Clean Planet

Can you remember the gifts (including cards) you gave in the past year . Or the gifts received in the past year . A few perhaps. One possible reason is that the process of buying the gift was one of the countless trips to retail stores. Contrast that with the experience of a gift you made or the gift someone specially made for you. Doesn’t that bring back a huge smile and plenty of memories ?

Birthday coming up ? Search stores for some cool cards . Larger , pop up type cards stand a good chance of being purchased. Or search the net for some equally impressive online cards complete with animation , music. In all of this the best you feel you can do is to make a trade off among available options based on -

- What you feel the recipient would appreciate

- What you find acceptable to give

- Price of the product

In the modern day urban world most things are bought (v/s created yourself). Most things have gotten complex (some unnecessarily so). Ads pop up everywhere we go creating expectations and aesthetic standards that need a whole eco system of companies to create.

Now , let’s explore creativity. Many people still associate and confuse creativity with the ability to draw. If you did not do well in art class you probably labelled youself as ‘not creative’. Nothing could be further from the truth. You ARE creative.

Time constraints coupled with unrealistic aesthetic standards can cause most of us to shy away from expressing their creativity and love by way of hand-crafted gifts.

The next time you want to give a gift consider making something. Build up muscle . If the idea of making a gift sounds daunting start with a card and the packaging. You’ll enjoy making it. The persons you give it to will LOVE it.

A gift you make would be a gift thrice over – it’s a gift to be recipient , a gift to yourself and a gift to the planet.