Guide • March 14, 2016

11 Apps and Services for Creators

Unleash your creativity with these 11 apps and services

Papier

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Inspiration, the creative spark, brain vibes—whatever you want to call it, when you get a good idea, you need to write it down fast. Get the Papier Chrome extension and your default new tab page becomes a notepad. Jot down your brilliance and it’s automatically saved in Chrome.
iStock.com
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Whatever your creative project, you’re going to need unique images. Which means you need iStock.com. Home to millions of royalty-free images, illustrations, vectors, and more, iStock.com has breathtaking assets that’ll make your work stand out. Save 20% on credit packs with code MAR20 (Code expired!).
Muzli

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Web design is so hot right now, and Muzli makes it easy to stay up to speed on the latest trends. Install the Chrome extension to get a curated feed of digital design inspiration on your new tab page—because knowing what everyone else is doing is the first step toward doing it even better.
Paper

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Maybe you’re more the paper-and-pencil, get-your-fingers-covered-in-paint type. We’d hate to see what your keyboard looks like… but Paper is definitely the app for you: It’s an all-in-one sketching and notepad app for iOS. Sketch, draw shapes, edit photos, and format notes and lists with a range of finger motions. Just wash your hands first.
Crated

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So you made all this art, what are you gonna do with it? Make some cashola, obviously. Do that with Crated, an online marketplace for photos and other printed media. Create your profile, upload your art, and Crated’s in-house team of printers will make sure it comes out beautifully. You keep 80% of the profit, and 100% of the praise.
Makr

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Use Makr and everyone at the family reunion will think you hired some fancy-schmancy design shop to make the family t-shirts. Or use it to create beautifully branded cocktail napkins for your next party, or a sweet lookin’ tote for your company, or invites for that wedding you’re planning. Did we mention you’ll be doing all this from your iPhone or iPad? Amazing.
Music Maker Jam

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Did someone say barrier to entry? If you’ve always wanted to create and record your own music, don’t let technology get in your way. Download Music Maker Jam and easily get started creating your own tracks with this 8-channel mixer and 100+ music styles. Record your own vocals, add effects, and get feedback from the community. You Da Best!
Bonsai Payments

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PSA: The “free” in “freelancer” does not mean that you shouldn’t be paid for your freelance work. Remind clients to cough up your dough with Bonsai Payments, a web service that generates contracts, drafts invoices, pesters your clients to pay you, and handles their payment for $1 per invoice and a small transaction fee. Because you don’t want to end up like this kid.
Draft

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If you’re a writer, you know there are hundreds of options out there for drafting. Draft took a look at the market and combined all the best features into one intuitive, pared-down drafting website. With easy sharing, control of every version, and connection to your favorite cloud tools, there’s no excuse for you not to be writing as quickly as George Simenon.
Afterlight

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Are you looking to take your Instagram game from prosumer to profesh? Skip the usual filter apps and get the powerful photo editor Afterlight. With 74 fully-adjustable filters and an impressive range of natural light textures, those brunch photos of frittatas are going to have you feeling like…
Lists for Writers

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What’s the descriptor I’m looking for? Ah, yes, barrel-chested. Keep Lists for Writers in your pocket and never be without an adjective, name, or personality trait. This straightforward toolkit for iOS will help you keep writing with an extensive list of prompts and ideas to get you scribbling.
Back to Reality Guide

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We’ll leave you with one last piece of advice: Don’t make art while distracted. Stay focused on your creative process and actually get things done with these 11 apps and services.