Letting Go & The Energy Of Creation with Ashley Wood

Monique (Host) 00:00:04
This is the Creative Alchemy Podcast, and I'm your host, Monique Pantel. Here we explore creativity and life through story, synchronicity and tales of possibility. This is a place for artists and dreamers to share wisdom, inspiration, and empower you to explore your own creative life. Together, we hold space to speak dreams into reality and share transformative ways of creating and living life. Let's dream alchemize and create. Thank you for being here. Welcome to Creative Alchemy.

Monique (Host) 00:00:46
Welcome back, everyone. I am so excited to introduce you to and welcome Ashley Wood. She is an international Akashic Records reader, and she is the host of the Line Podcast. Ashley is a dear friend of mine and super creative, incredibly soulful, and I'm so excited to chat to all things creativity with her today. So welcome, Ashley. How are you doing today?

Ashley Wood (Guest) 00:01:18
Thank you so much for having me today Monique. I'm doing so well. I'm so happy to be here and to be sharing with this community. And I'm so excited for you that you have your podcast off the ground. It was so inspiring to watch it happen. I know you wanted to do this for quite some time, and then one day you were like, I'm starting my podcast. And literally within a week, you had your first episode out. So I'm just so proud of you and honored to be here and thank you for having me. Thank you.

Monique (Host) 00:01:47
Yeah, you are a huge inspiration to me in a lot of ways, but the podcast world, especially in 2017, something that's very interesting about you is that you have actually started two separate podcasts that have been wildly successful with over a million downloads each, and the first one was called Manifest This. And you decided in a moment of change and Pivoting in your life. After having a lot of success with that first podcast, I think that the typical path would have been to just continue on and really trying to make that work. But you had listened to your intuition and you're like, I've got a Pivot. I'm doing something different. And I will never forget the moment you said, I'm deleting all of the episodes. I'm deleting the entire podcast. There's something else that is calling me. And I remember thinking in my head, Ashley has gone crazy. She's got this amazing podcast that's like, so successful. She's got this cool community. I mean, you're interviewing, like, really the podcast world is really interesting because what I'm hoping actually, for this one is to bring people of all sorts here. And I think in the podcast game, it's sort of like if you're a personality or you're selling something, then come on, and then that sort of elevates, like you spread your message or your word a little further. But my intention with Creative Alchemy is that I want people that never go on podcast to come because I feel like I've been so blessed to meet these really interesting people in my life who. Maybe this is their only chance to go on a podcast, or maybe it's just the beginning. And I'm sure you've had lots of people like that in your podcast experience. It's just so neat to see how you've pivoted and then had such wild success again. So I was a guest in 2017. We did a live podcast recording at the Coolest coffee shop. We had, like 100 people show up. It was so neat. And we talked about photography, and we talked about sort of wellness and spirituality. And it was so nice. And it's really interesting to me now because you were just here in Panama. You were here for two weeks, and I got to share my home with you. And it was so special. I just have so much to say about how much I love you. You are such a free spirit and a kind soul. And watching you not only understand, like, the luxury side of, like, Panama campus, but you really immersed yourself in the local community. And that's something that's really energizing me, is putting energy into community events and uplifting others. And you really just got in there. You were skipping ropes, the little kids, and you had brought gifts for all the little ones. That was just such a joy to share with you. So, yeah, now I get to have you on my podcast. It's so fun.

