Artist's gift giving dilema
Every year this gift giving frenzy time comes around. You know the one I'm talking about. I have written before about my mixed feelings.
So today, you get more of my mixed feelings.
I never know what to give people. Do I give them things I make routinely that they can actually buy for themselves? Do I make something that I have been mulling making to sell and let them test drive it for me? Do I go buy something from some other artist that I like and give it away (*blush* - most of the time!)
Or do I strike out to learn something completely new and give that?
2 years ago with that in mind, I decided I'd knit scarves as I am not a knitter and that would be something really different for me. After they were done, I just couldn't bring myself to give them away. They were not, oh, I don't know, good enough or something. They just didn't make me happy to give out. I don't remember what I did instead. I still have them somewhere. I might take them out and look at them again. It's hard to like something you just finished.
My gift giving is very hit or miss. Some years I start in August and shop at the local Art in the Park show for "just the right thing". Unfortunately, time and such has created such distances that knowing "the right thing" for much of my family is not possible. I can give that thing that was right some *mummle mummble* years ago when we were all more or less under the same roof. Or better, some bit of info gleaned in a recent visit, but we don't visit enough to keep the information current.
People may not mention that they painted the bathroom from blue to yellow so that one perfect blue pottery cup to put toothbrushes in will no longer be a good gift.
sigh. So I never know what to do. Sometimes I just got to the store and get some fun gourmet food in jars and boxes and give a picnic.
Anymore, mead seems to work as a great gift. Although, many people set it aside to drink. I need to put a note on the label - "if you horde me, you will not get more!" or "return empty bottle as proof of eligibility for refill"
We had the local SCA group over for the monthly social gathering. Our huge decorating effort was hanging 2 strings of lights. But people really seemed to enjoy themselves and it was a good time. I popped open some mead and folks brought some desserts. What I was really thrilled about was the kids were entralled enough with the toys I pulled out of the toy shelf to play pretty quietly all night and nothing got broken this time. The studio is not kid-safe!
Kyra update: Rick has been in the saddle a few times now. We are about half-way on the 30 days of training I signed her up for. She looks really good but is still worried about things. He seems pretty happy with her progress. He said the other day that working through her fear will make her a more trustworthy horse. He said often horses that are naturally quiet and bold don't develop any trust in their owners so when a scary situation comes up, it is a big deal. For Kyra many things have been scary so she is learning that when Rick says - it's not scary and it isn't, that she learns to trust his word. It's a big responsiblity.
So today, you get more of my mixed feelings.
I never know what to give people. Do I give them things I make routinely that they can actually buy for themselves? Do I make something that I have been mulling making to sell and let them test drive it for me? Do I go buy something from some other artist that I like and give it away (*blush* - most of the time!)
Or do I strike out to learn something completely new and give that?
2 years ago with that in mind, I decided I'd knit scarves as I am not a knitter and that would be something really different for me. After they were done, I just couldn't bring myself to give them away. They were not, oh, I don't know, good enough or something. They just didn't make me happy to give out. I don't remember what I did instead. I still have them somewhere. I might take them out and look at them again. It's hard to like something you just finished.
My gift giving is very hit or miss. Some years I start in August and shop at the local Art in the Park show for "just the right thing". Unfortunately, time and such has created such distances that knowing "the right thing" for much of my family is not possible. I can give that thing that was right some *mummle mummble* years ago when we were all more or less under the same roof. Or better, some bit of info gleaned in a recent visit, but we don't visit enough to keep the information current.
People may not mention that they painted the bathroom from blue to yellow so that one perfect blue pottery cup to put toothbrushes in will no longer be a good gift.
sigh. So I never know what to do. Sometimes I just got to the store and get some fun gourmet food in jars and boxes and give a picnic.
Anymore, mead seems to work as a great gift. Although, many people set it aside to drink. I need to put a note on the label - "if you horde me, you will not get more!" or "return empty bottle as proof of eligibility for refill"
We had the local SCA group over for the monthly social gathering. Our huge decorating effort was hanging 2 strings of lights. But people really seemed to enjoy themselves and it was a good time. I popped open some mead and folks brought some desserts. What I was really thrilled about was the kids were entralled enough with the toys I pulled out of the toy shelf to play pretty quietly all night and nothing got broken this time. The studio is not kid-safe!
Kyra update: Rick has been in the saddle a few times now. We are about half-way on the 30 days of training I signed her up for. She looks really good but is still worried about things. He seems pretty happy with her progress. He said the other day that working through her fear will make her a more trustworthy horse. He said often horses that are naturally quiet and bold don't develop any trust in their owners so when a scary situation comes up, it is a big deal. For Kyra many things have been scary so she is learning that when Rick says - it's not scary and it isn't, that she learns to trust his word. It's a big responsiblity.
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