And yet, for years I’ve decided to make personal gifts or draw cards. Instead of earning money like everybody else I practiced arts and crafts and now I can draw, paint, sculpt, and do some other stuff that makes people smile.

Buying something is transactional, but making something takes effort. My $1.30 cents of clay to make each knock-off baby Yoda figure one year was a huge hit compared to the $300-400 for some other themed item on Etsy.

Gifts from an employer are kind of blah to me as well. You’re spending money you could have given me but think you know better, because it’s tax deductible.