Ashley Wood (Guest) 00:05:05
My goodness, so many things you said, Okay, I'm going to go way back and then also talk about Panama. But one of the main reasons that I deleted my first podcast, which had a lot of success, and it was pretty much the reason why my business grew at that time to what it did so quickly. Because so many people were listening to the podcast, and then they'd come over to the website and they would purchase courses and they would have readings with me. And the whole thing was like this well oiled machine, but there was so much ego in it. I would listen back to that podcast. Like you said, the podcast world is interesting, and you were interviewing a lot of bigger people. And that part of it for me, it would feed a certain side of me, which was the ego, but it was not feeding the soul. It just wasn't. And we can bring this all the way back to Cambotel, or this can be an overall theme of this, but I had a moment where I sat down and I was just like, these people that I'm interviewing, yes, beautiful Souls and lots of my friends came on the podcast, and I've made life long connections with people who were on the show. But then there were other episodes that I would have just because of status or because of name or because of how many Instagram followers they had or who did they know or this or that. And I didn't even notice that I was doing this because when you're in that game of numbers and downloads, like, you know, when you go into people's Instagram profiles and it'll say, the number of downloads they have on their podcast, or the number of TikTok views or the number of this number of that, it's this game of numbers. And I didn't even notice that. I was so wrapped up into it and it was part of my spiritual process and my spiritual journey of completely cutting that. And the only way I could do that was by deleting it entirely. And that was divine guidance that I had to delete that entirely and start fresh. And then for the first year of my new podcast, it was just solo episodes with me. It was just me, there was no one else. And then I started to bring guests on. But it was the same as you, Minik. I wanted people that I connected with on a heart level. And maybe they'd never been on a podcast, maybe they don't even have Instagram. If they do, maybe at the time they had 100 followers. It did not matter. They had a beautiful story to share and I love their heart and their spirit and that's why I had them on the show. And that's the integrity that I have kept with the Line podcast from day one. When I decided to start having guests on, I was like, this is a soul connection, a conversation. I want to have heart to heart, that's the only reason that I'm having this person on is because they have a beautiful spirit that I want to share with the world. And I feel that's why the second one has also grown, but it has grown in a whole different energy that I still feel aligned with. And I myself have gone through such a transformation in myself, my life, like you and I have been walking parallel timelines, probably forever, and we've gone through very similar transformations. And this podcast now, when it started in 2020, I was a different person, I had a different life to what it is now, to what is coming. But this is also what I felt in Cambutel. It's the energy. It's the energy. Yes, the luxury is so beautiful and it's comfortable and they're beautiful photos and I mean, it's magical, but it's the land there. It's the heart connection, it's the soul connection, it's the land. And I mean, it's also my Venus land in Astro Cartography. So I feel love in campaign, but it's the land, it's the people, it's the nature, it's the elements. And when you strip away all that luxury and all the just the stuff on the outside and you still feel that like in the pueblo and connecting with local people, you still feel that. It's like, that's what it's about. It's what makes you feel that ignition within your work, in your location, in your interactions, in everything. That's what it's about. I love Panama I loved it so much. I love Cambotel. Panama City really nice, but after, like, three days, I'm like, okay, I'm done. I don't need to be here anymore. Town, it's so intense. Yeah. I don't know where to go.

Monique (Host) 00:09:51
I know, intense. Central America. Yeah. Panama City is a very big, intense place. But when you start to get out of the city and into the countryside, it's so special and so where I live. I love that you're one of the very few people in my life that has been here to experience it, and not only for a week. You got to be here for two weeks to really immerse yourself. And you had a total sort of creative, let's say rebirth or creative rebirth, creative inspiration with Ashley. So this has been something that you've been building for so long. And I want to talk about your writing self because you're an incredible writer, but I want to talk about Ashley, too, because you are coming into this rebirth of yourself and Ashley. So tell me about Ashley and what's involved, because I remember coming over to your casita and one day, and you're like, overnight you were like, I've made a website. Look at this beautiful photo. This is me. This is me. This is so representative of who I feel like I am. You've started singing. You're becoming so much more musical. You have plans to sing mantra, and you've inspired me and connected me to my singing teacher. Now Sarah, who's just the best. So tell me about Ashley and this, like, creative sort of rebirth that you've had, because it's very visible to me. But I'd love to hear the process on your end. What has it felt like? What has it looked like? I know it's still evolving, but tell me about Ashley.

