“People are frugal in guarding their personal property; but as soon as it comes to squandering time they are most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy.
— Seneca (via Brainpickings)
When you’re thinking about what you might give the creative person in your life as a present, consider giving time. Time to think, time to play, time to create, time to be by themselves, time free from the hassles of daily life.
How do you give time? Think of those things they do that you could do instead, all those things that use up our time in a week. Create a voucher that says e.g. “one basket of ironing” or “mow the lawn” and give these as a present. Consider leaving it blank, and letting the recipient choose, if you dare.
Or take time out from everyday life completely and go on an art retreat or workshop. Such as the one I’m doing at Higham Hall in the English Lake District next May. Or head up into a world where the internet (and cellphone reception) gets slower and narrower along with the roads and come to Skye for an art workshop (details here).