Why subscribe?

Hi, I'm Shannon Ashley.

For years, I’ve written hard truths about the kinds of abuse that too often get swept under the rug—spiritual abuse, child abuse, narcissistic abuse. That work has shaped me and it will always be part of my story. But healing isn’t only about naming harm. Sometimes, it’s about finding our way back to what brings peace, strength, and joy.

And allowing good new things to grow.

That’s where I’m headed now.

I’m returning to the kind of writing that first connected me to readers: deeply personal reflections on parenting, emotional health, disability, and the everyday struggles (and sweetness) of being human. This space is for truth-telling, still—but also for softness, slow healing, and the hope we find in seemingly ordinary moments.

Subscribe for:

• Honest stories about parenting (our children and ourselves), from a disabled, neurodivergent, solo mom

• Reflections on mental health, chronic illness, and emotional survival when we've been deeply charred by trauma

• Essays about resilience, rest, justice, and what it means to live a good life in a hurting world

• Gentle updates, writing prompts, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into my current work and new projects

• Continued accountability and advocacy for stories that matter

Who am I?

You may know me from my work on Medium, where I began publishing in 2018 and gained recognition for my coverage of church abuse, narcissistic relationships, and muddied power dynamics. My writing has been referenced by outlets like BuzzFeed, Vice, and The Today Show, and I've long been an advocate for Grant, Gracie, and Angie Solomon. But you may also know me from my quieter essays—about motherhood, chronic illness, and wanting to build a soft place in a harsh world.

I’m a disabled single mom from Minnesota now living in Tennessee, raising a fiercely brave and kind daughter. I live with lipedema and lipo-lymphedema. I also live with the emotional aftermath of abuse, trauma, and mere survival. My work is a blend of advocacy and art, and I rely on reader support to keep doing what I do.

If you believe in honest storytelling, in justice, in softness, and in showing up day after day? This space is for you.

Truth hurts, but it also heals. Right now, my truth is that I’m utterly burnt out from viewing my work solely through a trauma lens. It’s time to slowly rebuild by writing what feels true, and growing toward what’s next:

the forest, the fire, and what grew anyway…

Truths that grow joyfully wild and free.