Welcome to Lighthouse Storytelling for Change

“You know that moment when you have to convey something but you just don’t know how to express it? Ashitha’s brand of storytelling is everything I think but fail to put the thoughts into words. It’s a medium through which I can convey. Like how you tag your friends in memes off-late when you find something relatable.

But seriously, it takes a lot for a blogger to pick a generic topic and give it a fresh perspective or outlook and that’s what makes the blog stand out. Every blog written is grey unlike other articles that are usually either black or white. Writing is like a mirror, as most of us raise questions and draw our own conclusions”

Varun Kashyap CV

Being a reluctant reader, it’s very rare that I read blog posts or articles but Ask Ashi surprisingly happens to be an exception.

It’s interesting that the writer has a unique sense of simplicity in conveying the intention and the information that connects with the reader instantly.

My personal favorite being “To swing both ways” – what seems like a normal interview with a bisexual is more than just that – it is very educative and impactful that has it’s feels.

The range and choice of topics are impressive as I am either able to connect to them or intrigued to know and understand the different perspectives. I keenly look forward to the notification of the next blog post from Ask Ashi.

Metha Rathnam

It isn’t easy for us to express in words what we get in thoughts, nor is it easy to capture another’s musings if that’s what they sought.

Correction: it isn’t easy for some of us.
Ashi makes it look like a breeze, with strongly structured prose you can follow with ease. Her blog posts are so current that you couldn’t fail to connect and spend some time after, to reflect/introspect.
It is great to see someone follow their passion, and throw in the readers’ faces truths they may wish to hide from, like how they may not be doing their best to help the society they grew up in (Let’s Be The Change) or about sensitivity to people’s sexual orientation (To Swing Both Ways).
While complete finesse in the articles may not have been reached, the blog does its part in connecting Ashi to her readers and making them contemplate on various topics.

Nidhi Raj

I have known Ashi for 6 years now and what I can definitely validate is that she is that fiery soul who will keep pushing forward no matter what and she will do anything to get there. However, this is a testimony to Ashi’s writing and not her personality, so let’s go there now.

For as long as I have known her, she has been evolving, yet sticking to what she knows best.

Similarly, her stories are ever-morphing, yet sticking to the true essence of what they are always meant to be. I am not writing this to tell you guys that her stories are so relatable, or that she takes the nuances of life and gives her own twist to it or all that other usual jazz (which is all true of course), what I am here to say is that, just like her, her stories are powerful enough to keep a mob in rapt attention, and just like her, her stories keep gaining more substance with every passing post.
If you read under the lines, you will realize that her posts, just like her, not only take the small things in life and make them bigger, but also take the big things in life and make them even bigger.

Anusha R Chandra

Her passion for writing is very evident in all her posts.

She has something new every time and leaves me thinking which is a good thing. She makes people think and question.

She thoroughly researches the facts before putting it into writing, so there is nothing fake. That’s what makes it so real and I feel connected towards her posts.

Eagerly waiting for the next post!!!

Vanditha Pai

Being a twenty-something isn’t exactly peachy. It’s a liberating but also a confusing phase.

It’s so refreshing to hear your thoughts on the trials and tribulations that we all have at this time.

I notice there’s a takeaway from every post of yours and I enjoy reading the story behind it!
Keep writing Ashi, I always love a great story!

Anushri Ravikumar

You know that moment when you have to convey something but you just don’t know how to express? AskAshi is everything I think but fail to put the thoughts into words. It’s a medium through with I can convey. Like how you tag your friends in memes off-late when you find something relatable.

But seriously, it takes a lot for a blogger to pick a generic topic and give it a fresh perspective or outlook and that’s what makes the blog stand out. Every blog you write is grey unlike other articles that are usually either black or white.

The writing is like a mirror, has most of us raise questions and draw our own conclusions.

My favorite one would have to be the blog you wrote about veganism as it was informative, quirky and on point all at the same time.

Soumya Bhat

‘Ask Ashi’ is many things.
‘Ask Ashi’ is bold.
It is relatable.
It is intriguing.
But most importantly, it is blatantly, straight out, Real.

She portrays the world as it is, no sugar coating.
I feel like her work really makes you THINK and is a real eye opener, which society oh-so dearly requires.

I’m not much of a reader myself, but there’s just something about ‘Ask Ashi’ and the way she writes, that makes her work so relatable to my own life, making it wonderful to read.

