A Sustainable Gift Guide For Creatives

Curated, affiliate-free recommendations for the creative souls in your life.

Little Things is a newsletter about creativity & wellbeing from Ali Vingiano. Subscribe to join a community of other creatives and receive little things to inspire you, big things to meditate on, news & discounts on retreats, and writing & career guidance.

Welcome to the 100th gift guide you’ve received in your inbox!

I didn’t expect to write this, but so many of the gift guides I received this year linked to fast fashion clothes, items in plastic containers, or were expensive affiliate links. I was bummed.

I also was inspired to create my own with sustainable options, specifically geared towards creatives. If you’re looking for heartfelt presents that will mean a lot — without leaving an atrocious carbon footprint — I’ve rounded up some great ones.

These are all either gifts I’ve received, gifts I’ve given, or stuff I use and love on my own. Enjoy!

AN ANNUAL NATIONAL PARKS PASS, $80

This is, imo, a perfect gift. These passes give you access to any national park for a full year for only $80. (Each park is typically $30-60.) It’s an incredible present for any adventurer, traveler, or a creative who could benefit from spending more time in nature. A colleague got me this as a Christmas gift last year, and I felt SEEN.

A BOOK OF THE MONTH SUBSCRIPTION, from $49.99 to $179.99

Wow, another perfect gift? Look, the library is my first love, so I resisted subscribing to BOTM even after friends recommended it. But when I received this as a present, I was ecstatic! You’ll be able to choose from 4-5 books to get one sent to you for free each month. If you have any avid readers in your life, this is a fantastic option.

AN ASTROLOGICAL OR TAROT READING, typically around $150-300

Two years ago I had a reading done by Juliana of Ethereal Culture (linked above), and she said something so powerful I’ve been imagining getting a tattoo of it ever since. (Is it time?!) Mindy Mendelson is another great astrologer (and subscriber!), and my friend Michelle swears by her past life reader, Carolyn Swift Jones. You can even find Tarot readers on Thumbtack. Anybody spiritual in your life will love this gift, I promise you.

A CANDLE THAT TURNS INTO A PLANT! $32

You didn’t misread that! That’s really what it does! Candles burn constantly when I write at home. It’s part of my ritual. Knowing that this one would end, only to be reborn into a plant, felt like a gift that kept on giving. While I’ve only used the ones linked above, Modern Sprout sells a variation of this too.

FEMINIST BOOK CLUB BUNDLES, from $29 to $100

Pick from numerous themed gifts bundles that each contain 1-2 books that you personally select, and 3-5 unique products from small woman-owned businesses. The sustainability here is questionable at times, but it still gets a spot on the list since it’s a conscious and delightful gift.

FRAME A MEANINGFUL PICTURE! varies

I linked to Keepsake, who I absolutely love. They make framing so easy! But you could also do this at a local framing store. Find a great picture from a memory you’ve shared with your gift recipient, frame it beautifully, and get ready for their heart to melt. I love doing this for my family members. It’s especially wonderful if you have had any weddings, family reunions, or big events this year.

A SUSTAINABLY MADE NOTEBOOK, starts at $14

If you know a writer in the market for a notebook, consider Greenfield Paper’s Hemp notebooks, or Ecojot. Ecojot’s website declares that, their notebooks are “100% post-consumer recycled – made entirely from old waste paper in the award-winning Cascades mill in Québec, Canada.” Meanwhile, Greendfield’s notebook paper is 25% hemp and 75% post-consumer recycled.

A PAID SUBSTACK SUBSCRIPTION, typically $50

There are so many great newsletters that cover almost every possible interest a friend or family member could have, from skiing, to international politics, to parenting, to cooking, to anything else you could search for. If there’s a writer in your life who would appreciate writing workshops, journaling prompts, and career guidance, you could even gift them a subscription to Little Things :)

A MEMBERSHIP TO A YOGA STUDIO, OR YOGAWORKS DIGITAL, varies

A great option for somebody looking to deepen their spiritual practice. Find a local studio near you, or try the YogaWorks digital membership, linked above, which offers fantastic live and recorded classes.

OLIVE OIL FROM A FAMILY RUN FARM IN TUSCANY, starts at $20

My Italy retreat this year took place on a Tuscan villa in an olive grove. The food we ate, cooked in this olive oil, was some of the best I’ve ever eaten. I literally poured this olive oil on EVERYTHING all week. It’s delicious, organic, and sustainably made. I highly recommend it for a foodie or cook in your life.

The sickening (correct) amount of Olive Oil poured into my risotto.

HOW ABOUT A GIFT FOR YOURSELF OR A WRITER FRIEND?

Sign up for my brainstorming writing & Yoga intensive on January 7, 2023 to dig into your story ideas and start the new year ready to write. It’s only $159 for a 6-hour day. I accidentally (and cosmically!) scheduled this right on the full moon in Cancer, so it will be the perfect time to look inwards, ground ourselves, and set ourselves up for success in the new year.

Happy giving and receiving! And if you liked this, why not share with a friend who could use it too?

• Text Your Friends. It Matters More Than You Think. via The New York Times

• Beatrice Grannò and Simona Tabasco Are Savoring the Moment. A conversation with the two actors who play the Italian sex workers on White Lotus, via Interview Magazine.

• The Substack

  401 Que?
  shares a few free gift ideas so you can avoid spending money on what is The Most Expensive Christmas in 40 Years

• What Happens When Jobs Are Guaranteed? In a small Austrian village, an experimental program finds—or creates—work for the unemployed, via The New Yorker

• Make baked brie for your holiday parties. I wrap a block of brie in parchment paper, cover it with olive oil and fresh rosemary, and stick it in the oven for 15-20 minutes for the easiest, most delicious snack that will impress your guests and be gone in 5 minutes.

As always, the typos in this post are intentional.