I always joke: I may not be a doctor, an IT engineer, or a hotel mogul…but against all odds…I’m still Indian. 😉

Part of it is humor. But part of it is truth.

I was adopted from Kolkata as a baby and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. Growing up, I was surrounded by stereotypes of the “model minority,” and for a long time, I felt I had somehow fallen short because I was “merely” an artist. The pressure to excel runs deep in many Asian communities, and even my sister studied biology and attended Johns Hopkins University.

Ashley and her mother and older sister at JFK on the day of her adoption, in the airport. Her mother is holding her and her sister is looking at her lovingly.

But my mother recognized and nurtured my talent. She taught me that success doesn’t have a single definition, that the world needs all kinds of thinkers, and that art isn’t just important, it’s essential.

Ashley in the early 90's as a child with her mother, sitting outdoors in front of a chain-link fence with greenery. Her mother has light brown hair, glasses, and is wearing a white jacket and a visor.

From doodling horses and making little chapter books in elementary school, to private art lessons and magnet programs in middle and high school, to earning a Studio Art degree with a concentration in graphic design from the University of Maryland, I never deviated from that path. Art became how I connected with others, made sense of complexity, and understood myself.

Hand-drawn picture of a horse grazing on grass in a field with flowers and mountains in the background, titled 'Basil' and dated 3/27/97, by Ashley Stearns.
Pencil drawing of a human skull, a wilted flower, and a smaller walnut.

That instinct to see what others might miss and shape it into something meaningful still guides my work today.

With 17+ years as an award-winning Creative Director, I lead teams in creating brand experiences that are visually striking, emotionally resonant, socially impactful, and grounded in human truth. I specialize in storytelling, I build trust with clients and stakeholders, mentor multidisciplinary teams, and use emerging AI tools to streamline creative processes without losing the human spark at the center. 

Indoor production set with camera equipment, crew members, and a large white backdrop, set in a colorful room with shelves, plants, and children’s toys.

A few highlights from my career:

Baltimore Gas and Electric — Through and Through Campaign

Supported integrated campaign materials tied to Emmy-winning TV spots that contributed to:

→ 31% increase in website traffic
→ 45% increase in program participation
→ 16M+ TV impressions

Baltimore Gas and Electric — The Efficient Home Magazine  

Concepted, designed, and led this multi-platform experience:

→ 34+ national awards
→ Gold ADDY and Silver Anthem Award

National Aquarium — Octopus Infographic

→ 1M+ social shares
→ First-page Google ranking
→ National media coverage

#70Million — World Refugee Day

→ 115 partner organizations across 8 countries
→ 100K+ people reached globally
→ 400+ live broadcast attendees

Filming a scene in a living room with a crew, camera, and lighting equipment, showing Ashley in the Director's chair, her coworkers, and a television with a fireplace in the background.
Ashley sitting in a director's chair holding a coffee cup, with a setup of cameras, monitors, and equipment in front of her, in a room with yellow walls, a fan, framed pictures, and shelving behind her.

So, no—I didn’t become a doctor, an IT engineer, or a hotel mogul. I became an artist. Then an art director. Then a creative leader who has spent nearly two decades proving that seeing differently is its own kind of expertise.

And last I checked, I’m still Indian. 😉