What are you going to buy for the poet in your life this holiday season? It may be easy to grab a pack of your favorite pens and notebooks and call it a day, but what fun is that? Here at My Poetic Side, we’ve come up with a list of unexpected gifts at any price range – guaranteed to inspire creativity.
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$100 and up
A subscription to a lecture series in their city. There’s no two ways about it – inspiring people inspire others. Treat your poet to a truly invigorating experience by getting them a subscription to an arts and lectures series in their city. Whether you’re buying them tickets to see a lauded feminist scholar in Pittsburgh or a bestselling novelist in Seattle or aseries on race in Boston, the writer in your life is sure to benefit from this incredibly thoughtful gift. As you wrap this gift, imagine how they might be inspired by the way the light hits the stained glass in the theatre or the passion in the speaker’s voice or even by the person sitting next to them.
Tuition to a poetry class or workshop. A poet’s education is never over, but the cost of knowledge can be incredibly high. Show the writer in your life that you appreciate their ongoing dedication to craft by gifting them a multi-week course at their local writers’ center. Whether you’re sending them to the Lighthouse Writer’s Workshop in Denver, The Loft Literary Center in Minnesota, or The Poetry Center in Tucson, you’re gifting the poet in your life with more than just education. You’re introducing them to a community.
A month of membership to a coworking space. Space to write is incredibly important, so if your poet is in multiple roommates situation or feels creatively stifled in their own apartment, a coworking space is the way to go. Spring for a one month membership to give the poet in your life the thrill of going into the office to do their work. With the energy of a creatively diverse community surrounding them, the poetic possibilities are endless. We’re excited just thinking about it!
A really great set of headphones. If coworking spaces aren’t their speed, wrap up a set of high quality headphones with a handwritten list of all the libraries within a ten mile radius of their home. Working in a shared space like a library will lend a certain amount of significance to their writing hours and the headphones will signal their concentration – whether they’re writing in silence or to the rhythm of their favorite musician.
$50 to $90
Membership to their favorite museum. If your favorite poet is looking for a creative gym, get them a one year membership to a nearby art museum. Whether they find beauty in impressionism or modern art, the luxury of visiting a museum whenever they need a creative boost is an incredible gift for any writer. Encourage them to bring their notebook along for the ride. Museum benches make excellent makeshift workspaces.
An Airbnb gift card. Give the poet in your life the gift of a personal writing retreat with an Airbnb gift card. Go above and beyond by including photos from rentals both in their city and a day trip away. Time to write is possibly the most valuable commodity a poet could ask for and this gift will show them they don’t have to leave their whole life behind to put their writing first.
$15 to $40
Process books by artists of other disciplines. Every poet worth their salt has a bookshelf full of process books by other writers. But creativity doesn’t have to be limited by discipline. Buy the poet in your life a memoir by a choreographer, the annotated lyrics of their favorite musician, or a craft book by an actor they love. Some of our favorites are The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp, Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter, and Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.
A gift card to their favorite coffee shop. It’s a cliché for a reason. There’s something oddly comforting about tea brewing and the sound of coffee grinding. Not to mention all the people watching – characters who might show up in a poem or two! – that can happen while nursing a cup of coffee and scribbling in a notebook.
$10 and under
A month of Spotify Premium. Is music an important part of their process? Are they the kind of writer who thrives on a soundtrack? Treat them to a month of Spotify Premium so they can take their audible inspiration everywhere they go.
A round-up of your favorite inspirational articles. Revisit your bookmarks and sift through your Pocket recommendations. Chances are you’ve been saving up for this gift all year. Show the poet in your life just how much you care by presenting them with a curated list of links they can turn to for motivation and inspiration. A digital “Break Glass in Case of Emergency.” Trust us, they’ll love it.
Your time. Baby-sit their kids when they need a few more hours to write. Offer to read every poem for a year. Pair them with a really stellar critique partner. Listen when they need to talk through a poem’s structure. Send them submission opportunities when they pop up in your feed. Take a walk with them when they’re blocked. Don’t buy them notebooks. Let them pick out their own notebooks.
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