Ashley Wood (Guest) 00:11:46
This is so exciting because it's the first podcast that I'm actually talking about, Ashule. It's so exciting. And yesterday I was driving and I saw these beautiful essential oil bottles with label Ashley on them, and I saw this brand developing and all these different things that I want to create, and all of it under Ashley. And I was just so excited. And one day at a time, one step at a time. But there's so much coming. Company. Well, not my first one, but my business is called Align Within, and I'm the co owner in Align Within, and it's all about Akashic Records, and we teach people how to read the Akashic Records. And there's I think there are, like, 19 or 20 workshops or something on the website, and we're moving into a membership platform. And the thing is, earlier this year, I started to really feel almost cramped, like I wasn't expressing myself creatively and that there was so much that I wanted to share. But I'm like, this isn't the platform. It's not the platform because no longer is aligned with just me personally. It has become its own entity. It's its own being. Like, it's a company. We have a team. It's not just me. There are so many energies that have now keep it going, but aligned with it is its own entity. And it took me some time to figure out what to do with that because I felt creatively, just kind of not necessarily dead inside. But I was like, there's nothing I don't know where to put anything. Like, I don't know how to express. I don't know how to share right now. And then in March, I think I was like, I need to have a different Instagram. Like, I just need a house, like a different place to start to share things. But what do I call it? I don't know what to call it. And it came through that it was going to be two words put together, and the second word was going to be a Hawaiian word, like something to do with Hawaii. I'm moving to Hawaii in October. And so I was like, okay, well, I don't know what this is. It's going to come. It's going to come. I don't know. And then on the night of the eclipse, the first eclipse, the new moon. Oh, we have such a thing with new moon. 30, April 30, new moon eclipse. I was lying in a hotel room, and the name Ashley just came through. And I was like, Ashley? I knew that Ashley means brilliant in Sanskrit. And then it didn't just come through. I was like, kind of I don't remember this process. I do not. It was kind of one of those moments of like, I was just being guided of where to look and what to do. And I knew I wanted to talk about divine feminine healing through creativity, through flow. The high heart chakra just so much. And then Yale is the flower in Hawaii that is considered the rose. And roses don't grow in Hawaii because of the climate, but the Yale does, and it's like the Hawaiian rose. I was like, Ashile ashley. That sounds like my name, ashley. It's like brilliance in divine feminine healing. Brilliance in flow, brilliance in expression. I'm like, this is exactly it. It's perfect. So I made the Instagram account, and then I didn't know what to do with it. I sat with it for a couple of weeks, and I was like, oh, I remember I put my name in incorrectly, like I spelled something wrong or something. And on Instagram, you can't change it again for 14 days. So I was like, oh, okay. Well, I have 14 days to figure out what to do with this. And then I looked at the calendar. I'm like, of course. That's the day I fly to Panama that I can put my name in it and that I can launch it. So I thought about it. I thought about it. I'm like, what am I going to do? And then I was like, this is the place to just share who I am in this moment and to just be free and to say if I want to write, if I want to share photos, if I want, like, there are no bounds or limitations here. I have this company that is an entity of its own. And it's very like, I know what to do here. Here I get to just play. So that was the intention. And then I got to Camp Hotel and all this stuff came through. I was like, this is your website. This is how you're doing new akashic record readings. This is your mentorship. This is this is that. I was inspired to make jewelry. I was picking up all these the beaches of Campotel are covered in quartz crystal, which I didn't know, but all these different varieties of quartz crystal. And I was taking them all up, and I'm like, I'm going to tumble these. I'm going to make jewelry with them. They're these rocks and shells, you know, but people who are listening don't that have holes in them. And I'm like, this is perfect for making jewelry. And then I started seeing these, like when we were in Panama City, the hotel next to us. Like, the room right next to us. We looked over our balcony and there was this stick rock art. It was like hung. It was so beautiful. I was like, oh my gosh, I can make things like that with these rocks that have holes in them. And just all these ideas were coming through. And I emailed my graphic designer one night and I said, can you please make me this was before I left Panama, but I emailed her to check in. I'm like, can you make a brand board, like a logo? And she had it done within 24 hours. And then I started putting a website together. It's almost done now. It's going to launch on the 21st on the Solstice. Shall I get everything together? Well, yeah, it just came together so beautifully. So on the 21st, it'll launch with meditations that you so who, you know, and I created together, as well as spaces to book, akashic record readings with me that have sound frequency and light language. And I mean, they're so different than what I used to offer. And then a there's store where there will be all kinds of things, and you and I are creating a course together. And it's like this energy of creation just rushed through as I was in Kangotel. And it has continued. It's continued. And I mean, information for my second book has come through. It's just so exciting. It's amazing. But that's what that place is. I swear. Campaign is like this lotus of creative vortex.

