When we casted Ashley Jones for our last breast cast exhibition with American Rag and LABART we met the wonderful Ashley Jones. She chose to paint her own cast, and meeting with her at the exhibition we just knew we had to ask her to share her story.

A Spark Can Light a Flame

With every breath of life comes a moment, and with every moment a chance. That's my mantra as an activist. Choices are a part of life, and decisions made (or un-made) matter! Keep a Breast taught me that I have a voice and using it makes me an activist.

I relish every choice I get to make, knowing they are similar to a ripple in a pond. Each one will ripple out to the far ends of existence and trickle back to my feet where it will stay, and live on forever with my legacy. I think this philosophy explains the sense of pressure that can come with decision making;  But I see power in that thought, and it guides me to make choices I'll be proud of in the future. I encourage you to write your own story. Have patience, be kind to not only others but yourself, and make decisions your role models would be proud of. Choose paraben free beauty products and learn about the toxic chemicals in our food. Frozen foods are littered with cancer causing preservatives but it doesn't end there... Have you ever read the list of ingredients on a food label and researched one you've never hear of? I tried it with L-cysteine, and it was enough to make me realize the food companies care about their profit and not my health.

Keep A Breast is a community of people getting together to do something more.  It only makes sense I'd stop at nothing to spread the KAB good word; Everything I've learned, I've shared, and it feels rich. Photographed below are two new members of the team, my mother in law Kathy and her friend Jill. Thank you Shaney, for the education, the art, and the love. You've created an atmosphere of growth, sparks turn into flames and beautiful memories are made.

Ashley Jones
Proud advocate and artist