Frankie:
Knife in the Dark
A Woman. A Wolf-Dog. A New Path Forward
Ashley Katz
Writer. Dancer. Artist.
Tenacious should have been my middle name.
I don't give up.
I adapt.
I grow.
When faced with obstacles, I think of creative solutions.
There’s always a path—
if you’re willing to see it.
A Bit About Me
My life has been unconventional, to say the least. A strange, winding path shaped by experiences that made me who I am today.
For years, I lived in isolation. I was kept small—disconnected from others, unsure of myself, and cut off from my own voice.
I was lied to, manipulated, and abused—physically and psychologically—in ways that were largely invisible to the outside world.
I became someone I never wanted to be.
No longer.
Isolation is no longer something I will accept.
I want to share my life and my passions with the world around me.
I take the pain I’ve lived through and channel it into my creative work.
Writing.
Dancing.
Illustrating.
Dancing & Workouts
When I faced the reality that getting stronger might be the only way to escape constant neurological pain and flare-ups of one-sided weakness, I still couldn’t bring myself to do traditional workouts.
The idea of counting repitions, and having "leg days" never seemed appealing to me.
So instead of trying to "push through it", I got creative.
Nearly all of this is done while wearing a tail and wiggling to edm in between complex moves for the purposes of relaxation, stretching, and most importantly, fun.
Even after working out for six days a week for over a year, I still look forward to going to the gym every time.
At first I used a rope and developed a rope flow technique. My workout kept evolving though.
Soon I added balancing on a yoga block.
After that I started dancing and doing more complex moves on the block.
Now I have recently added ballet to my workout routine.
Artwork
My art isn’t always conventional—but it’s how I express my emotions.
Simply making the art itself is soothing to my soul.
Work and Educational Experience
September 2023 - June 2026
January 2020 - June 2026
I have been part of a master’s program at Pacific University, where my academic path evolved alongside my personal growth. In June, I will be graduating with a Master’s of Art's in Education.
This experience has deepened my understanding of learning, systems, and human development, and it has informed how I think about creativity, communication, and connection. My education has reinforced the belief that learning is not one-size-fits-all — and that meaningful growth often comes from adapting, not forcing ourselves into predefined paths.
I worked as a substitute teacher across multiple school districts, and I truly loved the experience. While it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to continue in this role, the time I spent in classrooms was deeply meaningful to me.
I care about helping others, and helping people learn and grow was an incredibly rewarding experience. There is something powerful about the shared moment when curiosity clicks — when a learner is engaged, and knowledge is absorbed with enthusiasm. Those moments reminded me why education, in any form, matters.
September 2014 - June 2019
I took an alternative path through higher education, starting at community college and later transferring to Portland State University, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
