Getting Good at Buying Gifts

It is hard to believe that I have been helping people purchase special gifts for people they care about for almost nine years at Creative Genius Art Gallery and Studio. It seems like yesterday that someone asked me for help for the first time and I was frozen, unsure of how to help them connect with the perfect present.

Today, I am far more confident and very experienced at connecting people with a gift that not only works but earns them high praise from recipients for their great choices. There is no real secret to gift buying but it is amazing how many people really struggle with finding something that works. After thinking about it, I decided it might be helpful for women (and men!) to have a handy list of tips that I use to help make gift buying easy, painless and kind of fun for my clients.

1. Know your budget
It always helps to have a starting point or a range that you want to stick to spending. This helps anyone assisting you to narrow down your choices. If you are open to going slightly out of budget that is great but definitely have a range in mind to start off your gift buying adventure.

2. Describe your gift recipient with key words
The first question I always ask my gift buyer is to describe who they are buying a gift for with three words. Are they artsy, creative, unusual? Conservative, classic and elegant? If someone is elegant, I am not showing that funky, large outrageously creative necklace right off the bat because it might not be the best fit. By the same token, a small classic pearl necklace isn't a good fit for a funky creative type either. Having a description helps connect the person helping you with your recipient.

3. Know his/her hobbies
Knowing a person's hobbies can actually help narrow down decisions. This is kind of like the key word description (see #2). Is your recipient a red hatter? Is she an artist? does she like to cook or entertain? Does he play golf? Enjoy wine? Take pride in the custom bar in his home? All these items can help connect you to the perfect gift or at the very least, great options.

4. Know sizes, colors, personal preferences
If you know that the person you are buying for hates silver jewelry, or loves bracelets or doesn't have her ears pierced, certainly it helps eliminate wasting time on items that don't work. By the same token, knowing that someone has a large wrist or dislikes pottery on principle is helpful too. Knowing a person's favorite colors just adds to this.

5. Imagine the gift recipient's home environment
Do they like contemporary items? Prefer country style decor? It helps the person assisting you to learn about the person and be able to guide you accordingly. I certainly wouldn't show someone in a country style house a contemporary item unless I was asked about it. Although there are exceptions, generally a home is a reflection of a person's personality and can be a helpful clue in the gift buying process.

6. Does your recipient prefer function over decoration? 
I always ask if the person entertains because then I can guide the buyer towards items that will help the person entertain with nice functional pieces. Plus a person who entertains needs things like cheese plates, wine racks, etc. This helps open up many unique possibilities that a buyer may not have considered.

7. Don't be afraid to get adventurous
Most people appreciate receiving gifts that aren't something they might buy for themselves but are still unique, interesting or useful. Yes, there are instances when you need something specific but isn't it fun to get surprised once in a while and receive something unique that you never thought about? I think so and I encourage this to the gift buyers in my gallery. Because the gallery is filled with hand-made American art and creations, there is always something unique. The person you are buying for might never have considered what you choose but will appreciate and love it nonetheless.

Those are just a few of the many helpful tips that can make your gift buying journey easier.
And of course, don't forget the gift wrapping...at Creative Genius, gift wrapping is always free!

Julie Basello-Holt is the owner/operator of Creative Genius Art Gallery and Studio, located at 32 North Main Street in Medford, NJ. 609-714-1131 www.creativegeniusonline.com

Is Your Kid a Genius?

Creative genius is a form of genius. I know the term does get thrown around pretty readily these days but in its truest form, it really is something special. And we all have moments of creative genius, even if our every day interactions aren't exactly indicative of this. 

 I have often wondered myself about many of the very talented children I have interacted with in my studio for the past 9 years. Are they true geniuses? And how do you really tell? 

I received a message recently about an article that I thought readers might be interested in. So I am re-blogging this interesting article about signs of genius in children. Obviously I am not a child development specialist so if you are really interested in finding out about your child, I definitely recommend visiting someone who is qualified to help assess your little one. 