A few of my personal favorites are ‘Re-engineer Yourself‘, ‘20 going on 30‘ and ‘To Swing Both Ways‘. I’ve always preferred to read her articles on real-life incidents that happen to people and their experiences, such as her features on ‘Re-engineer Yourself’ and I hope she writes more such content.

I would like to ‘Ask Ashi’ (pun intended) to continue writing always, for the world needs more and more of her fabulous work!
Cheers!

Sakshi Kalsi

Reading Ask Ashi feels like listening to an actual person talk. There’s no pretentiousness or false airs about anything she writes and that is what I enjoy the most about her work.

Role Play was the first post of hers I remember reading and that coin toss trick is something I have used to varying levels of success!

Also, reading her posts always reminds me that I love writing too and honestly, that’s the best thing a blog can do for me!

Rishab Nagaraj

The warmth of the sun, on a lazy Sunday morning – whilst one lies snuggled up in bed.
This very warmth is what AskAshi is all about.

The blog is akin to something that nurses the confusion in your head- when you are so engrossed in asking yourself “what is the point of it anyway”, while instead, you could be doing things that are completely pointless, but you do them all the same – because it matters. To you.

I’d like to think the blog is the least bit affected by the current nihilism that seems to be trending amongst much of the younger generation. A side effect of living. Or ‘adulting’ perhaps. But at least this blog, and I’d like to believe that the blogger as well, is steely with resolve as it tries to reach out with a message;

To write. To do. To express. To do what your soul begs of you.

As a famous song goes “It’s not too late, it’s never too late”

It’s 12 pm on a Sunday, and I write this review, nestled under a wad of blankets.

Priyamvada Jagadeesan

Reading AskAshi is like talking to a friend late night at 3 am.
And it is no wonder, that even though I come to her blog to read one post, I end up indulging myself in all the others all over again.

Because who wouldn’t like to have that 3 am conversation again and again!

Mridula Joshi

When I read the first few blog posts on AskAshi, I thought it was just like another teenager’s blog. It was all about dating, relationships, friends, insecurities and so on. It was a little too common to talk to talk about these things. But it was always honest writing.

Then she started Re-engineer yourself, which was again a common topic, but she had a completely different take on it. The way she has told the stories of all those engineers exploring their passions was quite inspiring. Especially to someone who thought they were stuck and not able to do anything with their life.

But her best work came more recently, when she picked up issues like racism and an individual’s sexuality. The writing has a very honest and easy way of making such complicated issues relatable. This is exactly what is needed for millennials like us who are growing more and more ignorant, something honest and relatable to keep our eyes open.

I hope Ashi uses her writing to continue to educate people about the real issues of the world and inspire them to take action. I can’t wait to see what she’s going to do next.

Amar Prabhu

In an age where everything is twisted, we spend most of our life wondering what is true and what is not. Thanks to this budding writer, we get to see something raw and rejuvenating. Ashitha’s blogs are as true as life can get. They have a very unique trait that not many writing pieces possess – the ability to make you giggle and yet wonder!

In the ‘To swing both ways’ blog, I think she took her writing to another level by not only using blogs as a medium to express but also catalyze change in the society.

Thanks, Ashitha, for looking at ordinary, extraordinarily.

I hope to see a book from you soon. And thank you so much for inspiring others (like me) to write too!

Chandana Roy

I’m not really a reader, the first novel I was forced to read was by Ashi and the first blog that I read was written by Ashi.

There’s something about her writing, her choice of words, the topics she writes on, all of it keeps me thinking and smiling.

Well, ask Ashi I guess?

Mohit Murugesh

This is something I wanted to write since I have read your first article in..when was that? 2015? I guess it was 2015, which means almost three years ago.

Over this time I can tell that not only has your writing style improved a lot (even though, in my opinion it has been pretty perfect from the beginning, but you keep surprising me and I learn so much from your wonderful wordings and metaphors!), but also the depth and the amplitude of topics have grown.

And I especially like the stories you re-tell about everyday life encounters with different people..it is a pleasure to imagine those situations and how one’s life might be in some place in the world.

I love to get to know more people, personalities and lives through your stories. You are awesome, Ashi. Love you, a big hug!

