Five Tools for Black Creatives in the Modern Era
I am often asked what tools do I use that I couldn’t live without as a black creative in the modern era. To be honest, it’s hard for me to limit myself to a shortlist because I am such a packrat. However, let me narrow it down to five essentials for me and why they are so important.
Productivity Software
What is meant by, productivity software is software that is used for producing information. I look at this software being your go-to software for most things you do daily. The most known set of applications is Microsoft Office 365. Here you get a set of tools for writing/docs, creating displays, email, sheets for business, and a publishing tool. However, there are substantial fees involved with Microsoft products. These fees can be absorbent for the individual or small group. Some cheaper alternatives are Google DOCs (free basic usage with upgrades), Apache OpenOffice, and OfficeSuite. I would recommend Google Docs or Apache OpenOffice as they are completely free and additions are very inexpensive. A huge positive about these applications is that many school districts, city governments, and non-profits have been using these products for decades and thus are known to be stable and reliable.
Digital Image/photo Editing software
As a writer, I have been asked to create basic images of characters or mockup a movie poster to help communicate the story’s impact visually to the audience. And even if you are not an artist you can create or edit simple images with either a photo editing software or vector image software. The most commonly used and discuss software in this arena are Adobe products, Illustrator and Photoshop. These are used in industries dealing with marketing, sales, digital artists, etc. However, a cursory examination of the costs you find they are extremely expensive (about $300 per application) and not practical for individuals or small companies. Next on the list to consider, is Affinity Serif products. They are a powerful set of applications that cost about $170 in retail costs together. This set includes a vector image tool called Designer (compare to Illustrator), Photo (like Photoshop), and Publisher (like InDesign). You can buy them separately as well. I have used and owned both Adobe and Affinity products and because of the cost, I switched to Affinity and never looked back. You can import Adobe items and edit them, but you cannot save any files to the Adobe formats. Last, we have a couple of completely free software called GIMP (photo editing) and Inkscape (vector drawing). Both have online community support and YouTube tutorials to help ramp up your ability to use the applications on an intermediate level.
Laptop/tablet
In this modern era, it is hard to imagine my life without having the access to resources via a laptop or tablet. Deciding which one you need depends on the power you need to accomplish your goals. However, here are some things to keep in mind depending on which you decide to purchase. Both the laptop and the tablet have improved significantly, and come down in what you need under the hood so to speak. Here is some physical hardware to keep in mind: make sure the CPU and GPU can handle your graphics and programs. Additionally, you should have RAM upwards of 8 GB and best with 16 GB because you running software that needs more processing to display your ideas.
Smartphone
This goes without saying for the creative. As someone who can be hit with inspiration at any moment, you need to be able to receive information and send information on the fly. This includes having the ability to post on social media (as sites are optimized for the cellular world). What you need under the hood of the phone is akin to what you need to consider for your laptop, as smartphones are now mini-computers in your pocket. Check around for a good deal and make sure it can run on a 5G network.
Notebook
This is my tried-and-true companion that I have never given up on. I keep different sizes around so they can fit in various types of bags I carry. Sometimes taking notes on your phone is not practical or a friendly way to engage during a meeting. There are moments when you may not be near electrical outlets but you need to be productive. Notebooks have saved many a day for me and have been a tool to help me document my ideas. So never leave without the low-tech champ.