Let’s set the scene
It was March 2022, my friend’s birthday party was days away, and I was still yet to find her the perfect thoughtful gift. I am a master procrastinator when it comes to gift-giving. I don’t know if I’m the only one, but I get totally overwhelmed by needing to choose something that feels super personal and thoughtful. Gift giving for me is more than just obligation - I want my loved ones to know that I care about what’s going on in their lives, want to celebrate their achievements, and the memories we have together.
A lovely sentiment, but in this case I’d left it too late to order anything, especially if I wanted anything personalised. Happens to us all at some point (At least I hope it’s not just me!). Luckily for me I am an illustrator - so it was time to come up with a new product idea! This friend and I had recently been on a little food tour of Dalston (where she lived in London), and she had expressed sadness that she’d be moving to a different area. So, I thought, what better way to commemorate her time in Dalston than to create an illustrated map of it for her!
Little did I know, this last minute handmade gift would turn into the basis of the business I run today, and I can’t wait to share with you all the reasons I think illustrated map art prints make an amazingly thoughtful and memorable present. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, new home, or looking for a meaningful way to commemorate a special place, an illustrated map offers you the perfect way to elevate an ordinary present into a timeless and unique token of affection that your loved one can cherish for a long time to come. Join me as I discuss the art of gifting art…
The value of thoughtful gift ideas
Thoughtful gift giving is more than just giving something to someone. It’s an act of love or appreciation, that celebrates the relationship and memories you have with that person. It’s a way of telling them “I listen to you, I know what you like, and I want to share that with you.”Impact on ourselves, and the wider environment
Beyond the drive to choose a gift that reflects the recipient’s personality, interests, and their shared memories with you, I think a huge factor to consider is the impact gift-giving has on the world around us. We live in a society of hyper-consumerism, where many items we buy for ourselves and gift to others can become a burden.
Things we don’t love are hidden in cupboards, unused but cluttering up our homes.
We all know the feeling of wanting to get rid of an unloved gift, but feeling too guilty because of the money that was spent to buy it for us. Then one day when you do finally get around to decluttering, these items need to be disposed of somehow - and those that don’t make it to a charity shop easily end up in landfill.
Let’s commit to cutting off this process where it begins, by taking the time to think forward and only gift items we really think will be loved by the recipient.
Emotional impact
My favourite way of gift-giving is to choose something that will remind the recipient of a special memory or place, in the hopes that the gift can become a cherished keepsake. In contrast, generic gifts often lack the personal touch that makes a present special.
A little about my illustrated map art
What are illustrated maps?
Illustrated maps are artistic representations of geographical locations, but unlike traditional maps, these prints blend information and historic significance with creativity and personalisation. At the heart of a thoughtful gift, is evidence of the time taken to really consider what is meaningful to the recipient.
A gift for all occasions
I find illustrated maps to be really versatile for gifts, as they can be adapted for whatever occasion being celebrated, while still bringing a personal touch. Some occasions my maps have been gifted for include:
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Birthdays and Christmas: These occasions give you loads of options for locations - gift them a map of a place that celebrates an achievement in their life journey, or simply the place they grew up.
- Graduations: Mark the significant achievement of graduating university with a map of their university city or town. So many important memories are made at university, so there are lots of opportunities for customisation here - of course their main uni building, or their student accommodation, the sport they played, even a favourite club they went to.
- Weddings: A map of the wedding location with the venue included, or if you know the honeymoon destination you could choose this instead to celebrate all the adventures the couple will have together.
- Anniversaries: Commemorate relationship milestones with a map marking special locations - where you first met, your first home together, where you married. I especially love this idea for a first wedding anniversary, as traditionally this anniversary gift is paper!
- Housewarmings: Gift the new homeowners with a map or their local area, and you could even include their new house! I also often have people gift a map of the area the homeowner moved from, to commemorate the time they spent there before moving.
