Okay, forgive this long post haha.

When gift giving, I’m an artist, so normally I draw/paint something either traditionally or digitally for friends and family. Either that or I buy something that’s kinda out there and unique. I love paying attention to what people express interests in so I can get them something they don’t just straight up ask for. I feel like it means more.

Anywhoo, I’m running out of ideas now for my boyfriend and I need y’all’s help. He isn’t very materialistic. He makes a good amount of money, but doesn’t put much emphasis on owning tons of stuff outside of necessity. Very minimalistic. He doesn’t like just getting ‘stuff’ for birthdays or Christmas. He’s definitely a giver though, and his gifts are always very meaningful and meticulously thought out, be it a physical gift or an experience like a trip or an activity.

His past birthday I got a pretty big canvas and created a stylized painting of the muppet Animal for him (his favorite Muppet). He absolutely loved it and has it hanging in his house along with the other few random prints he has of concerts he’s been to and tours he’s been in. Then for Christmas I took his top four favorite music albums and digitally changed them up and renamed to involve his beloved cat. He loved them too and had them printed and framed to be put up on his walls.

Now.. his birthday is coming up again.. and I feel like just making another painting or digital work for him will become mundane. Plus I can’t just keep filling his walls up with paintings and graphic design pieces.

He drinks a lot of hot tea and coffee at his job so I thought about getting him a mug and using ceramic paint to do a design signifying our long distance relationship (a heart inside Texas that has a dotted line leading to a heart inside of California on the other side of the mug.) He .. already has a favorite mug though that he uses… and also.. because it’s a dadgum mug.. does that sound like it would be too .. cheesy? Too downgraded? Especially after the two gifts I’ve made for him before this?

If it doesn’t sound like a good idea, do y’all have any other suggestions I could possibly use for someone who doesn’t like materialistic stuff? Halp.

((I’m going to bed after I post this, I’ll check back in the morning lol. It’s late here.))