Ashley BallaiAshley Ballai is a Mother, author, and artist. Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, she developed a love for art and literature from her father, who was both a painter and songwriter. Throughout her childhood, she was encouraged to pursue creativ outlets such as fine art classes, creative writing, sewing, design, and music lessons. For Ashley, art became an integral part of her life as she began to use different mediums for self-expression and therapeutic purposes. As she grew older, she began to realize the impact that both art and writing can have on a person after encountering works that touched her and helped her gain new perspectives. Understanding that art can relay powerful messages, heal, push boundaries and start conversations, was a catalyst for Ashley to turn her creativity into a business. In 2018, Ashley became pregnant with her daughter, Bella. Around her daughter's second birthday, Ashley was inspired to write a story based on her daughter who loved to dress up in mismatched clothes. It was important for Ashley to create a story that delivered an important message about radical self-expression, self-esteem, creativity, inclusion, and friendship. This was the inception of Ballai Books.Ashley is looking forward to the future of a series of Children's books that will promise to provide storylines packed with encouragement while covering challenging topics. Read More Read Less