Today we’d like to introduce you to Grei Booker.
Hi Grei, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Grei (pronounced grey) Booker, also known as “GravyMadeIt”, a semi self-taught mixed media artist (I’ve had some artistic education), and non-profit executive based in Newark, NJ. I usually describe my journey as equal parts purpose, creativity, and lived experience. I didn’t set out to become a mission-driven executive or a mixed media artist. I grew into both by following the places where people, healing, and storytelling intersect.
I started my career in communications and community work because I’ve always been drawn to helping people feel seen and supported. Early roles in social services, advocacy, and violence prevention taught me how powerful it is when you give people access to resources, dignity, and hope. Those experiences shaped my leadership style — collaborative, human-centered, and grounded in impact.
As I moved into non-profit leadership, I learned how to use narrative as a tool for impact. I’ve spent my career helping mission-driven organizations strengthen their voice, expand access to services, and build trust within the communities they serve.
Art entered my life as a child. I rediscovered it during a period when I needed a new language for what I was carrying. What started as personal healing became a practice, then a passion, and eventually a body of work that has been commissioned, collected, awarded, and exhibited both in the states and abroad. My art and my professional work feed each other; both rooted in emotion, resilience, and the belief that creativity can transform how people see themselves and the world.
Today, I sit at the intersection of marketing, community impact, and creative expression. Whether I’m leading strategy for an integrated behavioral health organization, facilitating therapeutic art sessions, shaping narratives for social good, or creating art that speaks to resilience, my purpose is the same: to build spaces where people feel empowered, connected, and capable of transformation.
At the core, my story is about using communication and creativity to move people toward healing, possibility, and belonging.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Working in community-based and nonprofit spaces means navigating systems that are often under-resourced and emotionally heavy. I had to learn how to lead with resilience, advocate within challenging environments, and stay grounded while supporting others.
On the creative side, returning to art required vulnerability and pushing past self-doubt. Balancing a demanding career with a growing artistic practice wasn’t easy, but it taught me discipline and reminded me why creativity matters.
The challenges shaped me. They strengthened my voice, sharpened my purpose, and deepened my commitment to creating spaces through my work and my art. Where people feel seen and supported.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
In my art practice, I work primarily in mixed media, creating pieces that explore resilience, identity, and emotional truth. My work is rooted in storytelling. Not in a literal sense, but in the way texture, color, and layered materials can hold memory, healing, and lived experience. I’m known for creating pieces that feel intimate and reflective, often blending found materials, paint, and collage to build narratives that people can see themselves in.
What I’m most proud of is how my art has grown from a personal healing practice into a body of work that resonates with others. Every time someone tells me a piece made them feel understood or seen, that means more to me than any accolade.
What sets me apart is the way I approach art as both a creative discipline and a form of emotional translation. I’m not just making something to be looked at, I’m creating something to be felt. My faith, love of music, storytelling, and community shapes the way I build each piece. I’m intentional about honoring the complexity of people’s experiences (including mine), and I think that shows up in the layers, the textures, and the honesty of the work.
At its core, my art is about transformation — taking what’s been carried, broken, or overlooked and turning it into something meaningful. That’s the heart of my practice.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I am originally from Jamaica New York, with family roots in Harlem. I grew up between Jamaica, NY and Bergen County, NJ. Englewood and Teaneck, to be more specific. I currently reside in Newark. I have been a resident of its historic Forest Hills neighborhood since 2017.
The one thing that I love most about the city of Newark is its support of the creative community. It celebrates the power and impact of arts and culture, and makes its public institutions, programs and resources affordable and accessible for all residents.
Newark, like most great cities, is constantly evolving. I honor its history, celebrate its progress, and take pride in being part of the next chapter of its story. The best is still being written.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thegravymadeitpopup.etsy.com
- Instagram: @mslegacybuilder
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grei-booker-mba-89429436
