Have Yourself An Indie Little Christmas

I know, I know...it's only September and some may scoff at even the mere suggestion of starting to think about the holiday season. And believe me, besides being a "Creatrix", I am also a "Procrastinatrix Extraordinaire". You know how around the third week of December, there's a last minute stampede frantically busting through every shopping mall and retail outlet store? Ahem. Yes...that's where you'll usually find me...swearing and cursing under my breath and mother effing every other last minute fool who, like me, just *had* to wait until the very end to do their gift shopping.

So yeah, I'm not here to suggest you start your Christmas/holiday shopping now (but if you are a savvy consumer, you'd probably not mind getting the ball rolling, however slowly).

Speaking of consumption, I have to say that I am not a fan at all of the consumerization of Christmas. It totally ruins the spirit of the season when greed and going into debt become more relevant to the holiday then say, peace and goodwill. I've gotten over the notion that I have to spend beyond my means to have a good holiday season...and in recent years, my family and friends have come to appreciate that gifts from me will be meaningful and personal, rather than blingy- over-the-top and ridiculously expensive. Which is a good thing, because the past few years have been lean ones monetarily.

So today, on this early September afternoon, I suggest that during the holiday season, you experiment with merry-making the Indie Way. Instead of giving presents that are manufactured, mass-produced and fuel for corporate profit, why not seek out gifts that express authenticity and help support truly talented artists and individuals who take pride in the process of creating?

"When I shop indie, I'm buying a hadmade, hand-designed gift for someone I love. I may not be able to design it myself, but I can give it to support that organic creative process. When I think about an indie gift, I have to really know my friends and family members so I can get them something that is not only specially crafted for them, but that they will love. There's no point in buying handmade just to do it--I still want to give someone a gift that will bring them joy. When I buy indie, that means that I'm not buying some gadget or a DVD that, while appreciated, is not particularly personal. I'm stepping out of consumerism and into relationship, because of the amount of thought and planning that goes into purchasing an indie gift."

{via Wisebread}

Do you shop indie when looking for gifts? What do you think about Fair Trade Stores and online marketplaces such as Etsy.com?