Monique (Host) 00:18:18
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. Well, when I came here, we were on the cusp of the pandemic and everything got really quiet. Well, the Internet got really loud, but the world got really quiet. And so I just kind of decided my life had been really busy up until, like, that exact moment. And I said, Oh, I think I'm going to just shut things down for a little bit and get really quiet. And it was so fun to just play in nature. Louise and I, we started Acroba together and we would just laugh. We were living on the beach, and we'd collect shelves at sunrise. We would go surfing. We'd play in the waves. It was just the best. It was the best time ever. And I feel like it was my creative healing because I've been so busy as a professional photographer for so many years. Busy, busy, busy. And my personal life was really lonely. And I think that as a way to sort of fill my life, I just filled it with being really busy with amazing work. And that really was good up until a certain point, and it served its purpose until I couldn't hold it anymore. But it was so nice to sort of have like in a sad way because I was sad. All of these weddings were getting canceled, my jobs were getting canceled. I was supposed to go to Africa and follow up on an NGO project that I worked on four years prior. And all of these really cool things were all starting to fall away. And then I was thinking, wow, like my identity as a photographer, who am I now? What kind of creative am I? And then I started writing so much more or something, pouring myself into writing. And so every morning I would wake up and I wasn't a mother at this point. And now writing, it's just a matter of timing. And I'm so curious because you are a mother and you've written a book, as you just mentioned. How did you write a book when you're a mom? I don't understand. I really am so curious. I would love to know what your process was like to write a book. And I know that it's a collaborative book, but still, you are incredibly dedicated, and I just want to know what your process was like, how did you dive into getting to that exact spot where you can continue on and actually finish, like, a piece to publish? And now you have the second book that you're starting to kind of put together. But what was your process like? Writing?

Ashley Wood (Guest) 00:21:14
Yeah, for sure. You are also such a brilliantly, beautifully talented writer. You read part of your book to me when I was there in our casita. You came over and you were reading to me, and I was just in tears because I felt I mean, how many times does this happen? You just read your journal to me before we started recording. And I almost teared up because I can always I have the honor and the joy and the privilege of knowing you. So when you read this to me, not only am I hearing beautiful writing and people who don't know you and will read this book one day will connect to it as well. But I am transported back to that moment, and I know your emotion and energy that is in that moment, because the part you shared with me, the part you wrote, you had shared with me personally on a walk two weeks after it happened. So it was like I was brought right back to that moment. And then the part in the journal that you read to me, you had shared with me like, two days before you wrote that. So it's like, you're a beautifully talented writer, but there's also so much emotion that is in this writing. And I mean, when the world gets to read your book, like, what a treat that will be. It's going to be so big.

Monique (Host) 00:22:40
Same for yours. All of the books, I feel like we one day we will have several books under our proverbial belts. We will well, you have one that's coming out in July. But what was the process like, how do you find that commitment and the flow to get the words on the pages? I love the book The Artist's Way, and I really try to implement all of Julia Cameron's suggestions and her journal prompting and all of that stuff, but yeah, what was it like for you?

