This is the Digit review of all that's inspired us in 2009. We hope it inspires you too. What have you found inspiring lately? Let us know on http://blog.digitlondon.com/

1. DIGIT’S INSPIRATION 2009 EDITION

2. A few things that have inspiredeach of us throughoUt 2009. What makes somethinginspiring to us? Sometimes it is the beauty of skilled craft that impresses. Sometimes it is the chance to escape from the everyday. Sometimes we are made to see the world differently. Sometimes we are amazed by the determination of others. Sometimes we marvel at how others have pushed boundaries to change things. Sometimes we are humbled by the ways people help others.

3. Appreciating beauty

4. ELISE This music video for Air’s ‘Sing Sang Sung’ sticks in my mind purely because it’s so beautifully crafted and animated. http://bit.ly/1quxmr

5. Rob The West Wing series 2 finale, probably my favourite episode of TV ever made, and capped by definitely the best music sequence ever. http://bit.ly/JVrfg

6. ‘What Happened’ album by Emeralds MATTHEW The ‘what happened’ album by Emeralds has been a dominant source of inspiration for me this year because it is simply beautiful and original, and completely separated from mainstream culture and consumerism – so possessing their album feels like archiving a small personal treasure. To then realise the whole album is improvised is a reminder that great work can be non-contrived and intuitive; the ‘wabi-sabi’ aesthetic theory of embracing imperfection is substantiated by this piece of work.

7. NIKI I love films but would never consider viewing one on a laptop or TVprogramme for that matter. I still think things should be shown on the big screen or a nice big TVwhilst snuggled on the sofa not hunched over a desk listening to poor quality sound and visuals. However I got sent ‘Death to the Tinman’ and I was captivated - it’s a lovely story I thought. http://bit.ly/XQ5R

8. ROSIE My trip to Malaysia. I was amazed by how rich the visual culture is, the architecture of the temples, the colours of the environment, the intricate shapes and details of the stone carving even down to the decoration of animals walking in the street. These buildings and temples in particular have recently inspired me to take up photography. I've been roaming around London documenting various buildings and objects that I would usually just walk past. Every walk becomes a little adventure!

9. A sense of escape

10. Dance ALEXIS Dance is inspiring because it allows me to forget everything else that’s going on, its a way of communicating the different layers of music without speaking and helps show people parts of a song – lyrics or beats or both that they might not have heard before. I have learned so much about music through dance. I love it because everyone dances a different way. Its inspiring because its the perfect balance between discipline (training) and loss of control – the most beautiful dancers are those who are able to walk the line between these two extremes. http://bit.ly/8gBPAR

11. KEVIN Fleetwood Mac, Wembley Arena, 30th October 2009. Made me feel 19 again, wish it was true!

12. ELLY The Shunt performance is weird, dark, scary and a glass of champagne was included. Woo hoo. Loved it. http://bit.ly/DgRg6

13. Seeing the world differently

14. JOE I love this clip because of the hope and optimism that E O Wilson inspires through his passion for nature and for life (against a backdrop of economic difficulty, political strife and possible ecological peril). He makes a plea, for a networked encyclopaedia of all the world's knowledge about life. http://bit.ly/Gjae0

15. NATHAN The book ‘Neuro Web Design’ gave me a different perspective on what matters to users, how they deal with choice and how to work in conjunction with these factors. http://bit.ly/56wtPo

16. RICHIE Here is my image of inspiration. It’s something one of my crazy advertising tutors showed me one day and has stuck in my head since. She told me that everything I do should provoke a response from someone in some way, be it surprise (like in the image) or any of the other possible human emotions.

17. SHARLIN The thing that has inspired me the most is my Social Science course, this is a distant learning uni course. This course has changed my life round, I now have loads of confidence and think that I am better than everyone else since doing this course as I have acquired so much knowledge when it comes to Human interaction and Consuming society. This is just the beginning of the course, check my ego out at the end of the course!

18. MICHA John Steinbeck wrote ‘East of Eden’ in 1952 but it often felt as if he could have written it in 2009. It’s reassuring that history repeats itself and made me realise that looking back can be just as inspiring as looking forward. “ Our species is the only creative species, and it has only one creative instrument, the individual mind and spirit of a man. Nothing was ever created by two men. There are no good collaborations, whether in music, in art, in poetry, in mathematics, in philosophy. Once the miracle of creation has taken place, the group can build and extend it, but the group never invents anything. The preciousness lies in the lonely mind of a…..the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world.”

