About Ordinary Elevated
Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here.
This is a story of finding beauty in the ordinary, strength in broken places, and a life more vibrant than I ever thought possible.
My story—and the story of Ordinary Elevated—began in the aftermath of tumultuous change. In 2022, my husband of 25 years passed away due to complications from depression and alcohol abuse. In the years leading up to his passing, I became aware of my own increasingly dysfunctional relationship with alcohol. After he was gone, that relationship continued to spiral.
I knew alcohol wasn’t helping me. I knew it was threatening to take me down. I knew every aspect of my life would be better if I could stop drinking, but knowing wasn’t enough. I couldn’t stop—or maybe I wouldn’t stop. I just wasn’t ready.
Then, in August 2023, by the grace of God and with immense support and patience from people who love me, I realized I had a choice. I could continue self-destructing, living as if I were just waiting to die, or I could fight to discover if a healthy, joyful, peaceful life was still possible for me. I chose to fight. I chose to live.
What I’ve discovered on this side of grief, nearly two years since my last drink, is a life richer than anything I could have asked for or imagined.
Beauty from Ashes
As an unexpected widow in my 40s, stripped of my familiar pastime of choice, I needed new ways to occupy my time. During a walk one summer afternoon, I started taking photos of flowers that struck me as particularly beautiful. As summer faded into another long, interminable Minnesota winter, I decided to see what would happen if I tried drawing flowers from my photos.
To my surprise, I discovered that I absolutely love drawing flowers!
This simple act of observing a flower—its lines, colors, and resilience—and watching it come to life on my iPad screen became a form of meditation. It was a way to cultivate joy, one petal at a time. I began experimenting with arranging my drawings into patterns, playing with lines and textures beyond botanical illustrations. I drew inspiration from the structure, symmetry, and unapologetic elegance of the Art Deco era. For me, the bold geometry of Art Deco mirrors the new framework I was building for my own life—finding order in chaos and structure in design.
Why "Ordinary Elevated"?
This brand is the culmination of a journey. It’s about taking an ordinary moment—noticing a flower on a walk, the quiet focus of a pencil on paper—and elevating it into something beautiful and meaningful. It’s about the profound beauty waiting for us every day, even when—especially when—we feel lost in the dark.
This endeavor is more than a shop. It’s a space built on vulnerability and the belief that we are all worthy of a beautiful life. It’s a place where we find ways to infuse joy into the simple things we interact with every day. My greatest hope is that my art brings a piece of that beauty into your home and that my story creates a space where you feel safe to honor your own.
If you or someone you love is struggling, my heart is with you. It is so very hard. For a long time, I felt broken and beyond hope. But I learned I was worth fighting for, and I won! Change is possible. Healing is possible.
We do recover.
Thank you for being part of my journey.
~ Jessica