The Best Apps to Help You Become More Creative
Developing new creative skills can seem daunting. In addition to overcoming your inner critic, finding (and sticking with) the right tools to improve your abilities is not easy. While there are classes and workshops for different types of creative projects, they can take a lot of time and money, and if you’re just starting out or have little time, it can seem like a big investment. If you’re looking for a faster (and cheaper) option, check out some helpful apps that will get your creative juices flowing.
Brainstorming and idea development
If coming up with ideas is difficult, you can use an app to grease your creative wheels.
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Brainstorm: Creativity Trainer (Only on Google Play) allows you to brainstorm without prompts or prompts to help you come up with new ideas on a specific topic or just to help you build your creative muscles. The app can be used individually or in a group and is free.
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Ayoa allows you to use both visuals and text to create a flowchart. These tools allow a team of people to then turn this brainstorming into tasks, developing drawings and texts in communication with your group. The basic version is free, and there are two tiers with advanced project capabilities, access to image libraries, and AI support for $10 and $13 per month.
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Mindly uses mind maps to help you organize your ideas and visualize how they connect. This is great for coming up with new ideas or sharing them with others. It’s also free.
Creating and saving ideas
One of the big barriers to developing new ideas or expanding current projects is remembering and organizing your ideas. While simple notes can help you to some extent, sometimes your creative ideas don’t fit well in a text format. These apps can help you write down your ideas in alternative formats that better suit the way your creative brain works.
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Concepts allows you to draw different types of pens on your device, including shading, and the basic version is free. There is also a more advanced version with a digital image library, additional editing tools, and advanced file type export for $4.99 per month.
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DayOne is a journaling app that allows you to track your thoughts in a variety of formats. In addition to traditional text logging, you can also record audio, video, and save photos. It’s an affordable way to remember your thoughts and ideas and capture what inspires you. The basic version is free; The premium version, which allows you to access your journal on multiple devices and keep multiple journals at once, costs $2.92 per month.
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HiPaint allows you to draw new images and create original animations, as well as edit existing ones, using several tools and brush types. It also allows you to save multiple file types for use with different interfaces. It’s free to download.
Getting inspired
Getting inspired can be as simple as seeing a piece of art you like, connecting with a design concept, or looking at something in a new way. These tools will help you find your spark.
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Behance is a platform for almost any type of visual art you can think of. From graphic design to origami, you’ll find passionate people on this app. Searching for whatever art you’re looking for is free and easy. You can access it through your browser or download the app for free.
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DeviantArt offers a selection of art based on your tastes and preferences. You can also search for specific types of art that you’re drawn to, pin art that inspires you, and join groups for specific types and topics of art that you like—and it’s free.
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Google Arts and Culture is a free app that lets you tour museums, explore music, and play free creative games. It allows you to play with filters on your device’s camera and conduct “art experiments” with others using the interface.
Clearing the mind and focusing
If you’ve ever gotten stuck on an idea or can’t get to the next stage of a creative project, you probably know that focus and calm go a long way in moving the creative process forward.
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Calm has a variety of meditations for everything from sleep to creativity, and you can customize your settings to aim for creativity in the meditations it offers. There are also searchable versions of meditation that promote focus and calm. The app costs $10 per month; it is covered by some health insurance plans as preventative care.
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Headspace offers meditations and sleep stories, as well as calming music. You can access the app for $5.38 per month, and it contains over 500 searchable meditations to help you calm your mind and create.