My Go-To Creative Resources & Fav’ Tools (That I Actually Use)

Not ALL of my favorites come with logins 😄

This is a living, breathing list of some of my favorite things—including free resources and subscriptions, too, that helps me create—digital-things, analog-things, and ALL THE THINGS that exist in-between...

Some of my creative tools live in my backpack. Or on my bedside table. Or they’ll drift in through my open window on rainy Sundays...

Some live in my blood—like my local Lion’s Mane coffee!

Others, I carry in a worn zippered bag (from Dollar Tree!), that’s filled with tiny scraps of paper and possibility.

This post is a collection of my favorite creative resources, rituals, and unexpected idea-helpers. Some you’ve probably heard of, others you may have never considered. Each one helps me make (more and better), dream bigger, or stay focused through the fog of creative uncertainty.

Feel free to take what clicks! Leave the rest. AND please, add your own—and share them with me if you feel inspired!

I’d love to know, what creative tools and resources are most helpful for you these days?

These are mine, right now...

My Digital Toolkit

Adobe Creative Cloud
The classics: Illustrator for vector-based visuals, InDesign for layouts (from zines to ebooks), and Photoshop for edit-magic, collages, and textural play.

Canva + Adobe Express
For quick mockups, reels, or whenever I need to communicate visually—and fast—with students, clients, or collaborators.

Brizy Pro
My favorite drag-and-drop WordPress builder!
Other, honorable mentions: Figma (for the pros), Squarespace (for newbs or portfolio folks).

Pixieset
Where I host and deliver photography galleries and run my photo-focused business. (Bonus: appointment booking + invoicing built in = SUPER helpful to have “all in one subscription”)

Milanote
A recent, intern-recommended miracle! Like a digital corkboard for planning, storyboarding, mind-mapping and organizing idea-seeds in a visual way.
I “got it” immediately—and now it’s where everything lives.

Printify + Etsy & Redbubble
For turning zine graphics, poetic typography, and sketchbook ideas into stickers, shirts, and wall art. Passive income meets playful self-expression!

Ghost
My new writing space (and home of Unfolding!)—clean, focused, and built for publishing, email lists, and even, sustainable creative income.

Google Docs + Drive
Still my go-to for collaboration, notes, and sharing resources with clients.

ChatGPT
My organizational co-pilot. Helps me categorize my creative chaos, spark new insights, and make marketing strategies a bit more navigable.

Otter.ai (voice-to-text)
Whenever I’m out walking or talking to myself while lying on my office floor after a project sprint, this app captures (at least—some of) the good stuff—WAY more than my Voice Recorder app, for sure!

Gumroad
Where I host + share zines, digital downloads, creative tools, and workshops.
Easy setup and a great entry point for igniting new ideas and opening new streams of creative income.

Embodied Tools (a.k.a. The Real Ones)

Black Ink + Cheap Paper
Give me a Pilot G2 and a scrap of anything slightly crinkled, and I’ll write myself back into being. Notebooks, junk mail, napkins—all become sacred fodder with a good pen in hand.

Mushroom Coffee
My brain’s favorite way to focus (without the jitters)!

iPhone Camera
Always in my pocket—especially when the clouds turn dramatic (or the dogs look extra cute). Photography is my favorite way create (and to pray).

Lit Sage or Incense
My creative reset button. Clears energy and opens space. Reminds me this moment is fresh and ripe with new ideas.

Rainy Sundays
A creative portal where time moves a bit slower and inspiration flows.
Ideally paired with a soft hoodie, fav’ playlist, curled-up pup, and Mom reading in her chair post-lunch.

Walking Alone With (Open) Earbuds
Where SOOO many of my creative ideas are born, transformed, and re-seeded. Movement = creative clarity. I love hiking in nature with a soundtrack—and especially using open earbuds! So, I can can still hear the wind, birds, and leaves crunching beneath my feet and also, catch an inspiring (or hilariously unhinged) podcast episode. It’s my favorite kind of double exposure: when my inner reflection meets my outer world.

Zines, Old Journals, Books With Underlines
I love keeping my favorite physical inspirations close by, like—scribbled notes, quotes, pressed leaves, and other found treasures. They anchor me in my artistic lineage and inspire me to take messy first steps.

My DIY Creative Action Oracle (a.k.a. The Dollar Tree Muse Bag)
A growing stash of hand-torn paper scraps, where I’ve written prompts or project names—stuff like Instagram, Wild Creating, Write, Record, New!, etc.

I pull a few—like tarot cards—whenever I need extra clarity or a new creative direction. Sometimes it sparks a new idea. Other times, it ignites a client brainstorm. It’s always a playful, creative surprise!

🐾 The Pups (Giji + Nisha)!
Always present, (and mostly) unbothered. A constant reminder TO PLAY for no reason!

💛 My Mom
She calls ME her caregiver, but she’s still out here—just being Mom.
She shows her love through daily acts of service—folding laundry, dig-sitting, and making snacks before I realize I need them. She’s the mom behind the maker, and the grounding energy behind everything I create. She is steady, enduring, and full of light—even when her body aches. AND Today is her birthday! So, I’m celebrating her everywhere!!

Magical Inputs

Human Design + Gene Keys
My creative roadmaps for creative decision making, energy, timing, and flow.
• Gene Keys
• Human Design

EFT Tapping + Guided Meditations
Help me regulate, realign, and show up as my most grounded and inspired-self in my creative spaces and processes.

Other Inspiring Creators
• Chase Jarvis – Practical + expansive interviews
• Chris Do & The Futur – Design & branding brilliance
• Digital Spaghetti – Artists actually doing the thing
• David Lynch on Creativity – Always worth a rewatch
• Lee Harris – Energy updates like soul hugs

The Unseen—but Essential

• PLAYING = and making something for no reason (other than FUN).
• STARTING before I feel ready.
• RETURNING to mySelf (again and again).
• FORGIVING myself for not doing more.
• CREATING a life that supports my creativity—not the other way around.

Your turn!
Do you have tools—physical, digital, emotional, or even mystical—that help you show up to the page, the project, or the messy middle?

I’d love to know and learn more about what works for you!

Please, hit reply or share with us in the (private!) Wild Creating Facebook Group.

I’d love to build a collective resource library and archive of what actually works!

Much love, more soon,
Aaron