Ashley Wood (Guest) 00:23:22
So, as a mother, there isn't the space to just have creative flow when you feel like it like, oh, I have this coming through. I want to sit down and write as much as I can because maybe like, I started writing this book in 2019. So my daughter was born in 2016. She was three when I started writing it. However, that's when I put pen to paper. But all this information that is in the book started coming through in 2018, so she was two. A lot of it was just up in my mind and I had to actually bring it down, create a book out of it. So at first, as you do as a mother with a small child, like, she would nap. I would write as much as I could when she was napping while also running a business, because I was building my business at that point. So I was writing the book, building a business and taking care of her full time. I was at home with her full time by myself. That's why it took me from 2019 until 2021 to actually have it completed. I gave it to my publisher August of 2021 for the final, like, here you go, now let's make it into a book. It took that long because I needed so many extensions. Like, when you work with a publisher, they give you a chunk of time to write each section and then submit the manuscript. And then there's over a year of editing. For me, anyway, there was over a year of editing, and we work at section after section after section. And in 2021, I practically rewrote the entire book because I met somebody who was deeply struggling in their life. And this book that I've written, it's called The Line a New Way of Living with the wisdom of your Akashic Records. And it's all about trusting yourself and listening to your divine messages and taking action on that and trusting yourself. That's what the whole book is about. It's about trusting what's coming through for you, trusting your soul, understanding your emotions. What do they physically feel like in your body? What are they telling you? And when I met this person who was struggling so deeply in their life, I was like, I want this book to be able to be received by someone who is in this position and feeling so lost in life and depressed and hopeless and that there's nothing left. So I rewrote the whole book and put so much more love into it so that whoever picks it up feels like I'm there with them as the author. I'm their friend. I'm there with them, like I'm holding their hand. I actually write that I'm holding your hand through this process of coming home to yourself, trusting yourself, transforming your life. I'm here for you and with you. So for the first round of writing it, I feel like it was just getting it together. And I would write late, very often after my daughter would go to bed. I'd be up to one, two in the morning writing. I don't know how I did that because I can't do that anymore. I also was living my life was very different. I wrote this book with my ex husband, and at the time I was married, but our marriage was not good. It was not healthy. I too was very lonely. Like, very lonely and not happy at all. So it was easy for me to sit in my office with the door closed and work because I didn't actually want to be in my personal life. So that's why I was able to write this book while also parenting and writing a business, parenting and running a business. Because in my personal off time, I would just go in my office and close the door and get it done. The second book is going to be very different in that way, but also my life is very different now, so I don't know what my writing process would be like now. I sit down and put stuff together and write when I feel inspired to. Like, when I'm like, I'm living my second book right now. You understand this. I'm living the story right now, so I just need to live it first. And I'll know when I have enough information to put into a book. And at that point, my daughter will be in school in Hawaii, and that's a full chunk of time in the day that I can carve out for working, for writing, for playing in the waves, for being in nature, singing, it'll just be so different. But that's how I wrote the book. And being a mother at the same time, it's because my life just looked very different then.

Monique (Host) 00:28:31
And now you are moving from writing to other modes and methods of creativity. You started singing, and what else do you have going on in terms of creative expression, being called to maybe make some jewelry? These are all just like, play fun things. This is not like Ashley business. It's like, Ashley play.

Ashley Wood (Guest) 00:28:55
Yeah, Ashley play. But that's creativity, too, right? Like, business and play and fun. It's fun. I want to take on the challenge of learning how to play an instrument that I enjoy. I grew up playing piano, but I was forced to play piano. Like, I was like, you have to do this. I was going to play ukulele, but then a few days ago, you so inspired me to play guitar. Leeli guitar. Guitar. Lele. So I'm going to go and buy one of those. My daughter wants to jam. She has a ukulele. So I need to learn how to play this. Not need to. I feel inspired to. And I want to learn how to. The language I'm using, I want to do this. I will let it flow through me. But I want to write songs. And when I think of the type of songs that I want to write, the words that come to mind are prayers and poems or poems and prayers, like, very simple but meaningful, of playful, light, poetry and mantras that are prayers. Because it's playful and it's fun. It'll happen when it happens. But totally part of me. It's fun and exciting. Yeah.

Monique (Host) 00:30:19
When I was a little girl, when I was, like, seven or eight years old, I used to have this little, like, a journal or a binder, and I used to write songs, so many songs. I had a whole book of just songwriting. I would write tunes and melodies. And I had forgotten about that little girl for so long. For so long. And just recently, now that I'm exploring my musical side a little bit more, I have had this remembering of, like, oh, I remember little Monique used to write songs about saving the Earth. Passionate about. And I traveled here, actually, with my ukulele. It's so interesting that I've landed here for, like, for a long time. It's been two and a half years. But I always used to pride myself I used to travel all of the time with photography all over the world. And I would pride myself with how small I could pack. Oh, carry on. Always. I would never check bag. It would always be carry on. And I loved my packing cubes. I loved just arranging things just so that I could really just do my carry on thing. But when I came to Panama, the idea was, like, to just really allow creativity to unfold, to really live in the moment, to absorb all of the beautiful nature and all the wonderful things. Here I was, allowing myself to fall in love and just be loved, the acceptance of love. And so I packed a bag, I packed a huge suitcase and I checked it. And it's so funny to me because this is the only trip that I've ever done that where I've actually properly checked the bag. And one of the things that I packed was the ukulele. And I've been here for two and a half years and I've only recently really kind of gotten the knack the hang of it. I've been kind of busy, like having a baby, setting up a life and sort of transitioning because the pandemic and that sort of thing. But I've really sort of loved starting to play my ukulele and singing songs and using my voice, which just feels so vulnerable, but it also feels so nice. So I'm with you, wanting to have A jam with me and you and Babu and YUSU and Luis can play the drums. He surprised me the other day. My partner's name is Luis. He grew up in rural Panama.... Camputal. And there were some kids playing the bottom of plastic buckets the other day and I was like, Wow, look at those kids. They really know how to jam on those buckets. And he looked at me like, didn't skip a beat. And he goes, Baby, everybody knows how to play those. And I was like.

