Addictive Toys for Creative People: Inkscape
Addictive software toys promote creativity when you’re dead exhausted. A personal example: Inkscape.
I downloaded Inkscape about two weeks ago. Inkscape is an open-source vector graphics program much like Adobe Illustrator. When I first opened Inkscape, I ran through a simple tutorial to get familiar with the tools the software provided. Soon, I was opening the software like I open Twitter on my web browser: Mindlessly.
Addiction to software always begins with mindlessness that snowballs into a full-blown creative playground. (Your muse is best friends with idleness.)
Unfortunately for us, shiny new toys stop looking like shiny new toys after some time. Taking the toy out, playing with the toy, cleaning up after playtime is over–it all begins to look like boring work once the addiction wears down. But that’s okay. I now view that as an opportunity to discover new creative toys–or even rediscover an old one. (Previous toys I’ve been addicted to are GarageBand, GIMP, and Scrivener.)
So, replace your internet addiction with software addiction–and create away.
Last night, after winding down from my 15-hour train journey, I sat and created my new desktop wallpaper using Inkscape.
