The Gift Of A Hobby: What To Get The Person Who Has Everything Part II

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When I first saw the 2001 film Legally Blonde, I believed every college student had a morning routine similar to Elle Woods's. You would wake up to perfect hair, accomplish all your to-dos before 3 p.m., and make time for the people you care about. By the time I was 10, I quickly discovered how the opening montage was heart-warmingly delusional. But for maybe 0.00001% of the population, they wake up with their hair ready to go, complete their professional and personal obligations before the end of the work day, and somehow make time for people.

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While I am not one of those perfect people, I know people who somehow scale their daily Mount Everest of responsibilities and chores. These mountaineers seem almost as mythical as a yeti. As the holidays roll in, finding these intrepid, perfected people gifts amounts to diving into Marina's Trench. If you want to know what to get the person who has everything, the answer is simple: the gift of a hobby.

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In part I of this article series, I quoted The American Psychiatric Association President Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A., when Petros stated, "Creative activities aren't just for fun. They can help us take a step back from the daily grind, use our brains differently, and relax. Picking up that paintbrush or solving a tricky puzzle can change our mindset. (Connors, 2023)" The APA top creative pursuits were "listening to music, solving puzzles, singing, dancing, drawing, painting, sculpting, crafting, and creative writing" (ibid). Let's explore how hobbies could answer the question: What do you get from a friend who has everything?

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In this second part, I compiled a list of gifts for these hobbies: drawing, painting, sculpting, crafting, and creative writing.

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The Gift Of A Hobby: What To Get The Person Who Has Everything Part II

Drawing and Painting

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A 2017 Drexel University study states, "Visual self-expression helps with attention and improves health and well-being" (Kaimal et al., 2016). As people prepare for 2025, give the gift of self-expression with these gifts.

Sketch Books

Image courtesy of Bachmore.

Bachmore Sketchpad: This sketchpad comes in Burgundy and Navy Blue. With its weighted paper—"each piece of paper weights 68lb/100 grams"—it can be used by anyone anywhere on their artistic journey. With its easy-to-remove pieces of paper, you can keep or recycle your drafts as you practice your craft. If you would like to explore more Bachmore products, click here.

Image courtesy of Strathmore.

Strathmore 300 Series Sketch Pad: This "student-level" sketchbook allows you to explore new artistic mediums. You can draw "figure drawing, illustration, and character design without worrying about unsightly tears or creases." For best results, you should use "graphite pencil, charcoal, pastel, and other dry mediums" when drawing on this paper. If you would like to see other Strathmore products, click here.

Sketching Pencils

Image courtesy of Caran d'Ache.

Caran d'Ache Grafwood 15 Piece Round Tube Set: This ambidextrous pencil set allows you to explore the various shades "ranging from soft to medium to hard" of black (9B, 8B, 7B, 6B, 5B, 4B, 3B, 2B, B, HB, F, H, 2H, 3H, 4H). For more Caran d'Ache products, click here.

Image courtesy of Faber-Castell.

Faber-Castell Pitt Graphite Matte Pencil Set: This Matte Graphite Pencil Kit is manufactured

with "reforested wood from FSC-certified sustainable forests." The set enables you to "reduce the reflection on paper, allowing for the highest tonal value density for maximum depth effect." This set includes "8 matte graphite pencils, ranging from  HB, 2B, 4B, 6B, 8B, 10B, 12B, and the new 14B, vinyl eraser, blending stump, and metal sharpener." If you would like to see other Faber-Castell products, click here.

Drawing Pens

Image courtesy of Sakura.

SAKURA Pigma Micron Fineliner Pens: When I write notes or doodle something, I want to understand what I convey. Nothing is more annoying than writing something down only to discover its illegible. I use these pens whenever I am in a meeting and need to take notes. These pens are "approved by ACMI toxicologists" and "fade-resistant, waterproof, and bleed-free." The set comes in 6 point sizes ( 005 (0.20mm), 01 (0.25mm), 02 (0.30mm), 03 (0.35mm), 05 (0.45mm), and 08 (0.50mm). If you would like to peruse more Sakura products, click here.

Image courtesy of Caliart.

Caliart 24 Colors Fine & Chisel Permanent Alcohol Markers: This set of "23 vibrant colors and one free blender" has both "Broad chisel (approx. 1-7mm) and fine point (approx. 0. 7mm)" to allow "adults and kids" to practice their "sketching, illustration, drawing, calligraphy lettering beginners, highlighting, underlining, card making, architectural design, advertising rendering, landscape, and other forms of comic design" skills. Artists of all ages and experience levels use "alcohol-based ink markers" to avoid smudges. If you would like to see other Caliart products, click here.

