The Holidays™

Full disclosure, I am so sick of The Holidays™. I’m tired of playing capitalism on hard mode, buuuut I also love finding the perfect cute gifts for my favorite people? But I’m also fucking furious about *gestures vaguely* all of it??? We’re living in complicated, stupid times.

So this year I’m voting with my dollars by supporting independent artists, makers, and small businesses—i.e. ACTUAL REAL PEOPLE who share my values—rather than lining the pockets of gross billionaires who throw around their wealth to pressure the people in power to capitulate.

I teamed up with my friend Hannah (also known as Palindrome Art… She’s a full-time illustrator and muralist based in Providence, Rhode Island, and makes hand-lettered, joyful artwork inspired by nature) and we put together this awesome gift guide full of kickass artists and indie shops, with a focus on feminist art, rebellious products, and bold, colorful gifts. You won’t find these products on Amazon or in the aisles of Walmart; the only way to get them is by buying directly from the person or people who designed them. Hell yeah.

If you (or your gift recipient) values creativity, social justice, inclusion, community care, empathy & compassion, and cheerful defiance, and thinks being called “woke” is a compliment, these presents are for you 🙂

Why Shopping Small Matters

When you support independent artists:

• You fund real livelihoods, not corporate shareholders.
• You encourage activism through art and storytelling.
• You help marginalized creators gain visibility in oversaturated markets.
• You give gifts that feel thoughtful and personal.
• You help bring more color, creativity, and joy into the world.

Stickers

Bold, bright stickers are tiny subversive billboards. They turn laptops, water bottles, and notebooks into canvases for feminist messages, queer joy, and feisty political energy.

• Christine Parker Co – Abort the Patriarchy sticker (benefits Abortion Fund of Ohio)
• Palindrome Art – Activism stickers, including Babes Against Bigotry sticker featured here
• Hey Alissanda – Pride sticker sheet
• Sammy Gorin – Radical Left sticker
• She Wolf – Real Men are Feminists sticker

Subscription Clubs

Sometimes one sticker is just not enough. Subscription clubs (like my Kickass Flair Club and Hannah’s Letter Rip!, below) make recurring, affordable gifts that deliver monthly surprises and bold activist-driven art while directly supporting independent women artists.

Enamel Pins

Enamel pins are wearable protest art. They’re small and affordable but pack a big punch of personality. Display them on your denim jackets, tote bags, or a well-loved backpack.

• Kitty with a Cupcake – Pride Pals custom pins or sticker set
• She Wolf – Patriarchy’s Worst Nightmare pin
• Christine Parker Co products – Feminist Cryptids Enamel Pins Six Pack
• Sammy Gorin – Poison the Patriarchy pin

Stationery

Thoughtful feminist stationery like notebooks, notepads, and greeting cards warms our analog hearts. These artist-made gifts are perfect for nerds who love paper and pen, handwritten notes, and snail mail activism.

• Palindrome Art products – All Bodies are Good Bodies notebook
• She Wolf – My Gay Agenda notepad
• Kitty with a Cupcake – Gay Agenda notebook
• Mango Illustrated – Feminist Agenda notepad, Fuck the Patriarchy pen
• And Here We Are – Woke Birthday Card or Woke Christmas Card

Home Goods & Decor

Art prints, candles, and bitchin’ decor bring activism and attitude into any home space. The gifts featured here will make perfect gifts for anyone who loves surrounding themselves with color, humor, and values-driven art while supporting independent artists and small businesses.

• Hey Alissandra – Hate Doesn’t Make America Great poster
• My Depiction Addiction – Buck the Patriarchy Barbie Mug
• Archd – Smells Like Banned Books candle
• Wander Free & Queer – Wouldn’t Change A Thing Art Print (4×6)
• Creative Kind – A Little Lift: 50-Card Deck for Real World Good

Other Goodies

This category is for the fun, unexpected, beautifully niche items that make awesome holiday gifts for activists, creatives, and color-loving rebels.

• Hey Bre! Creative Studio – Grow with the Flow Jiggy puzzle collab
• The Savage Stitcher – Banned books embroidery kit
• My Depiction Addiction – You Deserve Rest keychain
• The Gray Muse – The Original Color Wheel© Interactive Spinner Enamel Keychain
• Page’s Peaches – Abortion Smell Proof Pouch

Your Money is Your Megaphone

Shopping small is more than just a performative act to brag about on social media—that’s real advocacy you’re adding to your shopping cart, so use your holiday purchases for quiet rebellion. We’re ditching the big-box bullshit and supporting artists who create meaningful, values-driven work, filling our carts with activist art, feminist gifts, and illustrated treasures that actually reflect what we believe in.