Imani Givertz

Grace Givertz is both an acoustic musician and a crafter of adorable jewelry. Her earrings are available on Etsy, and she said that the cute little fruits (made of polymer clay and acrylic) were sparked out of a personal crisis. “I started making jewelry around sixish years ago when I first shaved my head,” she said. “I have trichotillomania and was having an identity crisis with no hair. I started making big earrings to help me feel confident in my struggle. I ended up loving them and my bald head so much that here we are six years later: still a big earring, bald, bad bitch!”

Those big earrings are available for purchase in the form of fluffy pompoms and a variety of snacks like pineapples, cherries, and avocados to decorate your earlobes.  She also makes strawberry and donut-themed pins. The potatoes are a personal favorite of both Grace’s and mine. She’s also made a teacup and saucer set of earrings, so there’s something for all tastes at her Etsy page. When I asked Grace how she decides what designs to make, she said, “If I’ve eaten it in the past thirty days, I probably will make an earring of it. Also animals. All the animals.” Which explains how the kitten earrings and balls of yarn fit into her theme.

photo courtesy of www.etsy.com/shop/graciemakesthings

Much of the beauty in Givertz’s work is owed to the astounding simplicity of her designs. She said that her materials, like polymer clay and acrylic paint, make this kind of craftsmanship more accessible and affordable to anyone who might want to try it themselves.

I’ve also listened to her intimate acoustic songs, with cuts like “The Heartache Can Wait.” According to Givertz, the music used to be her main focus, but now she tries to focus on both forms of art equally. “I used to sell my jewelry as merch for my shows,” she said. “Now that I’ve put out an album and have big girl merch, it’s been really nice to focus on the two separately. I feel that I am so much more creative with my jewelry now because it lives in its own little world.”

Be sure to check out Grace’s table (and those adorable potato earrings) at the Boston Hassle Flea on 2/22/20, from 12-6pm at the Cambridge Elks Lodge in Central Square.