Meet the artist, Ashley Driscoll.
My name is AJ Driscoll and I am a disabled freelance artist. I am 26 years old and was born and raised in North Dakota, USA. I am happily married and have a home with four amazing pets: two dogs and two rats!
I've been told I have been scribbling, doodling, and drawing ever since I could hold a pencil. My interest in activity creating art didn't happen until I was 12 years old when I wanted to try making comics like my favorite tv shows and children's books. This is where I really started to work at becoming a better artist and really began to enjoy the process of imagining something then being able to bring it to life. Being able to show others what's going on in my head was an amazing goal.
When I was 16 years old I took my very first commission to draw someone else's character for payment. It was a difficult learning process to learn to draw for other people rather than myself. It didn't take long for me to get the hang of it though and now it is one of my favorite jobs to help and work with my customers bring their imagination to the screen!
In 2007 Just before we started to look for more formal art educations for me to pursue I started to get sick. I went a few years without being diagnosed and in that time my physical health deteriorated. Leaving to go art school or college was no longer a feasible option. Instead I worked from home doing what I could of art commissions and various online art jobs I could find accommodating.
By 2014 we had a final diagnoses, treatment plans, and finally the health insurance to cover it. It has been an intense journey these past few years trying to cope with my severe rheumatoid arthritis and the disabilities that has come from it. But with the help and support of my Husband and friends it’s been a possible feat.
Now in 2016 I am finally working again, while not as energetic as my younger self but fiercely more determined and experienced in handling my work vs my health. I now run my own original design business with staff, taking individual freelance commissions on the side, product designs, graphic designs, photography, and have even taken up writing in my down my time. Just because I was forced to slow down doesn’t mean I’m giving up any of my goals!
Remember everyone, never be afraid to draw badly.
