Here's some great advice:

"To start a career in design and illustration, there are three very basic and fundamental qualifications:

1. Good sense of aesthetics.
2. Knowledge in design software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash.
3. Good work ethics and sense of responsibility."

-- Helen Huang

Sometimes we can draw inspiration from art, too. Marc Chagall was a Russian-French artist associated with several major artistic styles and one of the most successful artists of the 20th century. He was an early modernist, and created works in virtually every artistic medium, including painting, book illustrations, stained glass, stage sets, ceramic, tapestries and fine art prints.

Art critic Robert Hughes referred to Chagall as "the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century." According to art historian Michael J. Lewis, Chagall was considered to be "the last survivor of the first generation of European modernists." For decades, he "had also been respected as the world's preeminent Jewish artist." Using the medium of stained glass, he produced windows for the cathedrals of Reims and Metz, windows for the UN, and the Jerusalem Windows in Israel. He also did large-scale paintings, including part of the ceiling of the Paris Opéra. (wiki)

Interesting article from TAXI. Here are some lines that struck me:

"The passing of Steve Jobs. 13 hours later: 13,284 blog posts, 30,905 news mentions, and 2.5 million tweets—that’s more than 10,000 tweets per second (topping tweet records even the King of Pop couldn’t achieve). The numbers speak for themselves. 

"Jobs was described—by Malcolm Gladwell—to be jumping around, saying: “Why aren’t you doing anything with this? This is the greatest thing. This is revolutionary!” 

"The relentless leader steered the ship everyday, stepping down only six weeks before he died, leaving with a note to his workers: “I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know.” Unfortunately, that day came. "

I like this quote from Peter Drucker:
"Innovation is the specific tool of entrepreneurs, the means by which they exploit change as an opportunity for a different business or a different service. It is capable of being presented as a discipline, capable of being learned, capable of being practiced. Entrepreneurs need to search purposefully for the sources of innovation, the changes and their symptoms that indicate opportunities for successful innovation. And they need to know and to apply the principles of successful innovation."

It makes me want to work so much harder.