Waaay back in September of 2011 when I was just a youngster I wrote this post about Tools and Apps for Creatives, including some of my tips on creating an effective, easy workflow. An update has been the acquisition of an iPad, and the discovery of new software in the last 18 months. How time flies! So, here is my updated version:

Working with a hyper creative person can be inspiring, energetic and hard work. Just ask any of my colleagues past, present and, no doubt, future. Also, as a freelance working mum when time is always of the essence, organisation and harnessing time and efficiency is key to Getting Stuff Done and Staying Sane.

If you are a creative bod, there are several things you can do to help yourself in your work-flow and productivity. If, like me, you generate ideas at all times of day and night, have several plates spinning and don’t function in a logical, linear way, read on.

My first recommendation is this book: The Hyper Creative Personality: how to focus your ideas and become the most successful person you know, a must have for your bookshelf. You will laugh aloud at your own traits, resonate with ways of working and pick up tips for a better methodology. Which, in real terms, means making money from that crazy brain of yours. Hurrah! My second, newest recommendation, is Be a Free Range Human, by the wonderful Marianne Cantwell.Perfect for creative entrepreneurs.

My current workflow app list looks like this:

DRAFTS
This BRILLIANT app for iPad is my go-to for most things. Drafts is a blank sheet of paper onto which I dump links, text, ideas, notes, anything. I can them come back to it later and assign each note a direction such as sending to Evernote, sending to Twitter, Buffer, Omnifocus, email, and many more. It’s a really brilliant and simple way to collate things on the go and deal with them later; preferably when having a cuppa and relaxing.

OMNIFOCUS
Omnifocus may well have saved my poor, addled brain cells. I have a version in my iMac, iPad, iPhone, my fridge (not really, but virtually), and they all sync up. When my brain feels a little overwhelmed with ideas and tasks I so a ‘mindsweep’ and dump everything int othe Omnifocus inbox to file later. I can also send emails as tasks, file things by project, context, completion date, priority and all sorts. It keeps me sane when juggling Cherry Sorbet work, freelance writing, home life, Project Endo and more.

BUFFER
Buffer is such a brilliant social media tool when managing a few accounts. It also allows you the luxury of setting up several main tweets for the future and forgetting about it so you can check into Twitter later and interact between jobs or when you dedicate time. It lets you step away from the social media reins a little and stay in touch.

PAPER BY 53
Sometimes,  I just want to jot things down in pen, or to doodle and draw my way around some ideas and notes. Paper by Fifty Three is just gorgeous, and allows users to sketch, doodle, make notes and just “be” on the page. You can use your finger tips but I also use my Bamboo pen by Wacom to make marks and write on the page. Its nice to make notes during meetings that are handmade, and I can attach them as an image to tasks in Omnificus. Oh, the pairing of old school and tech, I love it!

GOOGLE +
When I wrote the original post, G+ wasn’t really part of the playing field, but now I LOVE it. It has replaced Facebook and Twitter as my go-to watercooler talk place to hang out, and I love the vibrancy of the posts on it. Not so much a workflow app but definitely part of my research and information gathering resources.

Have you tried any of these apps? Has your workflow and app choice changed in the last 18 months?  Let  me know via Twitter @dexdiva or in the comments below.