We recently connected with Jennifer Hodges and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer , thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The two most meaningful projects I’ve created are the birth of my Luxury line, part of my Art. Life. Luxury. brand, and my Black Power Black America mixed media series.

The Luxury segment began with silk men’s accessories printed with my original artwork. It serves as an homage to dandy culture, my artistry, Detroit roots, and my father’s enduring legacy of style. Growing up in Detroit, art, culture, and fashion were inseparable from daily life. My father and uncles embodied quiet confidence and refined elegance with tailored suits, silk ties, and intentional presentation. My own journey into men’s fashion began at sixteen, working at Tie Box, a Detroit boutique where I learned the art of pairing ties, pocket squares, and fine hats. Later, I refined my understanding of craftsmanship and diversity of style through work at Bacharach and Spectacles Detroit. Today, my Luxury line has evolved to include silk scarves, robes, and the stapled pocket squares with each piece a reflection of legacy, artistry, and contemporary luxury.

Black Power Black America is a six-foot mixed-media work of art that chronicles the resilience and brilliance of Black America. Honoring Angela Davis and Malcolm X, it captures our ongoing fight for equality, weaving history into texture. The piece incorporates original Black Panther newspapers, Ebony, Life, and Jet magazine clippings from the 1960s and 70s, alongside materials like glass, wire, yarn, and acrylic on canvas. It took twelve years to complete, which is a true evolution of my storytelling, skilled technique, and commitment to purpose. Each section of the canvas tells a compelling story and now lives as a limited-edition giclée print so the story that resonates the most can be centered for the collector.

Both projects hold deep meaning because they bridge the past and present and honors my lineage while defining my artistic legacy in the world.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Jennifer L. Hodges, an artist, alchemist, visionary leader, and proud Detroit native whose work lives at the intersection of art, leadership, and community transformation. Creativity and spirituality have always been my language and it’s how I process the world, connect with people, and inspire change.

My artistic journey started with poetry and eventually evolved into abstract painting. Over the past 20 years, I’ve developed a body of work that explores emotion, ancestry, and self-discovery. My pieces have been exhibited internationally, at the Venice Biennale (2024), and are part of both private and corporate collections. But what excites me most is expanding the definition of what it means to be an art collector.

Through my brand, “Art. Life. Luxury.”, I’ve created a lifestyle rooted in creativity. It includes original paintings, fine art prints, journals, and my signature wearable silk pieces. My goal is to make art accessible in everyday life, transforming how people see and experience it.

I also bring art into organizations and communities through immersive workshops and leadership experiences that blend creativity, wellness, and purpose. These sessions help people connect to themselves and to one another by reducing stress, sparking imagination, and building authentic collaboration.

Beyond the studio, I serve as Chief Programs Officer for a leading Chicago charter school network, where I co-founded the Whole Child Initiative, a framework that supports the holistic development of students and families.

What sets my work apart is the way I bridge multiple worlds, the corporate and the creative, the strategic and the soulful. Whether it’s through a painting, luxurious attire, a workshop, or an art installation, my mission is the same: to help people live artfully, lead with purpose, and experience the transformative power of creativity.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Four years ago, I began the process of applying for my WMBE (Women and Minority Business Enterprise) Certification. Then, the follow-up questions came, and I lost my nerve. Time passed, and the process stalled, just as I did.

Eventually, I had to pause and get honest with myself. Outwardly, I said I wanted to live fully in my creative purpose and dismantle the myth of the “starving artist,” but my actions didn’t match my intentions. The deeper truth that I uncovered was about perfectionism and fear masquerading as high standards.

I started evaluating my relationship with worthiness: Do I truly feel worthy of the life I envision for myself? And do I believe I’m worthy of the path that could take me there?

I had to confront the reality that I was choosing comfortable complacency over progress that required my vulnerability.

I am proud to share that this summer, I finally received my WMBE certification from the Chicago Urban League’s Business Enterprise Program. The accreditation represents more than professional recognition, it’s joining a community of entrepreneurs who refused to accept limitations, who chose to build despite barriers.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Unlearning limiting beliefs has been one of the most powerful parts of my journey as an artist. Growing up in Detroit, creativity was everywhere. music, fashion, design, but I didn’t initially see “artist” as a viable career path. I was raised to value stability and professionalism, so I built my career in business, wealth management, and later education leadership. Art was always present, but it lived quietly on the side as something personal, not something I could center my life around.

It took years, and a lot of inner work, to unlearn the belief that artistry and leadership couldn’t coexist. I had to redefine success on my own terms and embrace that creativity is not a distraction from strategy, it fuels it. My art and my executive work both come from the same place: a desire to create transformation, connection, and beauty in the world.

Now, I help others unlearn their own creative integrations through workshops, art experiences, and conversations that remind us all that we are born to create, and that living artfully is both a practice and a choice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jhodgesart.com
• Instagram: iamjhodgesart
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-l-hodges-mba-55b31679

Image Credits

Jennifer L. Hodges, Founder and CEO of J Hodges Art, Art.Life.Luxury. brand