Taylor Swift Gets Crafty With Her Fans

(Rebekah Bortniker/YouTube)

Sometimes it pays to be a Taylor Swift fan, literally. Swift says she doesn’t care what her critics think, but she’s clearly paying close attention to some of her most dedicated and creative fans, hand crafting personalized gifts to show her thanks for their support.

The “1989” pop singer made headlines on Wednesday when it was revealed that she sent a check to fan for $1,989 to help pay off her student loans. “Now you’re $1,989 closer to paying off those student loans,” reads a note from Swift.

(Rebekah Bortniker holds up a Polaroid picture from Taylor Swift)

Obviously, the check is a wonderful, generous gift. But the coolest part has to be the handmade gifts Swift included in her care package. She even included a picture of herself making one of the items in case there was any doubt!  Swift is reportedly an avid reader of this fan’s Tumblr, which in addition to extolling the virtues of its author Rebekah Bortniker’s cats, also covers a lot of mileage detailing Swift’s career and talents. US Weekly reports that in a showing of gratitude for the fan support, Swift sent Bortniker a box full of personalized gifts, including a painting and a necklace.

Bortniker posted a video of her opening the gifts and reading from a card Swift sent her:

“Hi you. I was thinking about you today, and how you have been there cheering me on in the most thoughtful and creative ways,” Swift wrote. “I love the video you made of me and my friends, and your text posts always crack me up or make me think. I got out my paints for the first time in a while today and made you something I really really really really hope you like it. I’m not a good painter but I think you’re so beautiful and positive, even though you’re dealing with the stress life brings, so I wanted to make you something.”

Bortniker also posted pictures of some of the gifts and the card from Swift to her Twitter account:

For her part, the Kansas resident says she has refused to sell the video of her opening the personalized gifts to at least one entertainment site that wanted to purchase it, writing on her Twitter account, “I have absolutely no interest in someone buying a video of me for them to make money off of it for Taylor’s generosity.”

But it turns out that wasn’t Swift’s only act of fan service this week. When she’s not making DIY gifts for her fans, she’s heaping praise on them for their own personalized, creative projects, making an appearance on the Tumblr of self-described Swift superfan Nadia Afkhami, who produced an elaborate recreation of the Polaroid photos from inside Swift’s “1989” album packaging.

(nitemaredressedlikeadaydream.tumblr.com/)

Swift linked to the entire photo collection and left Afkhami a detailed, sweet message on her own Tumblr:

(taylorswift.tumblr.com)

So, why did Swift specifically write, “I love your confidence in those photos. Don’t ever doubt or fear that part of you.”? Well, it might be because Afkhami was the target of some Internet trolls who decided to mock her photo tribute, making fun of her appearance and throwing out other personal attacks. For her part, Afkhami seems unfazed by the blowback, writing:

“Some people commented on the articles that the pictures are the “fat Taylor version” LOL. I mean yea obviously! I will never have taylor’s body type. And that’s ok. Creativity  and beauty don’t have a size. Y’all be any size you want! Haters gunna hate hate hate hate hate.”

In an interview with BuzzFeed, she explained:

"When I read [the negative comments], I sort of laughed. Some said ‘I hate when people are trying to be just like their idols, be yourself!’ Well, I’m not trying to be anyone but myself. I didn’t put on a blonde wig and go out and buy her exact outfit. I made it work with what I had. And what I had was just me. And that’s something to be proud of.”

That kind of courage and self-confidence is certainly worthy of praise. And it doesn’t hurt when the biggest pop star in the world right now has your back.

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