9 Gifts Your Favorite Artist Needs in a Creative Block
If you’re friends with someone who’s an artist, odds are they’re one of the most creative people you know. Artists of all kinds have a talent for expression that we all admire, but even they fall into ruts sometimes. It’s hard to know how to help someone out of a creative block, especially if you aren’t an artist yourself, so here are a few gift ideas that are sure to help them break free of whatever’s been holding them back. We also want to make sure you don’t have to reach too far into your wallet for these gifts, so all of the vendors below are ones you can find discounted gift cards for at Gift Card Granny, a great place to find a variety of savings. This way, you’ll be able to help your favorite artist and avoid breaking the bank to do it.
Oregold Peaches and Plump-Sweet Cherries
These sweet summer fruits will look as good as they taste.
Vendor: Harry & David
Price: $49.99
Anyone can find inspiration in a beautifully ripe pile of fruit - just look at the countless still life paintings accumulated throughout nearly every movement of art history as an example. Not only will your artist enjoy the unmatchable sweetness of peaches and cherries in their prime season, but they’ll be able to get out a sketchbook, easel, or pen to develop their own take on a necessity of the creative art world. Even better, Harry & David send the fruit in beautifully wrapped packaging, giving the fruit a beautiful frame of gold and green in any setting.
Janlynn Wildflowers & Finches Embroidery Kit
This cute and easy embroidery kit is a perfect start to a new hobby.
Vendor: JOANN
Price: $25.99
Even though embroidery and needlepoint are becoming trendier habits, a lot of creative artists have yet to take them up as more than a passing hobby. This kit will both help get your artist started on a new form of artistic expression and give them a quaint set of flora and fauna oval patterns to hang by the breakfast table. Sometimes we have to follow someone else’s directions to re-find our own, making this project one of the best and cutest ways to get your artist back on track. Maybe you’ll even be tempted to pick up a kit for yourself too!
Appalachian Horseback Riding Adventure
An equine adventure could be the perfect refreshing retreat.
Vendor: Airbnb
Price: See listing for rates
Sometimes the only answer to a creative block is to get away from everything you know and find a new source of inspiration. Everyone knows that Airbnb offers a service in which homeowners can rent out their living quarters to guests, but they also offer a wide range of experiences from culinary arts to glamping to hot air balloon rides. This horseback riding adventure will help your artist get away from the world and remember the unending inspiration of nature. Plus, the equine yoga part of the excursion will help them to relax from any stress that may be keeping them from creating their next masterpiece.
Wood Gallery Oversized Mat Frames
These hardwood museum-quality frames are both dramatic and distinguished.
Vendor: Pottery Barn
Price: $85-115
Think of this gift as more of a vision, showing your artist what their art can be once they break free from whatever’s blocking their creative juices. These beautiful wood frames look like the kind of minimalist outlines you’d find in the hottest gallery in New York. But don’t limit the frames to visual art - you can frame poetry, sheet music, or any other kind of art that can fit behind the glass of this frame. Maybe by giving your artist the destination of their work, they’ll be able to find a renewed motivation in the journey.
Fresh Mini Loves - Fresh Faves
This mini five-piece skincare kit from Sephora will have your artist’s skin glowing in no time.
Vendor: Sephora
Price: $25.00
While resetting for some of us means breaking our habits and going on a brief adventure, some people find refreshment by looking inward and relaxing at home. Maybe your artist’s creative block is due more to a whirlwind of stress than a struggle to find motivation. If that’s the case, consider gifting this highly reviewed Fresh Mini Loves - Fresh Faves at Sephora. This small set includes a face mask, face cleanser, face cream, lip treament and more to help your artist glow on the outside, making it a little bit easier to find their inner glow too. Not to mention, having beautiful skin reduces a little stress.
Raw Drawing: Spontaneous And Carefree Drawing
A book that will inspire anyone to get back to the creative freedom of childhood.
Vendor: Barnes & Noble
Price: $14.95
When all else fails, one way to get through a creative block is to forget everything you know - and that’s exactly what this book wants you to do. Taking inspiration from Pablo Picasso’s quote, “It took me a lifetime to paint like a child,” this book encourages artists to return to the simple beauty of line and form, as if you’d never drawn them before. Even if your artist isn’t a visual one, they can find inspiration from the freeing simplicity of this book’s instruction, and remind themselves that sometimes all you can do is strip away all distractions and re-learn what you thought you already knew.
Watercolor Paiting Set
This set of watercolors has everything an artist needs to start experimenting with a new medium.
Vendor: Michael's
Price: $29.99
We used to start every school year with a fresh batch of school supplies, so why not help your artist start a similarly new phase of productivity with a fresh batch of supplies in this watercolor kit? Watercolor is a particularly difficult but rewarding medium to work with, and the added challenge might help bring a focus to other aspects of their creativity. In the warmer months, watercolor paint is also easy to take outside, giving your artist a new surrounding. And if they aren’t at all familiar with watercolor or interested in seriously undertaking it, this kit will still give them a chance to take a break from whatever their main medium is.
The Portable Muse: 30 Creative Writing Inspiration Cards
When you don’t know how else to help your artist get through a creative block, these inspiration cards will do the trick.
Vendor: Etsy
Price: $18.00
When you can’t think of any other ideas, or if you’ve exhausted all of the ones above, this gift will do the job of inspiration for you. On each of these thirty homemade cards is a creative prompt that can be used for writing, music, visual art, whatever outlet you like! The best part is that your artist can take these cards anywhere, letting them pursue creative expression without limitation. Perfect for working alone, with a friend, or in a group activity, these prompts will help get your artist’s creative juices flowing again soon.
In short, we hope this guide will help you get creative with gifts to give your favorite artist.
Did one of these do the trick? Let us know how your artist liked these gifts in the comments below!