Lena Clara SB

What can I say? There’s a tight correlation between her writing and her infectious personality. The vocabulary is so common place yet, the sheer way the sentences are constructed seems so flamboyant, fresh, light hearted and almost poetic. I love the quotes at the end of each blog, short but significant, which never failed to give me goosebumps.

The many features on ‘Re-engineer Yourself’ really gave me perspective about people out there and the passion they have for other things but were “stuck doing a B.E”. Being an engineer myself, it opened up an opportunity for me to evaluate closely whether I’m doing the right thing.

These aren’t just blogs, they are perspectives from different walks of life, and they have helped me answer the question, “What else is out there”.

There are very few blogs, in the limited number of them that I subscribe to, that make you happy or think or evaluate, and sometimes all at once. Ask Ashi is one of them. Keep at it Miss Nayak, we all need more of this.

Rajath R Dani

If anything could be said against AskAshi, it’s that it’s almost too complete an entertainment package, laughter and education all tied together.

The posts are engaging and thrilling and in my opinion, there is no better way to learn in this modern age…

The posts are imbued with some warmth and wisdom about human nature. Funny, interesting and true – the world needs this!

Nii Sackey Vanderpuye

AskAshi is more than a blog. For me it feels like a place to share my feelings and experiences. And more importantly, it’s a safe space. No judgements, no biased opinions or conclusions. I don’t think anyone else could sit there and express my words and my thoughts better than Ashitha.

I love that my story is among other great pieces of art. Yes, I said art. Thank you Ashi for letting me be part of your creative work.

Oscar M Garcia

With absurd fashion, fitness regimes and many other –so called “trends” flooding the dynamic internet-world, it is most likely for any blogger/writer to pick his/her subject from a pool of such generic topics. Or so I’ve noticed. Amidst all of this or not, your blogs are a stand out for me-a perfect balance of positivity and realism. You articulate your thoughts in such a lucid manner and I love how relatable, deeply reasoned and soulful your writing is. The best your writing does is, it leaves the reader contemplating.

“Just be Honest. That’s what growing up really is. Being honest about what you want, who you are and how hard you’re willing to work.”

We all need a life motto to adhere to and these lines were it!

Knowing the thoughtful person that you are, for quite some years now, makes it all the more special. Nothing better than blogs bringing me back bits of our old conversations. You’re made for this and I am so proud of you. You go girl, changing mindsets one at a time!

Rachna Manjunath

I know how good you are at what you do, which is why my expectations of you are so high that I don’t expect to be surprised. Yet, with each post of yours, I’ve been caught off guard and amazed at the way you capture thoughts. It’s awesome how you write about the most seemingly relatable things in life, but somehow you catch details that skip our minds. I still remember how in an article you related ‘dating’ to a game of snakes and ladders, that made so much sense yet it would’ve never occurred to me! Your words in ‘To swing both ways’ were so touching.

People like me, WE ARE NORMAL. JUST NOT COMMON.

I will take that quote with me through life. I hope you keep narrating stories that widen our horizons, and if not that, at least make us think twice.

Shreya Puranik

Ask Ashi comes as a breath of fresh air in the form of words. Being of positive influence and impact is very hard through writing and you have accomplished that. I eagerly await your blogs as they always make me think and bring along a change in me and I embrace that change gracefully.

The blog has a pure vibe and this freshness which is very rare. You are an inspiration and your writing is a bigger inspiration.

Your blog ‘Killing Yourself Steadily’ was an eye opener. “People don’t care about your judgments. Only you do.”

This line is all it took to change my thought process overnight.
Your unbiased views on everything is what actually lies in the minds of many. It’s like connecting to the inner you. Your experiences turn into values I can use daily. Love to you, Ashitha. Continue the great work.

Ask Ashi was missed, but I am glad its back!

Sukruth Sudhakar

I’m pleasantly surprised at how you’ve put to words, in so many posts, what I’ve been thinking and feeling for a long time! But then again, I’m not really surprised, because I think that’s what a good writer does: connect with the readers at the core and let them know they’re not alone.

‘In a world constantly trying to make us into one thing, let’s take our chances and try to be undefinable’

This line particularly stood out to me, because I’ve been thinking of this a lot lately, that I’m hindering myself because I’m trying to define myself. Your writing came to me at the right moment, like all beautiful things do.

You’re surely making an impact in your own beautiful way, Ashitha. More power to you. Looking forward to reading a lot more soulful content from you.”

Shraavya S Narayan