We all have that creative artist/professional in our life… the person who makes cool stuff. The videographer. The writer. The musician. The photographer. The graphic designer. The artist. The question arises: what should we get them for Christmas? I took it upon myself to create a list of some great ideas.
I’ve organized the list by price (starting very high and going down to $10), but it’s very important to remember that price is not a measure of how good a gift is. Far more important is the thought that goes into choosing the gift. Even if you don’t end up purchasing an exact item from this list, hopefully this list will spark your imagination to find a special gift that aligns with the unique interests of your friend or family member…
Price Range: High
MacBook Air
- What: a super slim Apple notebook computer, consistently rated among the best on the market today
- Why: many young creatives don’t yet own a computer that’s portable enough to take on the go, but powerful enough for their content creation. This notebook can potentially be their one-stop shop for creating and editing video, photos, music, and graphics.
- How much: starts at $769
- Where to buy: Apple Refurb store
- Note: some would caution against using an ultraportable notebook for video editing. Sure, for advanced projects you’ll want something better, or at least a big external display. But I edit simple, short videos on a MacBook Air quite often, and it works great for that.
Canon Vixia HF R50 Camcorder
- What: arguably the best sub-$300 consumer camcorder on the market today
- Why: when it comes to consumer camcorders, you needn’t look further than Canon’s Vixia lineup. This camera will give budding videographers all the features they need to get started making great videos. It has 1080p 60fps recording, a solid lens with a generous optical zoom, image stabilization and face detection that actually works (I’ve tested it), and even has some built-in memory in case the recipient doesn’t have SD cards lying around.
- How much: $299
- Where to buy: Amazon
- Note: more advanced videographers may need something more expensive, a “prosumer” camcorder. But remember, expertise and experience is far more important than expensive equipment. If you can set up and light a shot properly, you can shoot professional visuals using just your phone. But if you don’t know how to set up and light a shot, even the most expensive equipment won’t help.
DIY Screen Printing Kit
- What: a do-it-yourself screen printing kit, allowing anyone to print their own custom, professional t-shirts
- Why: everyone loves t-shirts, but some people like making them. Whether your creative friend or family member wants to promote a business or project with a custom t-shirt, or they just want to show off their t-shirt design skills, this screen printing kit will allow them to turn their designs into a real product.
- How much: starts at $99
- Where to buy: Amazon or DIY Print Shop
Price Range: Medium
Colcasac Juan Valdez Shoulder Bag
- What: a casual, durable burlap messenger bag
- Why: all creators love coffee. It’s their fuel for everything they do. If you get them this gift, they can carry all their creative tools in a hipster, coffee-inspired shoulder bag. This company, ColcaSac, makes some of the most unique sleeves and bags you’ve ever seen… and creators love being unique.
- How much: $84.95
- Where to buy: ColcaSac
Lynda.com Subscription
- What: Lynda.com is a website with educational online video courses on just about every creative topic: 3D/animation, audio/music, business, design, development, IT, photography, video, web, and more.
- Why: This is one of the most unique and useful gifts you could give a creator. One thing we all have in common is that we need to learn, and on Lynda.com your recipient can watch really high quality video tutorials on almost any subject that interests them. When you “gift” a subscription, your recipient will be able to take unlimited courses on Lynda.com for the duration of the subscription period.
- How much: $75 for 3 months ($25 for 1 month)
- Where to buy: Lynda.com
Manfrotto Compact Tripod
- What: a super lightweight, compact tripod for photo (and video) professionals on the go
- Why: big tripods are great, but as they say, the best tripod is the one you have with you. Empower your creative friend or family member with a tripod small enough to fit in their backpack or messenger bag on their Christmas vacation.
- How much: $59.99
- Where to buy: Amazon
- Note: for more advanced video projects, you’ll want a bigger tripod with a video-specific head.
Blue Snowball Microphone
- What: the best inexpensive USB microphone on the market
- Why: whether creative professionals are recording their latest song, a new podcast episode, or a voiceover for a movie, they need a good USB microphone. Blue makes microphones that look classy and record great sound, and the Snowball model gives you all that at a very reasonable price point.
- How much: $50
- Where to buy: Amazon
Pulp A5 Notebook
- What: a classic (and classy) notebook that any writer or designer would be happy to carry
- Why: Pulp makes stylish, high quality writing materials. If you’re looking for an inexpensive notebook to give…this is not that. But if you’re looking for a notebook that will last a long time, and that looks as good on the outside as what you write or draw on the inside, Pulp is the place to go. Plus, the A5 includes a nifty utility strap and some quality writing instruments.
- How much: $48
- Where to buy: Pulp shop
Price Range: Low
Glif – Smartphone Stand + Tripod Mount
- What: adjustable tripod mount & stand for smartphones. Fits almost any smartphone.
- Why: creative types are always taking photos and videos, usually with their smartphones. But sometimes you need to prop your smartphone up on something to get that perfect angle. The Glif allows you to stand or mount any smartphone just about anywhere.
- How much: $30
- Where to buy: Amazon
- Note: you can learn more on the Glif website.
Creativity, Inc Book
- What: written by Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull, this book gives the inside story into the development and preservation of one of the most creative–and successful–businesses of all time.
- Why: every creative needs to know how to collaborate with others, and this book is really all about that. It gives countless anecdotes, and resulting lessons, about how to create an environment where people are uninhibited from doing their very best work. This is one of my favorite books of all time–a must-read, especially for fans of Pixar.
- How much: $15
- Where to buy: Amazon
Doane Paper Utility Notebooks
- What: small notebooks that include both grids and lines on their pages
- Why: sometimes creatives want lines to write on, but other times they want a grid to sketch on. Doane Paper notebooks have both! Every page is a grid for drawing, but it also has normal, darkened lines for writing.
- How much: $12 for a 3-pack
- Where to buy: Doane Paper
Uni-ball Shift Pipe Lock Drafting Pencil
- What: the best mechanical pencil ever
- Why: some creators have gone all digital, but others still love and appreciate manual writing instruments. If your creative friend or family member still likes to write or sketch with a pencil, this one will serve them better than any other. It has a unique shift and lock mechanism that protects the pencil tip during travels. It also has a nice balanced feel and features a low center of gravity to allow stable writing and to reduce hand fatigue.
- How much: $10
- Where to buy: Amazon
Do you plan to gift any of the items above? What’s your favorite gift idea for creators? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
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