Ashley Wood (Guest) 00:33:22
You don't.

Monique (Host) 00:33:23
It's like, what? And he goes, Yeah, I do. So I learned something new about my partners. He is really good at drumming for a typical.

Ashley Wood (Guest) 00:33:32
I love that. Oh, I can't wait. I can just see the damn session happening in my house right now. That's huge.

Monique (Host) 00:33:40
He just looked at me and he was like, of course I do. What are you talking about? You've never drummed in front of me.

Ashley Wood (Guest) 00:33:50
There's so much to learn. You guys have spent time, not intentionally beautiful way, but like, just the two of you for this beautiful chapter in your life of a rebirth and new beginning. You've spent so much time together, but there's still so much to learn about each other. That's what's so exciting. It's like a lifelong journey now, learning each other. He needs bombing drums.

Monique (Host) 00:34:16
I have one that I've brought back from Kenya and so I'm going to try and find I know it's somewhere in the mix.

Ashley Wood (Guest) 00:34:24
Bring it to the box.

Monique (Host) 00:34:26
Yeah, amongst many boxes, but I'll go through them in due time. Well, I just love you and this was such a beautiful conversation. How can I get your book? Because it's coming out soon in the next couple of weeks, isn't that right?

Ashley Wood (Guest) 00:34:43
Yes, it's coming out soon. In the next couple of weeks. Well, I'll give one to you because you're going to be here, so I'll just give one to you and I can write you a little letter on the inside, but I would love to gift one to your listeners as well. Giveaway. How fun.

Monique (Host) 00:35:00
Giveaway.

Ashley Wood (Guest) 00:35:00
Yeah. It comes out in July 5, so this will be probably a little bit in advance, but whoever wins it, just give me the name and my publisher will send them a copy as well.

Monique (Host) 00:35:16
Fantastic. Wow. How cool. I'm so pumped for this creative Alchemy first book, giveaway. Do you know, I used to buy when I would do in person? I mean, I still do, but it's kind of different because now I live in Panama, but when I was in Canada and I was teaching workshops around creativity and not specifically photography, I would always buy and have on hand, like, five different copies of The Artist's Way and I would give it away. Books are my favorite thing to give away. The Alchemist and The Artist's Way and Big Magic are my three books. My go to if we're friends, probably I've given you one or three of those books.

Ashley Wood (Guest) 00:36:02
Giving it away. I've seen that happen. Yeah.

Monique (Host) 00:36:06
Well, I'm so excited. I will line this up and do a proper giveaway for your wonderful book. And I can't wait until it's on our own little library shelf in the jungle here for when you return to us. Because I know you're coming back. You're going to come back in. What's the date in May? 2323.

Ashley Wood (Guest) 00:36:27
Yeah, we've already secured a deposit or secured the dates. We had the deposit for the next retreat. But that's just one of many times you said to me when we were there, you're like, Ashley, you should probably buy land here. And I'm like, there's an angel speaking through Minik right now. This is Minik, the person. But there's, like, higher guidance coming through here right now. Like Cambridge tells a home for me going forward. Yeah. So grateful.

Monique (Host) 00:36:59
I'm so happy you saw it and fell in love with it as much as I had. It's so nice to share it with people who totally get it the best. Well, thank you for taking the time to share a sprinkle of your story. There's so much more of a conversation that you and I can have, and I can't wait to have you back on the podcast whenever that happens. But, yeah, I just want to say thank you. I'm so grateful for not only just having you here, but your friendship. You're such an amazing person. So yeah, thank you, Ashley.

Ashley Wood (Guest) 00:37:42
Thank you so much for having me. Manek, I love you so much. And thank to everyone for listening.

Tara (Voiceover) 00:38:02
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