As a creative who enjoys all things digital design, content creation, and graphic design, there are some essential resources that I believe every creative should take advantage of in the pursuit of their goals. There have been many times when I have a new idea that I want to execute, but I don’t have the resources I need to bring my vision to life. After some months of searching for new apps, websites, and online courses, I have compiled tons of resources that are beneficial in my everyday work routine. For this blog post, I have chosen my favorite and most convenient resources that are easy to navigate and understand. Without further ado, enjoy my list of 5 resources that every creative should know about. ​
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One of the first online destinations I discovered as a content creator was Creative Market. Think about downloadable fonts, graphics, themes and more found all in one place. Creative Market is the holy grail of supporting freelance artists from all over the world as you can buy their design assets for low costs. Even better, if you sign up for their newsletter, you automatically get 6 free downloads sent to your inbox every week. Creative Market is all about empowering creators and motivating them to bring their ideas to life. If you are interested in opening your shop on Creative Market, you can monetize your content in their online marketplace. Next time you’re looking for the perfect graphic or template to bring your project together, be sure to check out Creative Market.Â
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A fairly new resource for creatives, Canva is a user-friendly graphic design website that allows users to create pretty much anything you can name. From Youtube banners, Instagram story highlights, brand presentations to cards and logos, Canva is a resource that you will want to get into. The website’s drag and drop feature allows you to customize nearly every aspect of your creation. The free version provides access to icons, stock photos, shapes, colors and much more. It allows you to easily work with teams and quickly access your most recent projects. I would recommend Canva to anyone who is seeking to create timeless design work with minimum design experience. For a better experience, Canva Pro offers many more tools for any graphic project.Â
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An educational online community of creators learning from one another in a space that fosters empowerment and discovery, this is the essence of Skillshare.com. The online platform offers interactive educational videos through a monthly subscription. You can literally find thousands of classes from the fundamentals of photography to productivity masterclasses. Some of my favorite classes surround illustration and GIF animation. Each video focuses on the bigger picture of completing a project which ultimately allows you to have self-affirmation and confidence in your skills. Skillshare is perfect for anyone who wants to refine their lifestyle and jumpstart their career by expanding their skill set.Â
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Have you ever been close to finishing a project but couldn’t find the perfect font to bring your masterpiece together? Well look no further, DaFont is going to be your lifesaver! An entire archive of free downloadable fonts is the hype behind this resource. I’ve used this site so many times that I have lost count. Every font is categorized into 9 themes with subcategories for each theme. A few of my favorite themes are fancy, basic, and script. The best part about DaFont is that if you enter your phrase in the search box, you can see how it looks in each font. This feature is one of the biggest timesavers that you can come across. Once you download a font that works for you, simply install the font on your laptop and integrate it into your project! Simple and easy, right?!Â
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Mockup World is known as the best free mockups from the web, and let me tell you, they live up to their standard. Oftentimes designers will find themselves creating product mockups or package labels for client projects. Being able to quickly find mockups using this resource allows access to high-quality mockups such as t-shirts and business cards. Each mockup will redirect you to where the mockup was originally found on the internet and from there you can download the PSD file and substitute your PNG file. If you do not own Adobe Photoshop, there is an alternative solution that the website offers that allows you to upload your design to your browser. I highly recommend Mockup World for those who want to sell their designs to clients through the use of Mockups! ​ We all know the feeling of trying to complete the project without knowing the next direction that you should go in. Hopefully, these resources will eliminate that pressure by providing you with solutions and empowering ideas. Share this list with your creative communities and find time to create your useful list of resources that you can share with others. As creatives, it is our responsibility to foster environments that are uplifting, educational and inspiring! Enjoy and happy creating!