Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alix Holly. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alix, appreciate you joining us today. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?

I got my bachelor’s degree in metals and jewelry, this is a program that labels you, both by the jewelry community itself and also by the other fine artists outside of it. As a jeweler you are in a battle to prove that you are an artist, that you deserve that title, and that what you create is worthy of being labeled as art. Outside of the jewelry community you are looked at by other artists as a trade or a crafter. This battle follows you as you leave school and you start to enter into the world of art fairs and gallery shows. Constantly fighting for that label of artist.

Labels can be misused, thrown around, thrown at, and weaponized. Labels can also be the source of someone’s joy, a way to feel seen, a long sought after feeling of self-recognition. As a trans-nonbinary queer polyamorous artist, I use a lot of labels to identify myself and my work. The jewelry that I create is meant to be worn in self-expression, a label if you will. Because my jewelry is coming from my self-expression and experiences it tends to resonate specifically with my queer community and those surrounding it. Punk, goth, queer, rebel, different, other, all labels I could use to describe the amazing humans who buy my work.

As a feminine presenting person, I am constantly misgendered and automatically labeled by people before they even learn my name. Even within my community of trans and queer people this is often the case. My personal journey with labeling has helped me to see the importance of a label, it has also helped me to work through the importance of not letting that label define who you truly are.

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

I graduated in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in metal and jewelry. After graduating I hit the ground running with the skills I had learned creating and selling jewelry at art fairs and small shops where I lived in Kalamazoo MI. I made some small Michigan necklaces and earrings as a fun something to offer and they became the top seller at my booths. As my jewelry was my only source of income, I decided to make more of the Michigan pieces, keeping them stocked so that I could keep a good cash flow coming in. Ultimately, I began to create work for sales instead of for me.

I became burnt out on this and decided to take an opportunity that had come up to work as a bench jeweler repairing jewelry for a large jewelry brand. I really enjoyed this work as it brought in a steady paycheck and kept my hands crafting. However, a professional move to a private owned jeweler in a larger city took the joy of being a jeweler away from me. In fact, I had such a bad experience working for this person and their shop that I felt jewelry was no longer something that inspired me, no longer something I even really believed in. Jewelry went from creative self-expression to capitalistic wealth flaunting. with the passion gone and a seeded disgust for the field I stepped away and took a 9-5 job that paid the bills and provided health insurance.

I still painted and sketched and carved and created work. As an artist I think that drive to create never really leaves you. But it wasn’t until I decided to play around with learning a chainmail pattern that I really reignited that flame for jewelry and why I fell in love with it in the first place. I really took this 180 in how I was looking at my work. I went from gold and diamonds to steel and stone. I really design and create my work through my voice again. Through a queer political lens that is my own.

My jewelry is all created with solids stainless steel, a metal for everyone. It is durable, tarnish free, hypoallergenic. It gives the wearer a piece of jewelry that can last a long time, one that doesn’t wear away break and require more money and trips to a jeweler to maintain. It is affordable on a smaller budget it’s not about the price it’s about the look. Something a lot of “finer jewelry” really misses. I’m inspired by the punk scene growing up in the 80s and 90s listening to the Subhumans and wanting for a world that was about self-expression not wealth expression. I incorporate body jewelry into a lot of my work giving that punk vibe to it. It makes the jewelry feel a bit dangerous like you’re putting on your armor before going out into the battle of life.

One of the things I am most proud of is the versatility of my work. A lot of my pieces are made to be worn in multiple ways. Necklaces with two clip ends so they can be wrapped around your boot or your wrist. Bracelets that string together to make a necklace. Extra clips come with pieces turning them from a necklace into a wallet chain. Ear weights that can be added to a chain or worn on your bag. I truly believe jewelry you love should give you not only a sense of self-expression, but it should be versatile and work for you in multiple fits.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me the hands down, most rewarding part of all of it, is seeing a person’s face light up when they see themselves in my work. That look of connecting with the art, because that piece is more than the end result. It’s the entire story and journey of my creativity, all of the hours, sweat, tears, pain I put into learning the craft. Every wrong turn I took that taught me what I should have done. Each piece of jewelry that I create is a part of me and seeing it resonate with someone else reminds me that I am a part of it all.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Books are so important. Read about other people’s stories. Read about food and cultures. Read smutty sexy stories. Being creative is about being inspired. Having something to say. Wanting to make an impact in the world, in your community, in your neighborhood. Being a voice for yourself and others. Standing up for what you believe in. Showing people, they are not alone. Reading anything and everything opens up your mind to the world.

I am often inspired in unexpected ways when reading. One of my recent reads had a character that was wearing a traditional bolo tie to an event. This small thing got my wheels turning on the idea of certain types of jewelry and how they are made to have one specific aesthetic. Bolo ties for instance are made to feel western or country. This is great who doesn’t love a sexy cowboy. But what if you want to wear a bolo tie but this aesthetic doesn’t fit your style? Why not a goth bolo tie or a punk bolo tie. So, I jumped in thinking about that and the bolo ties I have been creating have hit hard. I will make a batch, and they sell out in an event or two, seeing people get excited about finally finding one that fits their style is so rewarding. All inspired by a fictional character in a book.

Read books.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alixholly.bigcartel.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alix._.holly