An On-the-go Creator’s Toolkit

For all of you writers out there, you know that inspiration for that new poem or book can hit at any time. If you are not prepared and cannot write down that inspiration, line, or name, you may have lost it forever. If you are prepared, what you write down can become a best-seller or your most famous poem. This not only goes for writers, but for other creators as well. If you are a painter and come across a beautiful scene, but have no way of photographing it for your new painting, it may be lost. Below are some items that are necessary to keep with you always.

Pen and paper are essential must haves. You can do everything you need to with them. Jot down a few lines, sketch a scene, or write reminders for yourself. The nice thing is that small memo pads and a pen take up very little space in purses, glove boxes or desk drawers.

Last year for Christmas my boyfriend bought me a voice recorder. It has been one of the greatest presents I have ever received. Not only can I speak what I am thinking, but I can record my thoughts while I am driving or in bed without having to get up and turn the light on. I find this very helpful since I get most of my ideas while driving back and forth to class or right as I fall asleep.

Most of the models being released today can be plugged right into the computer. Allow the sound files to be stored on your hard drive. This is great for those of you who are constantly filling up your voice recorder. Some models even have software available to convert those sound files into text files, cutting out the middle step of you typing up your ideas! How great is that!

Most cell phones these days come with a camera. This is great because you can take a picture of anything that happens to inspire you. While smartphones have great cameras that can take clear, detailed pictures, for the rest of us our phone cameras may not be up to snuff. If you do not feel like investing in a digital camera or upgrading to a smartphone, a solution is to stock up on disposable cameras. The downfall to this is that it can get expensive after a while, and you have to wait for the film to be used up and the prints developed before you can even see your inspiration in photo form. This can be frustrating if that picture you took made you want to create something right when you get home.

Whether you be driving to the grocery store, at work, or taking a walk in the park, that creative spark can hit you at any time. Be ready for it by having this toolkit handy wherever you go. I know there are many times I have not had pen and paper and I would be kicking myself in the butt for it. Even if you never use something you recorded from years ago, you will never know when that something comes in handy. So stay prepared creators of the world!