A few words of thanks to my clients, colleagues and friends — who entrusted me with design assignments over the years, and who generously helped along the way.
October 15, 2023
At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.
— Albert Schweitzer
When I started my freelance graphic design career in 2001, I was keen to contribute in the field of design and do meaningful and purposeful work. Initial assignments came my way thanks to colleagues from my prior advertising job who recommended my name to clients. In the years that followed, recommendations and my workload grew manifold and I got to do projects of the range and depth I could have never imagined.
Permissions to document the designs kept accumulating over the years and it is only now that I could formally publish some of the work. Doing so was a nostalgic experience, to say the least. It brought back many memories and most importantly, a deep feeling of gratitude.
Beyond the nuances of design assignments, I became a part of other peoples vision and ambitions, and worked towards larger purposes and causes. Embedded in these experiences — which came with their fair share of challenges and problems — were immense opportunities for learning and personal growth. I got to work with some really fine professionals who were not only experts in their respective fields, but exceptional and kind human beings who reposed their faith in my abilities. They also inspired me in more ways than I can express. The shared journey and its experiences are fondly etched in my heart and to all of them, I am truly grateful.
Thanks to all of you:
Charu Puri, enjoyed working with you on so many design assignments. Your clarity of thought, quick decision making abilities and professionalism continue to be an inspiration for me. I also remember fondly the generous team dinners. Thank you very much!
Ajay Trehan, it is difficult to express how grateful I am for your faith in my design abilities and your recommendations over the years. Your vision, perseverance, balanced attitude and humility never ceased to inspire me. Thank you so very much!
Lata Upadhyay, Shantanu Upadhyay, thank you for having faith in my abilities as a designer. Working with you both was a pleasure indeed. The high standards of conduct and professionalism that you set I fondly remember and appreciate to this day.
Atulit Saxena, many thanks for taking the initiative of staying in touch and for your recommendations over the years. Your dedication to work, deep thinking ability, knowledge, enthusiasm and humility have been inspiring for me and admired a lot. I learned so much from you and am grateful for our association.
Sadhana Ramchander, Vijay Ramchander, working with you on several purposeful assignments was a wonderful experience indeed. The high standards of professionalism that you demonstrated, your goodness and humility, were inspiring to say the least and left an indelible mark on me. Thank you very much!
Bharati Chaturvedi, thank you for having faith in my abilities as a designer, and for recommending my name to your acquaintances. The critical, difficult and inspiring work that your organisation does also made a positive difference in my life, for which I am grateful.
Ravi Pai-Panandiker, thank you for partnering for web design assignments, for your support, recommendations, and for being like an elder brother to me. I learned so much from you, value our friendship deeply and am grateful for it all.
Amit Pamecha, being a small part of your vision was an enriching experience indeed. Beneath the fervour of our design work, I could always sense the presence of a kind friend. Thank you very much!
Gaurav Bhatnagar, I can never thank you enough for your recommendations over the years, for your faith and unconditional support. Am grateful and indeed very lucky to have you by my side.
Dr. Ashish Chaturvedi, I cannot express in words how grateful I am for the many projects you and your colleagues entrusted me with. I found your clarity of thought and humility inspiring, to say the least, and learned so much from the critical work that you do. Thank you very much!
Dr. Rachna Arora, Dr. Reva Prakash, Dr. Abhijit Banerjee, Mr. P. Sunder Iyer, many thanks for considering me to work on insightful and purposeful projects over the years. Playing a small role to support the larger and very important work that you do has indeed been an honour.
Tobias Dorr, thank you for entrusting me with design assignments and for your kind words of encouragement. I learned a lot from the critical work you do and your work ethic was inspiring for me, to say the least. Am grateful for the opportunity I got of working with you.
Mrs. Sandhya Windlass, Mr. Ashwani Windlass, I appreciate the faith you bestowed in my abilities as a designer — an experience I vividly remember and value to this day. Am grateful for the opportunity of working with you and your fabulous team, and for all your kindness.
Holly Stump, working with you over the years was a pleasure indeed. Am grateful for the faith you bestowed in my design abilities, and for all your kindness. Your work ethic, professionalism and enthusiasm continue to inspire me. Thank you very much!
