12 Things This Designer is Thankful For

I know in the world of design, there's plenty to complain about. But this Thanksgiving it is appropriate to remember that there is also plenty to be thankful for. Here's a list of items I'm thankful to God for as a designer:

1. Beauty. I get to create beautiful things, and communicate meaning.
2. Other designers. I'm inspired by other designers, great and small, all the time.
3. Non-designers. They keep me grounded. If I don't communicate to them, my design is just personal art.
4. Computers and the Internet. Although the tool can be a abusive to the design industry and to basic communication, it is still a great tool. I use it to design efficiently and find inspiration at my fingertips.
5. The days I'm living in. We are in a time where design is a driving business in almost every market. And there is a population all over the world that appreciates good design in it's many forms — industrial, visual, architectural, and fashion.
6. Variety of work. I get to design everything from print, web, and interface design to motion, video, and interactive projects.
7. Command-Z. Undoing mistakes has never been easier. It has been a very good friend.
8. My kids. They are full of wonder, and get me to see the world differently all the time.
9. My wife of course. She's also a designer and we have great conversations. And she also shares the faith I have, making us even closer.
10. Delicious.com. I need my links.
11. My sight. It's easy to take this for granted. But since I personally know people who are blind, I am thankful that I have the ability to see, so that I get to design as I do.
12. Art. A great source of inspiration, reflection, and beauty.

Photo courtesy Pawel Loj of Flickr.com