Canvas

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PHOENIX Stretched Canvas for Painting 5x7 Inch/7 Value Pack: This "100% cotton canvas" set is constructed with a "pinewood stretcher bar," and its "8pounce gesso primed medium grain canvas" allows artists to work with "oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, pastels, and tempera" mediums. If you would like to explore more Phoenix products, click here.

Image courtesy of Halobios.

Halobios Stretched Canvases for Painting: "This 3-Pack pre-stretched" comes in " three sizes, including 5"×7", 8"×10" and 11"×14" large canvases for drawing, painting, and art supplies, one piece canvas of each size." Each canvas is made from non-toxic materials and is characterized by acid-free acrylic gesso, enabling you to dive into your art. For more Halobios products, click here.

Acrylic Paints

Image courtesy of Schmincke.

Schmincke's PRIMAcryl® finest premium acrylic colors: Schmincke has been the premier painting supplier for over two hundred years. This set has eight colors (101 Titanium White, 205 Lemon Yellow, 317 Cadmium Red Light, 326 Quinacridone Magenta, 433 Ultramarine Blue, 563 Phthalo Green Bluish shade, 679 Burnt Sienna, 793 Black). Schmincke describes PRIMAcryl ® as a " paste-like acrylic color with the best painting properties; this ensures elastic, contour-stable drying with a visible working trace." To see other Schmincke products, click here.

Image courtesy of Apple Barrel.

Apple Barrel, Pastel Dreams & Vivid Wonders Collection: This "18-2oz" paint kit contains the following colors: Snow White, Pale Daffodil, Yellow, Caterpillar, Parakeet, Key West, Regency Blue, Laguna, Cobalt Hue, Lilac Mist, Grape Jam, Cameo Pink, Candy Pink, Tropic Orange, Harvest Orange, Red Apple, Brown Oxide, and Jet Black. The set's "non-toxic water-based formula" provides safe fun for every age. If you want to see other Apple Barrel's Amazon storefront, click here.

Water Color Paints

Image courtesy of Royal & Langnickel.

Royal & Langnickel WAT24 Watercolor Artist Tube Paint, 12ml, Pack of 24 colors: This set of 24 colors ranges from "black, burnt Sienna, burnt umber, crimson red Lake, Deep Green, lemon yellow, Prussian blue, Sap Green, Vermilion, Violet, White, Yellow Ochre, Ultramarine Blue, Rose orange yellow, Cerulean Blue, Green Pale, Phthalocyanine Green, Scarlet, Cobalt Blue, Raw Umber, Mauve, and Raw Umber." With its "medium viscosity, excellent coverage and mixing characteristics," explore the limitless possibilities of watercolors. To see other Royal & Langnickel products, click here.

Image courtesy of MozArt Supplies.

MozArt Supplies Watercolor Paint Essential Set: This watercolor set includes 24 colors and a paintbrush in a lightweight metal box. MozArt's " non-toxic (ASTM tested) watercolor paint" is travel-size, so you can paint anywhere. To see other MozArt products, click here.

Sculpting

Image courtesy of me.

Any potter or sculptor will tell you the cathartic feeling they get when working. In 2022, I wrote a piece about what pottery taught me. Below are some products anyone can use wherever they are sculpting.

Image courtesy of ReArt Natural.

ReArt Natural Air-Dry Modeling Clay: 10LBs with 40 Pcs Pottery Sculpting Tool Set: This all-purpose set gives novices and seasoned sculptors the materials needed to succeed. The all-purpose "non-toxic, odorless" clay can be used on a pottery wheel or free-build (handmade or sculpted). To see other ReArt sets, click here.

Crafting

Image courtesy of Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Caesars Entertainment.

Cambridge Dictionary defines crafting as "the activity or hobby of making decorative objects with your hands." Only one person embodies this catch-all term: Martha Stewart. Instead of presenting you with every crafting subgenre, I recommend clicking on the Martha Stewart Store Amazon Storefront to see limitless crafting options.

Creative Writing

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Writing is scary. No one likes staring at an empty page or screen. To reignite your love of writing, you do not need a book on writing or reread great fictional works. Instead, you need to start. You must face the enormity of the empty page and blinking clicker and conquer the fear. You never know where it will lead.

Citations

American Psychiatric Association. (2023). New APA poll: Americans who engage in creative activities at least weekly report better mental health. American Psychiatric Association. https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/news-releases/new-apa-poll-americans-who-engage-in-creative-acti

Kaimal, G., Ayaz, H., Herres, J., Dieterich-Hartwell, R., Makwana, B., Kaiser, D. H., & Nasser, J. A. (2017). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy assessment of reward perception based on visual self-expression: Coloring, doodling, and free drawing. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 55, 85-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2017.05.004

Cambridge Dictionary (2024) Crafting. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/crafting