We believe in empowering emerging creatives by providing access to essential tools, platforms, and resources that can elevate their professional journey. Whether you're a designer, content creator, creative director, etc., we've curated a list of valuable resources to support you. And the best part? The majority of these resources are free, ensuring accessibility for creators of all backgrounds.
Without further ado, here are our top, must-have free resources to boost creativity and efficiency (for creatives).
(No sponsorships – just straight-up recommendations.)
Finances + Organization:
1. Notion (Free):
Notion is your secret weapon against creative chaos. It's a note-taking and productivity app that bends to your will. For content creators, Notion is a game-changer. It allows you to structure your ideas, plan your content calendar, and collaborate with others effortlessly. The drag-and-drop functionality makes organizing content a breeze. Use it to wrangle your thoughts, manage projects, and keep your budget in check.
2. Keeper (Free Trial & Paid):
Taxes – the bane of every creative's existence. Keeper isn't just another tax filing software; it's your personalized companion that streamlines the process, especially for those of us navigating the intricacies of being sole proprietors or managing business expenses as creatives. Keeper syncs with your bank to automatically mark expenses that align with your filing status. This not only saves time but ensures that you're not missing out on potential deductions.
3. Monday.com (Free):
Creativity often thrives in chaos, but organization is key to turning chaos into productivity. Monday.com is a task management platform where you can organize your assignments, projects, and goals. It acts as your digital canvas, allowing you to structure your creative endeavors without the fuss. Monday.com is a straightforward platform that can be your daily task manager or seamlessly integrate with larger databases like Notion.
Audio + Editing Tools:
4. Riverside FM Transcription (Free & Paid):
Calling all storytellers! Riverside FM Transcription is your free ticket to transcribing interviews, podcasts, and more. It's a comprehensive platform designed to simplify and elevate your recording and content creation process. If you're into journalism or podcasting, it's a go-to. Need captions or turning interviews into articles? Riverside's got your back. They also offer a paid platform for all-in-one podcasting and video calling.
5. CapCut Desktop Editor (Free & Paid):
Say goodbye to expensive video editing subscriptions. CapCut, fueled by AI, is a versatile creative platform for video editing and image design. It’s designed to cater to a broad spectrum of users, from casual video enthusiasts to professional content creators. Beginners, rejoice – it's user-friendly. And once you've mastered it, CapCut can take you to complex video editing heights without the hefty price tag.
6. Adobe Express (Free trial & paid):
Think of it as Canva's little cousin. New to the Creative Cloud, Adobe Express is the go-to for quick flyers, TikTok covers, story templates, and more. What sets it apart? Features like Generative Fill, Text to Image, and Text to Template, have become standard in Adobe's creative arsenal. These AI-driven features enhance the creative process, allowing users to generate content, manipulate images, and create designs more efficiently.
Creative Spark + Inspiration:
7. Behance (Free):
Behance, owned by Adobe, is like a curated Pinterest for creatives. It's the world's largest creative network for showcasing and discovering creative work. Behance can be used it as your portfolio to share with employers/clients and as a mood board. Creatives can also explore the work of others on Behance, discovering new talent, trends, and inspiration. It's free and compatible with Adobe Creative Cloud, allowing users to share their work directly from applications like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.
8. Feedly (Free & Paid):
Rise and shine, info junkies! Feedly simplifies the process of keeping up with news, blogs, publications, and other content from across the web. It can serve as your morning news fix, allowing you to create custom folders and feeds based on your industry or interests. It's not just for news tracking in journalism and PR; it's a simple, easy-to-skim format that catches you up on the most relevant news. Feedly also has pre-made feeds to drop into your folders, from fashion to tech to marketing.
With more to come, those were our top free resources for creatives across various industries! Feel free to share these gems with your creative circle, because the hustle is a bit more bearable when we're all in it together.
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