6 holiday gift ideas for creative folks

Creative types can be a tough bunch. If you've got one in your life (and aren't one yourself), you've probably learned the hard way that they tend to like very specific things, and therefore can be rather difficult to buy for. My own family and friends can attest to this.

No strategy is fool-proof, but if you find yourself stuck you could almost certainly do worse than one of these six suggestions, offered in hope that they might make your holiday at least a little bit less stressful.

1. The Kit, from Field Notes Brand (pictured)
The folks at Draplin Design and Coudal Partners have been making a lot of noise lately with their Field Notes brand of notebooks and accessories, and with good reason. They're beautiful, unique, durable, and unstoppably cool. As close to a "can't miss" as you'll find. ($26.95, fieldnotesbrand.com)

2. Ace of Cakes Season One DVD
If this were the 1600s, Chef Duff and his crew would be tried for witchcraft. Enough said? Probably. ($53.99, available at amazon.com)

3. Little Giants Volume One: Don Pendleton, from Little Giants Books/Mumble Magazine
Directed by Bob Kronbauer, this documentary traces the life and work of a true giant in the world of skateboarding art and design. Lucky for us, Pendleton's work provides equal opportunity inspiration, whether you've ever ridden a board or not. 
($19.95, watch the trailer and buy it at mumblemagazine.com)

4. Tee shirt from 2KTSHIRTS
Tee shirts done right. Featuring original work from some of the world's most interesting artists and designers, these are the shirts chain stores eventually rip off. ($35, 2ktshirts.com)

5. Thinking With Type by Ellen Lupton
Possibly the best, most accessible book ever written about typography. Typography? It might not seem exciting, but anyone who wants to make a living in the creative fields needs to know what's in this book. ($14.93, amazon.com)

6. A graphic novel
Having written a few of these myself I'm admittedly a bit biased. But why shouldn't I be? Graphic novels are amazing vehicles for storytelling, and recent years have seen a flowering of mature, intelligent work.

Skip the lite fare you'll get at Marvel and DC and instead pick up something from a publisher like Drawn & Quarterly, First Second, Fantagraphics, or Oni Press (my publisher). You won't be disappointed. (Various prices, available at your local comic shop or through the websites linked above.)