I have always been attracted to art supplies, and I love looking at art. But I do not consider myself a visual artist. Although I’ve taken a few art classes, my talent begins and ends at Pictionary.At least that’s what I thought, until two years ago, when I got my hands on a leaf-green, linen-covered box of paints to test for a Wirecutter gift guide. The box contained a 6-by-8 grid of sumptuous watercolors made by Kuretake, a Japanese calligraphy and sumi (traditional ink wash) maker that was founded in 1902.The set was so beautiful that I couldn’t just let it sit there once I was done testing it. Inspired, I signed up for a 30-day drawing challenge with Bay Area–based artist Wendy McNaughton (whose work I knew from The New York Times).For the next 30 days, in 15-minute spurts, I experimented with the saturated Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors in the privacy of my own home. Painting without the least bit of pressure to create something that I’d show anyone — and even without the pressure to get better — was fabulously liberating. I didn’t have to become a good artist. I just had to enjoy my paints. And enjoy them I did.Sometimes a small-yet-beautiful gift is exactly the encouragement you need to take up a new hobby or explore a part of yourself you haven’t before. Now, whenever I open the light green box, I know I’m gifting myself time for creative joy and discovery. This is why I love the beautiful Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors 48-Color Set as a gift; it contains all sorts of inspiration and possibilities. For the right person at the right time, these paints could be a gift that keeps on giving in the truest sense.