The original reason I went into graphic design is because I had the skills, and the job was available. I’d taken some related classes in art school, I had some programming experience and a lot of computer savvy, and most importantly, I needed a job. As an artist, I have an eye for making things visually pleasing, balanced and attractive. As a former programmer, I learned how to think logically, and while html is a very simple language, it still helps.

The reason I’ve stuck with it is because I like to make things look good that might otherwise be plain, or just plain ugly. I think the world is a better place with the purple house in the middle of a street full of white, with gargoyles and decorative cornices on the otherwise boring banks, and beautiful earrings on power-suited businesswomen. I prefer to see, and create, a business card with a little bit of flare, a website whose form and function works for the eye as well as the mouse, or a book cover that has more than just the title and author name to offer.

Another thing that’s kept me in the web design business is my own internet addiction. I love the web, and I want everyone to be on it! I want all my favorite businesses and people to have sites where I can look up their info, so I can refer people to my dentist, do my banking online, or just help my friends find each other with just a few clicks of the mouse. A lot of small businesses think the web is out of reach, that it takes thousands of dollars that they don’t have, and I like to think one of my niches is helping small businesses find the web presence that works for them.

I enjoy the process of working to spec. I know that might sound strange, but it can be really enjoyable to have a client come to me with their fuzzy concepts, and give them back a sharp result that makes them say, “That’s just what I wanted,” — or my favorite, “That’s even better than I imagined.” When I can find a client that really clicks, the design experience becomes enjoyable, as well as profitable, for both of us.

Finally, I like the flexibility of freelancing. I like being able to plan vacations without asking my boss for the days off, to be able to wake up a little late, commute 10 feet and answer work emails before I’ve eaten breakfast. I think that the ability to work outside of a schedule — or in one, when I need to — can enhance the creative process. Not to mention giving me a chance to bake cookies in the middle of a slow Thursday afternoon, if that’s what I want to do.

So, why design? Because I like making attractive, functional things for other people. And this pays the bills better than freelance cookie baking.