Making the choice to create content on the internet was one of the best decisions I ever made.
Every day is a grind—internships, grades, projects, and more. It's tough.
But every week, I take the time to write a blog post about iPads. It's oddly calming. And it's a pretty cool hobby.
If you're looking for a new side project, here are 10 apps you can use to unleash your inner creative drive:
Bear
Bear is the app I use to write stuff like this post.
I've used it for years. It's awesome and simple to use.
Here are the features I love:
the simple UI
the awesome #tag organization system
the stats page with word count and read time
the ability to copy text into different formats (plain text, Markdown, etc.)
Some other cool features are:
custom typography
automatic table of contents
export options
Bear's free plan is awesome. I've used it for years.
Drafts
Before Bear, it was Drafts.
Drafts is an awesome app. I say that about most apps, but with Drafts I really mean it.
There are so many features available:
tags and filters to organize your work
cool widgets that teleport you into your work
a powerful command palette
endless integrations with the Shortcuts app
a ton of "share" actions, like copying, emailing, messaging, tweeting, sending to reminders, printing, and more
The reason I switched to Bear? I just want something simple.
But if you want to write like a pro, Drafts is probably better for you.
The free plan is good, but the paid plan is where things get crazy: iCloud sharing, custom widgets, workspaces, themes, and automations.
Now, I only used the free plan of Drafts. But if you want to take writing seriously, Drafts Pro is a steal at $1.99/month.
Procreate
Procreate is the best drawing app for the iPad. It's not even close.
If you're remotely into art, Procreate is worth it at $12.99.
I use Procreate to design cool wallpapers. It's also useful if I need to make diagrams for blog posts.
I don't think I need to say much more. There's a reason why everyone who has Procreate recommends it.
Notion
Notion is probably the best all-in-one tool out there (unless someone made an AI supertool).
Notion is a jack-of-all-trades app—it does a little bit of everything. It's also super aesthetic. And it has templates.
In other words, every college student's dream (my school has a Notion club 🤯).
A couple years ago, I used Notion for writing. I switched after a while, but I still use Notion to organize my blog:
I use it to set newsletter goals
I use it to save sponsorship information
I use it to store motivational messages that can inspire me in the darkest of times
and so on
For content creators, Notion is a strong organization tool. I'd recommend it.
Premiere Rush
Premiere Rush is the app I used back in my YouTube channel days.
I've edited over 100 videos in Premiere Rush. It's not the smoothest experience, but it gets the job done. Final Cut Pro is probably better, but I haven't had the opportunity to test it out yet.
If you're looking for a free choice, Premiere Rush is a good option (better than iMovie at least).
CapCut
After making normal YouTube videos for a while, I also started making YouTube Shorts.
That's when I discovered CapCut.
For short, punchy videos, CapCut was miles better than Premiere Rush. It used better graphics, cooler animations, and had a smoother editing experience.
Again, Final Cut Pro is probably better. As is LumaFusion. But if you're looking for a free app, either Premiere Rush or CapCut will do the trick for you.
Canva
Canva is everybody's favorite graphic design app.
If you haven't used Canva at all, email me and I'll send you a dollar (just kidding, I'm a college student 🙏).
No matter what creative journey you go on, you'll probably end up needing graphic design at some point. This could be:
your blog's logo
your YouTube channel's banner
your TikTok profile pic
a flyer for a service where you Simpson-ize people (this is actually a thing)
Canva is your key to success. There are other cool graphic design apps out there (like the entire Adobe suite), but Canva is the most intuitive to use.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT needs no introduction.
If you're ever in a creative slump, ChatGPT can be a source of inspiration. I use it whenever I don't know what to write about.
Even if you don't want to be creative, it's already 2024—why have you not downloaded ChatGPT?
Copilot
Copilot is Microsoft's version of ChatGPT (it uses the same tech).
I went to an AI meetup last week and a guy who looked super smart said Copilot is better than ChatGPT.
Find what works for you and go crazy with it. You'll have an endless idea generation machine.
Concepts
Concepts is an awesome "unlimited canvas" note-taking app I've used for a long time.
I use it to:
take notes in class
brainstorm article ideas
find startup ideas with my friends
and more
It has amazing organization (folders within folders), tons of brush options, a variety of different drawing tools, and a huge community of users.
The free plan they offer is pretty cool. And if you want more, Concepts has been kind enough to offer a free 30-day trial of their paid plan (no credit card required).
Final Thoughts
"Content is anything that adds value to a reader's life"—Avinash Kaushik
Thanks for reading!
Adi