The Alchemist Diaries

“Your absence has gone through me

Like thread through a needle.

Everything I do is stitched with its color.”

— W.S. Merwin

Who are the biggest influences in your life?

Influenced to Make Gifts

This year, I am undertaking something different for Christmas.

First, I am shopping early.

Second, I am barely shopping.

Third, I am making at least half of my gifts.

I was influenced to do this because of several factors: as a healing mechanism for familial strife, as a representation of love and care for those closest to me, to save money in a volatile economy, and out of rebellion for late stage capitalism.

As crafters, gift-giving handmade presents is typically a double-edged sword. Some crafters are expected to create masterpieces in which the recipients are ignorant of the time and effort embedded into the final piece.

Other times, crafters greatly underestimate the number of—or type—of handmade pieces the recipient wants or needs. At the end of the day, a successful gift exchange in which a gift is handmade will depend on several factors:

• How strong our relationship is with the recipient.
• How much time and work we are willing to put into the creation process.
• How well we understand the wants and needs of the recipient.
• How much work the recipient is willing to put into the aftercare of the gift.
• Does it fall under the “3-Gift” Rule (something they need; something they want; something to read, wear, OR do)?

I Have No Idea How These Gifts Will Be Received

I have no idea how much my friends and family will receive my gifts, but they are a testament to how much they have influenced my life in positive ways.

Regardless of their reactions, I cannot express the fun I had creating with love. I intentionally created these gifts with a goal to trigger empathy and emotion; each one represents something about the person and was made to fit our combined community like a folk tradition.

I threw some ancestral magic into the process by creating while playing my great grandfather’s records, wearing my late uncle’s smock, and knitting with my grandmother’s needles.

All the while, I baked and cooked for the Christmas gatherings, blending my exhaustion with duty to ensure I could touch anybody and make them feel appreciated and loved.

Several bowls of homemade ramen, nature walks, and analog living later, I officially finished everything early this Christmas Eve, with time to spare to binge on Christmas movies with Hubby and Kitty, and sip mulled apple cider in old mugs.

I have made ten presents, including a batch of doggie biscuits for the family golden retrievers.

I am exhausted, but it is a fulfilling sort of tired that sings: you’ve done well to express your feelings.

Remember Important Moments

Gift giving can be challenging as a crafter, but I do enjoy it. The point is to remember the most beautiful and painful, yet truest moments with those in our communities. Stay with the ones who cherish your gifts while we cherish their acceptance of the gifts.

Let me know in the comments below.