful places from around the world. Of course pictures of my children are always a part of my inspiration wall.

I’ve learned most from mentors like artist and textile designer, Heather Bailey. Also, I’ve found that using resources from the internet like Pinterest have really helped me hone in on what I like and what my ultimate aesthetic is as an artist.

Good work should always leaves you content or happy and never make you second guess what you’ve created.

The Phoenix creative scene could use more settings to bring creative people together.

See the 2014 edition of 100 Creatives:

100. Bill Dambrova
99. Niki Blaker
98. Jeff Slim
97. Beth May
96. Doug Bell
95. Daniel Langhans
94. Nanibaa Beck
93. Nicole Royse
92. Ib Andersen
91. Casandra Hernandez
90. Chris Reed
89. Shelby Maticic
88. Olivia Timmons
87. Courtney Price
86. Travis Mills
85. Catrina Kahler
84. Angel Castro
83. Cole Reed
82. Lisa Albinger
81. Larry Madrigal
80. Julieta Felix
79. Lauren Strohacker
78. Levi Christiansen
77. Thomas Porter
76. Carrie Leigh Hobson
75. Cody Carpenter
74. Jon Jenkins
73. Aurelie Flores
72. Michelle Ponce
71. Devin Fleenor
70. Noelle Martinez
69. Bucky Miller
68. Liliana Gomez
67. Jake Friedman
66. Clarita Lulić
65. Randy Murray
64. Mo Neuharth
63. Jeremy Hamman
62. La Muñeca
61. Kevin Goldman
60. Emily Costello
59. Kerstin Dale
58. Vara Ayanna
57. Nathaniel Lewis
56. Ruben Gonzales
55. Lisa Poje
54. Bobby Zokaites
53. Frances Smith Cohen
52. Julie Rada
51. David Miller
50. Xanthia Walker
49. Kyllan Maney
48. Cary Truelick
47. Constance McBride
46. James D. Porter
45. Allyson Boggess
44. Abigail Lynch

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