19. CLAIRE “ Illusion is the idea that people should be and do what we want. The truth is, all is as it should be” I read this and just felt inspired to accept stuff as it is and in turn open myself up to finding new things out...

20. Sheer determination

21. SIMON Difficult yes, impossible no. I find this inspiring because it shows that nothing is impossible no matter how daunting the challenge may seem. Outplayed by the best team in Europe and 3-0 down at half time, Liverpool went on to win the game and lift the European Cup for a record 5th time. Best game ever. Fact. http://bit.ly/7nnwyg

22. ANDREAS ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL More of an inspirational way of looking at life than anything else. The film ‘Anvil! The Story of Anvil’ film inspires a "never give up" attitude and shows that dedication and hard work can pay off in the end, even if it might take 25 years!

23. PETE The documentary ‘Bulgaria’s Abandoned Children’ was mindblowing stuff. Really sad all the way through, but then they visited the kids a year or so after the program was made and they were all thriving. Amazing demonstration of human spirit. Very inspiring.

24. DES Karsten Schmidt on 'Creatives' in digital "How can you be a creative in a field in which you have no expertise?” I’m inspired by his logical and rational approach and response to the digital industry. http://bit.ly/fY17y

25. BRAD I’m inspired by both my old colleagues and my son to be a better person. They both keep me on my toes – professionally and personally.

26. Catherine The experience I had while in Cambodia earlier this year – beautiful country, amazing people who are friendly, proud, and incredibly resilient in spite of everything.

27. Pushing boundaries

28. ORLAITH The 100 days of continuous occupation of a statue’s plinth in Trafalgar Square. All the different ways people used their space and time, and some amazing things it said about humanity, and human interaction.

29. MICHELLE The most inspirational things for me, are often non-digital, and always deceptively simple solutions to problems. Peoples’ ability to overcome adversity and find solutions has me smiling, shaking my head and sometimes slack jawed in admiration. For example: Floating dresses on a zip wire. (See diagram) Maybe I should expand this, an ingenious dress maker was getting her stock into a van from a 3rd story flat. Constructed an impromptu zip wire and floated her garments directly down the wire and onto a rack in the back of the van, just as I was cycling by. Slack jawed admiration.

30. Tomorrow, in a Year DALJIT I went to see this opera about Darwin in Copenhagen in September. The music was by a Swedish band called The Knife. The combination of the costumes and music made this experience utterly sublime, quite different to anything like an ‘Opera’ one could see.

31. ADAM One thing which I have found most inspirational is the book title ‘Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition’. So good is the title that I was compelled to buy it on the spot without knowing anything about it.

32. HENRY Amazing brand, ethical, environmental and creative in using and developing technology, for example their wetsuits (which are amazing) use recycled polyester and merino wool as a lining.

33. MATT My inspiring highlight of 2009 was Tim Key’s show at the Edinburgh Festival that went on to win the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award. It was basically an surreal collage of random thoughts, videos and impromptu violin playing. He also did ‘little poems’ like this one: Poem#320 A sly Christian fell for her vicar. She did double-praying. God listened; made her prettier. And, one Sunday, she pulled him.

34. GORDON Flower, a downloadable PS3 game. Inspiring because it was beautiful and original. http://bit.ly/SPLf8

35. PAUL Although this project is often over-hyped, the principle fascinates me. Here is a 3d printer that prints objects. It can make many things from plastic, including most of itself. So if you get hold of one, you can make one for your friends. Pretty soon you could forget mass-production, why not just make things yourself at home as and when you require them. Instead of going to the shop, you might be able to go to a free online open-source library of object designs for you to download and print out (in theory). “[RepRap] has been called the invention that will bring down global capitalism, start a second industrial revolution and save the environment...” Guardian, 2006

36. Giving back

37. SUZANNE Vodafone’s World of Difference was a complete through the line campaign which is inspiring and really encourages people to give back!

38. LAURA T A girl has decided to wear the same dress for a whole year in order to raise money for children’s education in India. It’s inspirational not just because it is an original, worthy idea but she is also super-creative with the way she mixes up the dress so it’s become quite a fashion interest too. http://bit.ly/ENqmp

39. LAURA P Droga5 tapped into the psyches of New York City school kids in a really incredible way with the Million initiative. They helped them help themselves get more out of school, and perform better. Brilliantly insightful, and for such a great cause.

40. LAURA S The Tap Project was a truly exceptional idea, a smart piece of branding work that raises the issues by creating an accessible cause that people can be part of. http://bit.ly/4FEAjZ

41. What have you found inspiring LATELY? And why?Let us know onhttp://blog.digitlondon.com/