University of Memphis Lambuth’s Ashley Kate Adams has released her second book in the “Be Your Own Producer” (BYOP) series, focusing on how artists can transform hardship into creativity. Her new title, “#BYOP: Leveraging Loss and Grief as Fuel for Productivity,” guides readers and aspiring artists in drawing inspiration from personal challenges and channeling it into meaningful creative work.
“I am deeply excited for the opportunity to share this book with the world,” Adams said. “Of all of the topics I have discussed with artists, the impetus for creation, especially through the alchemy of processing loss and grief, is what is most sacred to me.”
Adams, a visiting assistant professor of teaching in music and entertainment at the Lambuth Campus, drew from personal experiences with grief in shaping the book. She reflects on how she has turned those moments into artistic fuel, pairing her own journey with interviews, poems and song lyrics to encourage others to create through sorrow.
Her first installment in the series, “#BYOP: Be Your Own Producer” — published by Morgan James Publishing — briefly charted as the No. 1 best-selling book in Amazon’s Performing Arts Industry category. Adams hopes this second volume resonates with readers in a similar way.
“I had the instinct to create this book in the fall of 2016, following the loss of my father, but I was not yet published as a writer. I am grateful to Morgan James Publishing for giving me the opportunity to write on the subject. I hope it creates comfort and support for those dealing with life’s greatest challenges, and it acts as a faint light in the distance for artists creating through pain,” said Adams.
Beyond her work as an instructor, Adams is an award-winning actress, producer and director. She made her Broadway debut at age 23 in the Tony Award-winning revival of “La Cage Aux Folles” and has appeared on screen in “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix), “Royal Pains” (USA), and “True Detective” and “The Righteous Gemstones” (HBO), among others.
“#BYOP: Leveraging Loss and Grief as Fuel for Productivity” has been endorsed by Broadway’s Stephanie Jae Park (Hamilton), Broadway and Helen Hayes Award-winner Blakely Slaybaugh (The Lion King), and Billboard-charting composer Blake Allen (Insomnia).
The book is available at Barnes & Noble.
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Parker King, Assistant Director
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University of Memphis
