Check Out Ashley Howell Bunn’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Howell Bunn.

Hi Ashley, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In 2022, I was working as a yoga guide and a writer. As I was trying to find spaces to hold events for writing workshops, yoga classes, or community events, I realized how inaccessible Denver can be. I started talking to my friends who are also writers, artists, healers, and entrepreneurs and decided I wanted to create an inclusive and accessible space for people to do their great work.

Denver has such a vibrant and powerful creative community, and I wanted to offer something to support. I spoke to my friend Lou Britt, founder of Library Vintage, about supporting this endeavor. She helped me furnish the house with sustainable and beautiful antiques and create a welcoming space. I started reaching out to people and communities who needed space, and I started hosting my own workshops. So far the Collective has hosted yoga classes, yoga therapy, weekend workshops, literary festivals, poetry readings, open mics, and book clubs.

We have partnered with amazing local literary and educational organizations like Twenty Bellows, Beyond the Veil Press, and Regis University. Amazing yoga teachers and therapists like Jessica Barnette of All Moon Yoga and Kaley Ramirez of Still Matter Yoga Therapeutics have worked at the collective. I also host a variety of somatic writing workshops and yoga workshops through my business Howell and Heal. My goal is to keep opening up the space and partnering with others to offer a donation-based, inclusive, and safe space for creatives in Denver.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been highs and lows to this process. I work a full-time job, so the Collective is a love project I have to do on the side. Finding time and resources for promotion and organization has been difficult, but everyone who contributes cares so much, that we find a way to make it happen. I would love to be able to spend more time focusing solely on the Collective in the future.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
In 2019, I decided to change the direction of my life and left my job teaching high school and started my MFA in poetry at Regis University. I had been a part-time yoga teacher for years and I had always wanted to combine my knowledge of body-mind connection to the creative aspect of writing.

The capstone for my MFA was a somatic poetry collection, Incoming Light, which was published by Middle Creek Publishing in 2022. I started teaching and hosting workshops on somatic writing, which has helped me in my own healing journey and recovery. Starting the Collective and spending more time sharing and supporting what I value has been a huge accomplishment and honor.

Ashley Howell Bunn (she/they) completed her MFA in poetry through Regis University and holds an MA in Literature from Northwestern University. Their work has previously appeared in The Colorado Sun, South Broadway Ghost Society, Patchwork Lit mag, Mulberry Literary, Tiny Spoon, Champagne Room Journal, and others. She is an experienced yoga guide trained in a variety of styles and is a certified Somatic Practitioner. Their first chapbook, Incoming Light, was published in 2022 by Middle Creek Publishing.

She leads somatic writing workshops and has offered workshops through Sundress Publications, Sims Library of Poetry, and through her own business, Howell and Heal. She writes a monthly Yoga, Tarot, and Astrology column for Writual. She is an adjunct instructor of English at the Community College of Denver, and they enjoy living close to the mountains with her children and partner.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was always a dreamer. I’m a Pisces, so getting stuck in my daydreams has always been a struggle and a joy. I started writing poetry when I was seven and knew I wanted to be a writer early on. There were parts of my childhood that were turbulent, like so many others, but these times helped me develop the autonomy to create a life that aligned with my values. I like to think that seven-year-old Ashley would be excited for the person I am today.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.howellandheal.com
• Instagram: @howellandheal and @thetejoncollective