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POSTED FROM 

http://www.aupair.org/blog/10-ways-to-see-if-your-kid-really-is-a-genius/
 

(Thank you Suzanne Cullen!)

Your child learned to read at an early age, breezed through flash cards and mastered the multiplication tables. You wonder, is she gifted? Possibly even genius level? Well, there are a number of ways to know for certain just how sharp your little whiz-kid really is. We’re going to share some with you – ten ways to see if your kid really is a genius:

1. It’s in the genes. – To an extent at least, you can get a sense of a baby’s intellectual capacity from her parents. Are you and/or your spouse of genius level intelligence? Gifted parents will tend to have gifted children.
2. Verbal benchmarks. – If your child began talking before the age of one year, she is very likely gifted, possibly genius level, which is a score of 140 or more on a standard IQ test, by the way. There is really no more significance to the label than that, something to keep in mind.
3. IQ testing – Results can vary, as do the forms of testing depending on where they are taken and who is administering them. An IQ exam will test a wide range of skills and aptitude. Experts suggest testing a child’s IQ between the ages of 4 and 9 years old.
4. Child Development Specialist – A good place to start if you really wish to rate your child’s level of giftedness is with one of these professionals. They can administer the appropriate tests, and identify indicators that are common among gifted children.
5. Vocabulary – A gifted child will not only learn to read and speak at an early age, but also demonstrate command of an extensive vocabulary for their age. Reading will be a strong habit for a gifted child, and she will be able to incorporate newly learned words into her vocabulary quite readily.
6. At ease with adults. – It is common for gifted children to be able to interact easily with adults. Their interests and conversational skills will be considerably more advanced than those of average child their age.
7. Reasoning/Logic – A highly developed power of abstract thought and reasoning is another common trait among gifted children. They will typically be able to conceptualize subjects and ideas that are too complex for an average child to comprehend.
8. Creativity/Imagination – A creative mind and vivid imagination are two hallmarks of a gifted child’s mind. The ability to “think outside the box” really is a sign of a gifted mind.
9. Memory – An excellent memory, particularly the ability to retain information and learn skills with minimal repetition, is a strong indicator for giftedness. A child with an exceptionally good memory will absorb knowledge much more quickly than a child with average intelligence.
10. Cognitive Skills – Early indicators include being very inquisitive and attentive to one’s environment. Gifted babies will recognize their caregivers, and be very responsive to stimuli like voices, smiles, etc.

If your child exhibits some or most of these attributes described above, then she quite possibly could be a gifted child. Gifts come in all shapes and sizes, however, so do not be disappointed if your child’s IQ is not as high as you would wish. There is more to life than just book-learning, after all.

11 Traits of Highly Creative People

I was reading some creativity blog sites recently and came across this very insightful blog post on www.copyblogger.com written by Dean Rieck who is a highly creative and successful direct marketing copywriter. He basically outlines and describes eleven traits shared by highly creative people. Being not only a creative person but someone who also works with creative people all day every day, I found this information interesting and figured I would share the basic points. As a creative person, or someone who knows a creative person, feel free to fill in your own insights as to examples of how these apply in real life. 
I think if more people had insight into creative people and how a creative brain works, the world would be much more interesting..... Now on to the eleven traits of highly creative people:

1. Have the COURAGE to try new things and risk failure.
2. Use INTUITION as well as logic to make decisions and produce ideas.
3. Like to PLAY, since humor and fun are the ultimate creative act.
4. Are EXPRESSIVE and willing to share what they feel and think, to be themselves.
5. Can FIND ORDER in confusion and discover hidden meaning in information.
6. Are MOTIVATED BY A TASK rather than by external rewards.
7. Have a need to FIND SOLUTIONS to challenging problems.
8. Will CHALLENGE ASSUMPTIONS and ask hard questions to discover what is real.
9. Can MAKE CONNECTIONS between old ideas to produce new insights.
10. Will PUSH THE ENVELOPE in order to expand the boundaries of what is possible.
11. Are willing to TEST new ideas and compete with others based on results.