Today we’d like to introduce you to Ellen Bruxvoort.
Hi Ellen, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I came up in the maker movement of the early 2010s. Living in Austin, I was naturally surrounded by creatives and small businesses who were making an unconventional living. I’ve always been drawn to this life, but at the time I was still searching for “my thing.” The answer sort of fell in my lap — literally, I was staring at a handwoven pillow and thought, “could I make this?” So I built a small frame loom with plywood and nails, fumbled through my first weaving, and felt a spark.
With little modern resources for weaving at the time, I taught myself everything I could (aka intensely staring at photos and a lot of trial and error). The following year, I opened an Etsy shop, then a website and a business, learned how to do taxes and run pop-ups. I eventually went full-time in 2017, selling DTC and wholesaling to retailers all over the country. By 2020, I found myself a little burnt out, but still stoking the flame. So I made a pandemic pivot and a big trust fall toward the work that was bringing me the most joy. Today, FIBROUS specializes in large-scale rope installations and custom fiber art for commercial spaces like restaurants, hotels, and offices, working with fabricators, designers, architects, and the most interesting clients. It’s the strangest, most fulfilling job I could have never imagined for myself.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
C’mon, is anything ever smooth? The early years were a crash course in everything nobody teaches you: taxes, pricing, contracts, insurance. I learned most of it the hard way and in my own time. A fellow creative once told me to “hire your weaknesses,” and that advice has quietly shaped many of my choices since.
But of course any maker knows the delicate dance with burnout. By 2020, I was fulfilling wholesale orders on repeat and could feel the creativity draining out of me. And despite the global tragedy that was the pandemic, I’m grateful it at least gave me the rest, time, and resources I needed to make a pivot I may not have allowed myself otherwise.
Then there was a season of compounding grief — losing my dad and my soul pet in close succession. Two very different kinds of loss, but together they were my Everest. I didn’t know how to handle that kind of loss and run a business at the same time, so I started applying for jobs. Didn’t get a single one. Looking back, I’m grateful for that — I regrouped, and closed out that year with a handful of really great installs.
None of it was smooth. But all of it was necessary.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
FIBROUS is an art studio specializing in large-scale rope installations and custom fiber art for commercial spaces. My clients are typically interior designers, art consultants, architects, and developers who are looking for something that can’t be pulled from a catalog — something site-specific, intentional, and built to last. I’ve had the pleasure of working with clients like Google, PayPal, Marriott, Hyatt, Madewell, American Eagle, and public spaces like airports and restaurants.
At its core, FIBROUS exists at the intersection of creativity and operations, and has grown almost entirely through referrals and word of mouth. I’m like the meme of two hands shaking where one is art brain and the other is systems brain. In one complete package, my clients get custom creative solutions and the predictable framework of proposals, timelines, and contracts. That combination tends to build trust, and I think it’s what keeps them coming back.
Ultimately, I believe that the spaces we inhabit shape the way we feel and move through them. Fiber art brings warmth, texture, and a human touch to a room that might otherwise feel sterile or forgettable. FIBROUS is named for a reason — I’ve always believed that everything we do is woven into everything that surrounds us. The work is just the most tangible expression of that.
How do you think about happiness?
Ha. Honestly? Waking up without an alarm. Identifying edible plants. Hugging my friends on the other side of the world. Whatever weather specifically calls for shorts and a sweater. When my plants flower or grow new leaves. The way the announcer yells when my favorite hockey team scores a goal. All that and a perfect pourover. Sprinkle in a little human rights and billionaire tax and we’ve got ourselves a solid day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fibrous.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fibrous.co
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fibrous
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenbruxvoort
