The Penguin Hotline Recommends: Gifts for the Creative
Get creative with your gifting this year! Meg Leder, Executive Editor at Penguin, recommends the perfect presents for the artistically inclined this year.
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Add to BookshelfWreck This Journal: Now in Color
by Keri Smith
An updated version of the classic journal, this edition introduces color into the mix–asking readers to do cool things like weaving with bright strips or mixing colors to make mud–along with all the classic prompts (ripping, gluing, tearing, coloring, and otherwise wreaking havoc on the pages). I’ll admit, I’m biased–I acquired this book by Keri Smith back in 2006–but its legions of young and old fans are proof that the book is something pretty special.
Add to BookshelfPaperback
$16.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Daily Rituals
by
An endlessly fascinating look at the quirky and creative routines of famous novelists, poets, playwrights, painters, philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians, this book is chock-full of ideas and inspirations for anyone who’s trying to carve out a creative life. (Mad props to Anthony Trollope, who for thirty-three years wrote 3000 words every morning before he went to his job at the postal service.)
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$26.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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How to Draw Inky Wonderlands
by Johanna Basford
The latest from “colorist queen” (New York Magazine) Johanna Basford, this book introduces a new spin on her previous works, giving readers easy tutorials to create beautiful art of their own, still with plenty of pages to color. Again, I’m slightly biased, as I work with Johanna, but this is the perfect gift—just pair it up with some colored pencils and a beautiful ribbon, and you’re set!
Add to BookshelfAdult Coloring Book
$16.95Buy from Other Retailers:
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Miracle in the Mundane
by Tyler Knott Gregson
Tyler Knott Gregson is one of those people whose soul shows so keenly in his writing, you feel like you know him. In this collection, he pulls back the curtain on his creative process and reveals his secrets for cultivating a greater sense of wonder in the world through writing, drawing, photographing, and sharing—along with featuring more of his swoon-worthy and gorgeous poems.
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Design the Life You Love
by Ayse Birsel
Featuring the principles and creative process of an award-winning product designer, this interactive journal is the perfect gift for designers and creative types in your life. Plus it’s a striking, smart package, filled with a smart design on the interior and featuring a bright red cover and elastic band to keep everything intact. Not only is it good, it looks good!
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$19.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Colormorphia
by Kerby Rosanes
I think of illustrator Kerby Rosanes’ books as Game of Thrones meets coloring—detailed and fantastic worlds where magic is lingering on every page. This latest collection features a full-color, sixteen page section featuring some of the most stunning completed artworks produced by Kerby’s fans, so readers can gather inspiration and technique tricks as they color in their own art.
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$14.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Secret Lives of Color
by Kassia St. Clair
Looking for a beautiful gift for an artist, graphic designer, or even history buff—one that looks nice on a shelf but is also fascinating to read? Here it is—a deep dive into the unusual stories of seventy-five fascinating shades, dyes and hues, from Van Gogh’s chrome yellow sunflowers or punk’s fluorescent pink.
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$25.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Modern Macrame
by Emily Katz
I’ve been wanting to try macramĂ© for ages, and the 33 projects in this book– from driftwood wall art and bohemian light fixtures to macramĂ© rugs and headboards–are the perfect place to start. A great gift for the style mavens in your life, or for you, so you can make all your holiday presents this year!
Add to BookshelfHardcover
$25.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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1 Page at a Time
by Adam J. Kurtz
Adam Kurtz is the type of writer whose voice immediately makes you realize you’d be friends with him—warm, funny, and inspiring. 1 Page at a Time is a collection of 365 prompts that encourage you to draw, write, list, reflect, and share—the perfect companion for any creative New Year’s resolutions.
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$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Draw Your Day
by Samantha Dion Baker
I have always wanted to be the type of person who had a beautifully illustrated journal, but to be honest, it made me nervous—until I found this book by Samantha Dion Baker. Chockful of inspiration and encouragement, not to mention some beautiful art, Draw Your Day gives even the artistically challenged among us the guidance we need to use a sketch journal for a more meaningful life.
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$16.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Getting There
by Mari Andrew
As her legions of fans would happily attest, Mari Andrew is one of the most empathetic and insightful illustrators working in the world right now. She has a way of talking about life that makes you feel like she’s known you for years and years–a kindred spirit of the highest caliber. In this vibrant guided journal, she encourages readers to doodle and write, capturing their own journey to adulthood.
Add to BookshelfStationery & Accessories
$14.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Bill Cunningham: On the Street
by New York Times
A sprawling and gorgeous collection of photography from the icon of on-the-street fashion photography, Bill Cunningham. Perfect for the fashionistas in your life, as well as photography enthusiasts and everyday people watchers, this book provides an amazing view of how one man saw the world, and opens up your own eyes to the possibilities around you.
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$65.00Buy from Other Retailers:
