… almost everything—
all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—
these things just fall away in the face of death,
leaving only what is truly important.
Remembering that you are going to die is
the best way I know to avoid the trap of
thinking you have something to lose.
You are already naked.
There is no reason not to follow your heart.
[Steve Jobs, 1955–2011]

I bought my first personal computer in 1982 from Radio Shack. It was a TRS-80 with no hard drive and 4k memory. I’m not a techi but computers fascinate me. After I graduated from art school, I did my work on a drafting board with T-square and triangle until, one evening, I walked past a cubical where a coworker was trying out a new computer. I’d spent a frustrating day drawing lines with a ruling pen and plopping ink in all of the wrong places.

“Could I draw a 1-point line on that in camera-ready quality?” I asked.

“Sure,” she replied.

I’ve never looked back. The computer was an Apple and the year, 1987. I’ve been laying out publications, drawing cartoons, optimizing photos, creating websites, and doing hundreds of other things on a long line of Apples ever since.

Thank you for your vision, Steve Jobs.