Art – The New Christmas Shopping Trend November 27, 2018
The adverts tell us earlier and earlier each year – Christmas is coming. But rather than the mounds of plastic toys, overpriced perfumes, or single-use novelty items, have you ever wondered if there’s an escape from the transience of traditional gift-giving?
Buying art for Christmas is a wonderful way of passing on sentiment, showing that you know a person, and giving them something that they’ll cherish for a lifetime. Here are 7 reasons you should consider art as a special Christmas gift.
Art is Good for Your Mental and Physical Health!
To buy art for Christmas is to broaden your mindset, worldview, and will open you to perspectives that you may not have considered before. Just as owning a rich selection of books or music deepens your capacity for critical thinking, so too can a piece (or several) of paintings liven up your home. More than that, it is a well-known fact that art relieves stress, helps you relax, and it stimulates creativity and imagination and it provides an overall sense of wellbeing.
According to the British Health Secretary, art will start being used for therapeutic treatment. It is hoped this new endeavour will aid people affected by dementia and psychosis among others, with the intent to stimulate them on their journey to recovery.
Art is Unique and Different
Art is a fantastic, unusual gift that upends the normal ideas of ‘presents’. Buying it for someone for Christmas ensures they know you have thought out their gift and bought them something which will stand the test of time.
To buy art for Christmas is to induct someone special into a world that they may not know about. It is to give them a gift that will outlive them and saturate their soul every day that they are with it. It is a great alternative to a traditional gift. Don’t be afraid to trust your instincts in this.
Art Fills Your Soul
Have you ever stood in front of a painting or a sculpture and just connected with it? Art has the ability to speak with you at a soul level. The colours, the texture, the image, the message all have the power to produce deep emotions and speak to our most precious part of ourselves, our souls.
An art piece can make us feel joyful or sad; strong and powerful or it can take us daydreaming into another world. Art fulfils a need not quite reached by the standard Christmas present. Art is unique, it stands alone even within its own measurement of being ‘art’.
Your brain may want something, but your soul craves art.
Art Is Eternal
Art can be passed on down the generations, enjoyed beyond the original owner. You are only in possession for a piece for a brief part of its lifetime. You are both shaped by, and a shaper, of its history.
Every piece of work has a history that starts when it is conceived and carries on through the birthing process. The created history of each piece is affected by those who own and pass it along; by buying a piece of art you are inserting yourself into the history of an object and shaping its destiny.
At the same time the object affects your personal history. Imagine your children or grandchildren remembering that particular Christmas every time they look at the painting that now belongs to them.
Art Can Be a Good Investment
What’s more, with the right purchases, and a keen eye on up-and-coming artists, you could foster someone’s talent in the early stages of their career, and have this investment come back to reward you later on in life.
I will always say, buy with your heart and let the enjoyment of the art be your greatest profit. However, art is known to increase in price in time and you or your children could just be the lucky ones who hit the jackpot.
You Can Buy Art for Yourself
If you are buying art for someone else, it’s most definitely for a very special person. You most likely know the person well in order to select a piece that will speak to their soul. If that special person is living in your home, you can enjoy the painting together for years to come.
But how about buying for yourself? You are special. You can treat yourself to a special gift. Perhaps you have followed an artist for a while and always wanted one of their paintings. Perhaps you just walked down the road and saw an amazing sculpture in the gallery. Why not treat yourself? After all, you will enjoy it for many years to come.
Every piece of artwork has an energy that vibrates through it, it is your job to let the right piece resonate with you and to take an active part in developing its history.
Leave a legacy
Buying a piece of art for Christmas can be the beginning of a lifetime passion, you may decide to start an art collection. Collecting art is for your own soul but have you ever thought about leaving a legacy?
It is a way of creating your own mythos, a window into your soul. Not just what you collect (whether it be paintings, sculptures, etc.) but how you collect it (things that appeal to you aesthetically, certain artists, certain schools of thought) will form a big part of your personal statement: your art collecting manifesto.
Building your own collection of art is easy and soul-enriching. You can download and read the “How To Start Your Own Art Collection” e-book on my homepage. It’s full of practical tips to get you started on a budget.
How to Buy Art for Christmas
Art bought as a gift should be done so sensitively. Common wisdom says you should purchase to the receiver’s tastes, rather than your own. Also, paying heed to their interests that could form the foundation of your purchase.
Are they interested in landscapes, dancing, classical styles of contemporary? Works in these categories may interest them.
Pay attention to the details surrounding the artwork and be sure to pass these on. Who is the artist, what is the piece called? What is the style and what are the influences? These things create a narrative that breathes life into any work.
Don’t be afraid to give art unframed, which will allow the new owner to add any finishing touches. Buy something that you think will speak to them, don’t be afraid to buy something smaller if you feel it will suit a certain place in their house better.