- Retirement: Celebrate their career with a map including where they worked or travelled, giving them a way to remember all the things they achieved.
Location, location, location
The first step is choosing a significant location to your loved one. This depends also on what occasion the gift is celebrating. Here are some ideas:
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Hometown maps: Celebrate the place where someone grew up or recently moved to/away from. This is especially good for people who are very proud of where they come from, or if you want to evoke a feeling of nostalgia and connection to their roots.
- Travel destinations: Commemorate a special trip or beloved city. These are especially fun gifts for those who love to travel. I’ve even had people create gallery walls of their favourite locations and use some of my maps amongst their collected artworks!
- Significant locations: Mark important places such as where a couple got engaged, their first date, where they were married. Or celebrate a friendship by highlighting the school you went together, or the workplace where you met.
Customisation options
One of my favourite aspects of my illustrated map art prints is their potential for personalisation. Just a few simple changes can make artwork that tells a story, and elevate your gift to something extra special. Here are a few ideas of how I can adapt my prints to make them unique:
- Specific buildings: Choose a location that holds a special meaning - this could be a childhood home, university, wedding or engagement location… the list goes on!
- Favourite landmarks: Maybe you and your partner love to go to a particular coffee shop, or your parents used to take you to feed the ducks at a particular place after school. Little details like this can really capture the essence of what a place means to you and your loved one. I’m always happy to add in little icons to represent these sorts of things if your budget can’t stretch far enough for including the building itself.
- Dates and Names: Personalise the map with important dates or names, adding that extra touch of detail. For instance, a map of the city where a couple first met, with their names and anniversary date. Or a map of your friend’s university town, with their degree title and the years they were there.
- Personal messages: Include a custom message or meaningful quote, such as a lyric from a favourite song. I had one customer include a line from a poem she’d written, which I thought was so lovely!
Some practical considerations
Lastly, I thought it would be helpful to highlight a few practical considerations for you to consider when purchasing an illustrated map print as a gift.Your budget
Decide on your budget before shopping, and then determine if there is room within that for add-ons to the map. I try my best to make my products accessible for various budgets, from offering standard map prints, to including multiple custom buildings chosen by the customer.
The size and complexity of what you have in mind will be reflected in the price, so be sure to choose the print size and level of customisation to reflect your budget. Don’t feel pressure to choose a customisation option if that is not within your means - I create all my standard illustrated maps with the hope that they will still capture the essence of a location and serve as a lovely keepsake.
Timescales
If you’re on a time constraint, complicated personalisation may not be for you this time - but it’s still worth getting in touch and I can see what I can do! Just adding a little bit of text is a quick and easy way to make the illustrated map a little extra special if you’ve run out of time for something more detailed. Framing
Don’t forget to factor in the cost of framing. I don’t offer framing services myself, so be sure to have a think about how you want to present the gift to the recipient. You can leave the print unframed so they can choose their own to suit their decor, or you can go ahead and frame it yourself beforehand. Consider consulting with a local framing business about their options, or if you’re on a tighter budget there are tons of standard size frames available in the shops or online. All my prints are standard sizes of A5, A4 or A3, making it easy to source ready-made frames.My favourite frames for my illustrated maps are white, cream, wood or gold to bring out the warm tones of the artwork. I like to use lots of creamy peaches and yellows in my work, so these natural colours compliment the work nicely in my opinion! Don’t forget to think about the location the map will be displayed, and whether the recipient has a distinct interior design style they like to adhere to.
Conclusion
In the world of gift-giving, the best presents are those that have thought and care behind them. In a society of over-consumption, it’s important to focus on gifting actually meaningful things, and illustrated maps are a great way to do this. Combining personalisation, artistry, and emotional significance, these gifts are lasting keepsakes that your loved one will hopefully cherish for a long time.
Whether it’s a map of a hometown, university city, or favourite holiday destination, my hope is that these illustrated map prints will evoke fond memories for the recipient and give them something unique to celebrate a place that matters to them.