The 2017 holiday season has arrived, and millions of people are already racing online and flocking to stores to find great gifts for family members, friends and colleagues. However, this year the Contemporary Ceramic Studios Association (CCSA) is inviting gift givers to experience the many rewards of personally creating gifts for the grateful recipients on their list by heading to a local Paint Your Own Pottery (PYOP) studio. “Shopping online and browsing page after page of catalogs can be draining and boring,” commented CCSA executive director Dena Pearlman. “But creating amazing gifts at a PYOP studio is fun, energizing, creative, and a delightful experience from beginning to end.” According to the CCSA, the five reasons why gift givers should head to a PYOP studio this holiday season are: 1. Personally- made gifts are not just items, but deeply meaningful gestures. According to a study published in the journal Society for Personality and Social Psychology: “Gift exchanges