Client holiday gifts are real tricky. And gifts to 3rd parties “in the name-of” are also something to be approached with extreme caution. On the face of it, it’s “Aw, gee, I’m glad that Charity X got $” can be idealistically heart-warming and so on. The flip side is that the “gift” is invisible, not trackable, and open to the dark notion that perhaps nothing at all was truly given.
Hmmmm…
What I do is send the client a copy of a blurb.com book I’ve done that year. Its tangible, its not going to get them drunk if they’re AA, fat if they’re worried about that, and presents your creativity in a different light [perhaps] than what the scope of work calls for.
For instance:
LA:2012
“R2R0: anacardiumphilia” http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/3148443
R2R0: Anacardiumphilia, the artist’s exhibition catalog
…and my first book, “LA1980: a photo memoir” http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/555505
- LA1980: a photo memoir
Yes, that is a shameless plug for me. But these are concrete objects that they can hold in their hands. Let the Dalai Lama sweat the metaphysical crap, we’re here to solve other problems.
