The Anti-Gift Guide for Artists

You're about to see and receive a string of gift-giving guides for 2020 holidays. And in that pile of guides, you may have someone in your life who identifies as an “artist” or “writer” or “creative.” Someone that you think, “You know what? I bet this person I love would be super into… [insert work/art/craft related gift here.]”

I'm here to stop you. Put down the google. Don't touch it. Listen closely as I share my one-step anti-guide to meaningful gift giving for the artists and makers in your life.

Step #1: Don't give them presents related to their craft. Because you're going to get it wrong.

Step #2: The above. There's nothing else.

I say this as a writer. As a lover of words. As someone who has been gifted an inordinate number of notebooks and pens in my life. As presents. As thank yous. As “I saw this and thought of you.”

Did I feel loved? Yes.

Did I use that gift? Never.

Why? Because I'm picky AF. Because we as artists and creatives are picky AF.

We don't use just any notebook; we have a specific brand, a specific paper weight, a specific (and immovable) choice of grid/lined/unlined/sketchbook. We must have the spine open a certain way, the pen feel a certain way across the page. We will only use one brand of paint, only one set of brushes that get touched daily. ONLY ONE. And as much as you love us, you aren't going to guess which one in the wide world of supplies we choose to use.

So stop gifting the almost-accurate-but-ultimately-unusable object. Please.

It's okay if you've made this mistake in the past. Your love was felt. It mattered. That's why we never told you to your face. So don't feel bad about it. It's okay. You know now.

If you really do want to give us supplies, ask us for specifics first. You can ask for directions. It's okay. We won't be mad.