In July, Small Pond Graphics celebrated its 3-year birthday! Diving into my own freelance design business was an unexpected opportunity in 2010, but God has used it to provide so many new creative outlets, business connections and much daily joy for me and my family. I’m honored to include so many of YOU among the blessings I’ve received through this Small Pond adventure.

In the last three years, Small Pond Graphics has served a collection of clients seeking boutique creative services. I’ve been drawing and posting and writing and designing and thinking and tweeting — and even getting back to my “maker” roots with The Frog Kisser etsy shop. And I’ve had fun doing it all!

I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate with so many to bring great ideas to fruition. Since gratitude is a feast best shared, I spent much of the summer creating a special collection of hand-crafted “thank you” gifts for as many of you as I could afford 🙂 The gifts were a set of hand-printed journals and thank you notes to help you THANK IT FORWARD — over 500 print runs block-printed by hand for 36 packages! A labor of love.

As an extension of my THANK IT FORWARD idea, this summer I also began planning for a new monthly ezine called AQUA that I envisioned as a creative journal used as a way to stay in touch with friends and colleagues. And, I wanted to have an outlet to periodically share my gratitude by giving little pieces of creativity back to those who have supported Small Pond Graphics. So, every issue of AQUA will include a couple of free designs in downloadable form for subscribers to enjoy for their marketing efforts or personal celebrations.

I launched the first issue of AQUA yesterday, and I’m very excited about it! It includes an update on some of my creative inspiration as well as a fun little gift tag printable I’ll share later here. It also includes a printable thank you notecard exclusively for AQUA subscribers. I’d love to have you join the mailing list!

I learn more each day that gratitude is an essential life model, and these last three years of Small Pond Graphics have taught me it’s a pretty good business model as well. I’m eager to test that theory by taking the opportunity to give more celebration tools to those who have given such support to me. I hope that as you find YOURSELF grateful, these gifts will help you take note of it and pass along your thankful heart to other.

THANK IT FORWARD.