Naved Akhtar, many thanks for your recommendation. An honour indeed it was for me as I looked up to you in so many ways. Am grateful for the opportunity of working with you, learning from you, and for your kindness.
Mr. Vijay Shukla, Tanmay Shukla, Shantanu Shukla, many thanks for having faith in my design abilities and entrusting me with projects dear to your hearts. It was an enriching experience. Am grateful for the opportunity, our association and for all your kindness.
Mr. Deepak Kesari, Mr. Gopal Raturi, I fondly remember being the recipient of your unconditional support, help and guidance over the years. Am grateful for the experience and the opportunity I got of working with you and your fabulous team.
Vivek Bahl, working with you was nothing short of amazing — an experience I enjoyed thoroughly and cherish to this day. I admired your passion, creativity and humility. Thank you so much, also for recommending my name to your acquaintances.
Pranav Dewan, many thanks for your faith in my design abilities, for the recommendations and your kind guidance. I fondly remember working with you and learning from you, and am grateful for it.
Deekshant Sahrawat, Mohit Khurana, Pawan Kaushik, am grateful for the faith you bestowed in my abilities as a designer. I fondly remember the experience. Your passion, energy and dynamism left me feeling awestruck and inspired. Thank you very much!
Pranit Rawat, thank you for entrusting me with such insightful work over the years. Your faith in my abilities as a designer, kindness and professionalism were deeply appreciated at this end.
Sakshi Broota, Arunkumar HG, thank you for making me a part of the inspiring and purposeful work you both do, and for all your encouragement and support over the years. I am indeed grateful for our association and friendship.
Oona Singh, Rajat Singh Shekhawat, working with you on your amazing brand was indeed an honour for me. Thanks so much for all your faith, understanding and kindness, that I felt over and over again as we worked together.
Mr. Sridhar Arvamuthachari, your presence, guidance and support over the years played a pivotal role in my design career. To have you by my side was a huge advantage for which I am truly grateful. I miss you and remember you often. Thank you for all your kindness.
Salim Riaz Khan, Iona Joshua Sinha, we had such fun working together — an experience I wish I could re-live. It could not have been possible without your faith in my design abilities and our friendship, for which I am grateful. Iona, I often and fondly remember your infectious enthusiasm, generosity and humility. Many thanks to you both!
Vaibhav Sinha, thank you for valuing my design abilities and for your recommendations. Coming from a person of your calibre, I feel honoured and grateful.
Anisha Singh, thank you for considering me worthy of working for such an important cause, and for your recommendations. Am grateful for the experience and for your faith in my design abilities. Shouvik Roy, thank you for your recommendation, it meant and still means a lot to me; am grateful for your faith and kindness.
Sikha Ghosh, working with you was a pleasure indeed. Thank you for having faith in my design abilities and for being more like a friend than a client. I learned a lot from you and am grateful for the experience.
Mr. Ravi Singh, Mr. Karan Bhalla, thank you bestowing faith in my abilities as a designer, towards one of the most important causes of them all, and for your words of encouragement. It motivated me to do my best and go the extra mile. Am grateful for your kindness and support.
Roopali Srivastava, Apurva Babbr, Mr. Umesh Bhasin, the purposeful work we did over the years could not have been possible without your invaluable contribution, guidance, support, and our amazing teamwork 🙂 Thank you for putting up with my fussiness, for your kindness, faith, and for so much more!
Credits, Inspiration and Additional Thanks
- The theme of this article was partly inspired by an Instagram post about gratitude by @NimratOfficial. Thank you, Ma’am, a beautiful thought can go a long way.
- Neerkanwal Mani, thank you for so kindly and promptly editing this article. Your inputs have augmented it with finesse, depth and value.
Illustration Credits and Symbolism
- ‘Thank You’ illustration © Copyright, Mayank Bhatnagar
- Background texture by kjpargeter, canvas and hand textures by rawpixel.com, blue squares background by Layerace, and hand drawn flowers courtesy Freepik.com
- Use of blue flowers in the illustration: A blue flower was a central symbol of inspiration for the Romanticism art movement, and remains an enduring motif. It stands for the metaphysical striving for the infinite and unreachable, and symbolises hope and the beauty of things. (Source: Wikipedia)
Suggested Reading
The article Be Grateful. Not Just In Good Times, But At All Times by Dr Margie Warrell on Forbes.com is worth reading.