As we enter 2012, here is some inspiration to get the juices flowing:
Tom and Dan started their business on Kickstarter with a clever little piece of plastic called the Glif. Now they have released the Cosmonaut. I ordered mine this weekend. Spend a few minutes poking around this site and check out the behind the scenes videos. These guys are living their dream. Very inspiring.
I don't know an artist or designer who didn't use Ed Emberley's drawing books as a kid. My mom got them from the library for me and I LOVED them! Ed's books had a huge impact on my approach to illustration and design. Here's another man who is living his dream. Check out this video of Ed in his home studio talking about his work. Amazing.