A Gift Guide For Your Artist Girlfriend

Psst! Hey you, yes you. Come closer; I want to tell you a secret. This is information you guard with your life. If it were to escape and get into the wrong hands, it could be...dangerous. I'm going to take you on a tour of all the gifts I'm getting my artist girlfriend this year. Of course, I knew you had one, too. That's why I'm sharing this with you.

I've become a pro at pleasing the artist girlfriend, and I enjoy philanthropy, so I decided to help you out. Wait, did you just suggest Amazon? You do have a lot to learn.

If there's anything romcoms have taught us about spontaneous gifting, it's that the big expensive presents are often a sign of guilt. But not the small, sort of rubbish presents. It seems to me that a cheap bag of crisps says a whole lot more than a gold necklace.

It says 'You occupy such a vast space in my mind, I think of you so constantly, that my day-to-day life throws up constant reminders of you.' That person is, subconsciously or not, considered in everything you do and everywhere you go. Even in somewhere as mundane as the supermarket snack aisle.

Ali Pantony, Almost Adults

Our gifts are locally bought, and most of them are made to be transformed or were previously used. I know I'm being vague, but it will all make sense, don't worry. Now buckle up; it's time to shop.

Columbia Art and Drafting

Our first stop has been a fixture of the Portland community for over 25 years. Operating out of the same location since 1990, the owner Bang Tran began selling drafting tables, drafting machines, tubes, and portfolios from a small storefront.

Today, Columbia Art and Drafting is Portland's largest independently-owned art store. Columbia Art and Drafting is minority-owned and features virtually any art supply your little heart desires.

At Columbia, I got my artist girlfriend (Etta) some canvases and a pack of paintbrushes to aid in her future creations. She's been not so subtly hinting that she needs both, and I know she'll use them. Columbia has something for artists of all disciplines. So explore and get lost among the various red paint shades.

Local Branch

Our next stop is to my favorite local plant nursery. The building is made of mostly windows, and as I walk by, I can see the giant leafy plants scattered throughout. Monsteras and aloes, succulents and vines all the bouncing the sunlight in a serene way. The staff is friendly, and I've noticed how Etta looks at their selections with stars in her eyes.

I love gifting plants because of the value they add to our environments. They improve air quality and lower stress. I got Etta a mini monstera (about the size of a grapefruit) for her to nurture and watch develop. These plants can also be propagated, so it's essentially a gift that keeps on giving.

The cuttings of this plant will grow her many more. She can't really slip into the artist aesthetic without a background of plants. This gift adds a burst of joy and excitement to both our lives. We are both minimalists, but our guilty pleasure is definitely buying plants. Hey, don't judge; there are worse things to collect.

Second-Hand Shopping

For this one, there is no specific place. My artist girlfriend is going through an identity shift. Suddenly she hates logos on her clothes and desperately wants something more basic. She has been asking for hoodies; I try to memorize the colors as she spouts them off, but it isn't easy. I managed to hear olive green and burgundy.

The essence of gift-giving does not rely on materials things, but on something transcendent, as if it were the last and the only thing that one could willingly give, that gently makes the soul smile.

Danny Castillones Sillada

So while she was at work, one day, I set off to the thrift store. You can go to your local secondhand shop or use online ones like Poshmark, and Depop. The clothing industry generates a large amount of pollution becuase of the one and done way we operate. I didn't want to contribute to fashion waste, so I decided to get her something lightly worn.

After pacing the aisles up and down, searching every article of clothing, I passed the hoodie I would end up choosing a few times and completely missed it. The camera dilutes how olive green it is, but the hoodie is what Etta asked for to a T. The lesson here is to listen to your artist girlfriend, she'll tell you what she wants, and you just have to find it.

Barnes and Noble (but not really)

If you try to buy Christmas with a credit card, you'll miss the point. It's not for sale. True Christmas spirit can only be given away and the price it demands is a piece of your heart.

Toni Sorenson

Years ago, I bought a journal made of recycled material from Nepal. Well, it was made in Nepal, but I got it off the Barnes and Noble shelves in Oklahoma City. I know Etta loves cute journals, but she never writes in them. So I decided to fill the journal with little doodles and letters to her. I made the journal into a book about her. Everything I love about her, my favorite memories, my favorite weird quirks of hers she didn't think I noticed.

Though my handwriting is terrible and the message is unbearably cheesy, it's true. I wrote this message three years ago when I was first feeling those emotions. In that moment I was scared to write that I loved her. Now I shower those words over her with ease.

I've continued to piece her book together, our story, as the years go by. This year I put in the effort to fill the remaining pages, and I plan on gifting it to her this Christmas. This journal has been on our bookshelf for years, and she's never opened it. I can't wait to see her shock when she realizes I've been writing to her for so long, preparing for when I can give it to her complete.

You can recreate this; when I get a spark of inspiration to write about Etta, I jot it down in my iPhone notes until I can copy them down into the journal. It takes little effort and no money. Words about her flow easy and even if it isn't the most beautiful writing, and spellcheck doesn't fix my errors, she likes it- and that is enough for me.

Parting Words

All jokes aside, it's obvious my gifts are made for my artist girlfriend. The fun is finding what appeals to yours. These ideas will get you started. Has she been asking for a specific clothing item? Or supplies? Can you repurpose something you bought long ago to make her happy?

The things we share with each other are deeply felt from within our hearts that neither of us will ever forget. For the gifts that are priceless are the ones that are heartfelt; their roots are within our soul. They are the greatest gifts, of all.

Ellen J. Barrier

Maybe you can improve her space by gifting her a plant. The options truly are limitless. The only rule is the gift must be thoughtful. Know in your heart that they'll love it and let that guide you. Thanks for taking this tour with me; I'm wishing you and yours the happiest of holidays.