Oh, the holiday season. That time of year when everyone gets together with friends and family to celebrate each other and the coming year. But that season only comes once a year, and it can be a bit of a letdown. And what about the other ones? There’s Halloween, which is great if you’re a kid, but loses its luster when you realize that dressing up like a sexy cat doesn’t work with love handles (I’ll never forget 2016). But forget those crappy days. Instead, let’s focus on the holidays that matter to designers. The ones that celebrate us in all of our weirdness, what with our quirks and oddities that make us so different. We need our own calendar, and with that in mind, I’ve assembled some of the best holidays for people like us. And if you’re like me, when you get done with this article, you’ll have put all of these down in your calendar, ready for planning. That, and you’ll be rethinking your Halloween costume for this year, but that’s a whole other story.
January 21 – International Sweatpants Day
Right now, I’m wearing pants. And I hate it. If I had my druthers, I’d wear sweatpants all day, every day. Turns out there are lots of options for guys, and for women, well, you’ve always been smarter than men, so you’ve known about the wonders of sweatpants since their creation. (In fact, you could make the argument that you one-upped them with yoga/stretch pants, because from what I understand, they’re pretty amazing.) Point is, sweatpants are comfy, and I want to be comfortable all the time. By celebrating this particular holiday, I can be cozy all day long and nobody can look at me funny for it. Well, I suppose they could, but then they’d be jerks.
February 18 – Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
Is there anything better than ice cream? I mean, yes, potentially you could respond with lots of different options that are technically better, but let’s just accept my statement as fact for now, because I’m sure I’ll replace it with something equally hyperbolic by the time this piece is done. Where was I? Oh yeah, ice cream is good. Should you have it for breakfast though? Yes. Yes you should. In fact, I’d argue that you should eat it all day. Sure, you might need to only wear sweatpants because of your burgeoning waistline, but we’ve already established that those things are the best, so why not? What’s a few hundred calories between friends?
March 19 – Client’s Day
Clients. They can be difficult, and they may require an education before you work with them, but they’re also the lifeblood of the designer. Without clients, you’re either working for The Man, or broke. And nobody likes being broke, particularly when there are sweatpants that need purchasing. So on March 19th next year, go out and thank your clients for being so great. And if your clients suck, then spend the day getting new ones that don’t. After all, it’s Client’s Day, so celebrate the good and the bad – just try not to get too hammered on drinks purchased on their expense accounts.
May 16 – Drawing Day
I don’t draw enough. I should – I was a Studio Art major in college for a year because I wanted to work in comics – but instead the lure of Netflix and a comfy pair of cotton-based legwear is too alluring. So this year, I’m going to change that. And I’m going to do so on May 16, Drawing Day. Now you might be a fairly proficient artist, or maybe not. Either way, you need to pick up a pencil, grab some paper and start laying down some doodles, because this is your day to shine.
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Download the palettesMay 25 – Geek Pride Day
My marriage is predicated on our mutual love of Mario Kart. I have a replica of Han Solo’s DL-44 blaster hanging on my wall, and my daughter was named after a popular Joss Whedon character from Firefly. If I’m not a geek then I don’t know who is. Chances are you’re a little geeky as well. Truth is, we all are in one form or another, and May 25th is when we can all let our geek flags fly. Wear that Dr. Who dress that looks like a Tardis. Put on that Spider-Gwen hoodie and match it with a Ravenclaw scarf because you’re a boss. Or, just dive into a role playing game because you can. Celebrate your geekiness, fellow designers, this is your day.
July 6 – Take Your Webmaster to Lunch Day
You’ve got a few different ways to look at this one. If you’re a web designer, you might also be someone’s webmaster, right? After all, I know plenty of small businesspeople who have one person that handles the web, IT, email and anything else that involves technology. With that in mind, if you’re a webmaster, slide a gentle suggestion to your bosses and let them know that you deserve a good meal – and make sure it’s at a decent place, not just a Slim 4 at Jimmy John’s. The other angle is if you have a webmaster that you give work to regularly. That’s a hard working individual right there, and they deserve a pat on the back for all their hard work. Now you should be the one to take them out for a nice lunch. Sure, you might not have steakhouse money, but maybe you let them get the No. 4 at Jimmy John’s, and sure, they can add bacon if they want.
August 1 – World Wide Web Day
Raise your hand if your work revolves around the World Wide Web. … Sorry, couldn’t type for a second there, my hand was raised. Yes, my life – and probably yours – probably involves spending a good chunk of time on the web, and without it, our careers might look a whole lot different. I mean, I wouldn’t be writing for Creative Market, because the website wouldn’t exist. And I never would’ve met all the great friends I’ve made over the years from chat rooms, social media and everywhere else the web has taken me. So yeah, it’s an important aspect of my life, and I suspect it’s the same for you. As such, take this day and make sure you find the ends of the web, then post those results onto the social media platform of your choice (Make sure to tag me, obviously). Celebrate the web, people!
August 2 – Coloring Book Day
Look, we here at CM love us some coloring books. Heck, we even made one. Obviously that means we’re going to celebrate Coloring Book Day, right? Right. But how will we celebrate? The way I see it, we first have to get some pretty killer colored pencils. Then get some adult coloring books ready to go – the more complex the better – and find a comfortable spot to hunker down and do some coloring. Is there a better way to spend your day? Yes there is. Do all that previous stuff, but in sweatpants. DONE.
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Get your bookSeptember 19 – Talk like a Pirate Day
I mean, obviously. Y’ar.
October 1 – International Coffee Day
I don’t know about you, but without my caffeine fix first thing in the morning, I’m a goner. There is absolutely no way I can survive without that kick in the pants in the AM, and for that, we have coffee to thank. But there’s another way to look at this one. It’s “international” coffee day, so maybe go out and try a blend from a country that you haven’t tried before. Maybe something exotic, or just a different flavor. Or, let’s be real, just head to Starbucks and see if they can make your coffee sparkle like that one unicorn drink. Now that’d be fun.
October 3 – Techie Day
I know, I know, tech isn’t for everyone and it can get overwhelming. But face it: most of us spend our work lives on a computer. We need tech in our lives to get our jobs done, and without it, we’re out of work. So on this momentous day, let’s enjoy the tech we have. We can do that by either using the crap out of it, or, taking another angle, giving it a rest so we can enjoy the outside world. Wait – you did know there was stuff going on outside your office, right? Seriously, take a break sometime.
October 29 – Internet Day
Ah, the Internet. Home of websites, email, and everything that goes back and forth digitally across the world. No, the Internet and the World Wide Web are not the same thing; the Web is just a part of the Internet, and it’s the part that makes up websites like this one. Throw in every other network you can think of and there you have the Internet, and on October 29th, it’s time to party. I’m going to celebrate by hitting up all my pals on AIM (because I’m kickin’ it old school), ask them how they’re doing IRL, then pretend I’m away while I’m really lurking in some forum. Oh, the Internet. Good times.
Celebrate
There you have it, a full year’s worth of good stuff to look forward to. And just think, there are a ton of other days to celebrate, like Clown Day and Pizza & Beer day. Dig in and you just might find the perfect holiday for your own twisted personality. And with that, I’m going to take the next twelve months and declare them a holiday free of pants that aren’t made of a sweat absorbing material. If you see me out in public, and it looks like I’ve given up on a life with belts, you’re not wrong; but do know that you’re looking at a man that is truly free.
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Hi! My name is Kevin Whipps, and I'm a writer and editor based in Phoenix, Arizona. When I'm not working taking pictures of old cars and trucks, I'm either writing articles for Creative Market or hawking stickers at Whipps Sticker Co.
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