Creating is a unique art where tools and methods are used seemingly at random but all have their place in the inner workings of an artists tool kit.
For me, I find it is the unique journey of each project that tells me which tools I need, which tools I can let go of and which tools I have that I will reach for again and again.

Here are this years current items:

Writing

Grammarly

Although expensive as all get out, I find Grammarly, the hard-working editor, behind my shoulder that I can’t afford to pay. She runs alongside me, catching tone, word choices and structure issues without much effort and as far as AI tools go, she’s one I can live with.

Pages

Being an Apple product user, I pages the app I write documents on.

Final Draft 12

Although screenwriting and playwriting are not mediums of writing that I have spent much time in the past few years, Final Draft has allowed me to dip in and out of the medium with ease and practicality. It easily formats scripts and keeps all notations and edits at your fingertips.

POCKET-SIZED Moleskin Notebooks

Being a highly analoge focused, I keep these pocket-sized notebooks close to organize project notes on the go, various themes of life and work, etc.

Leuchtturm1917 Notebooks

I design these notebooks every year using the Bullet Journal Method. It took many years to get the layouts the way I wanted. Using this method takes the yearly changes and adjustments of a new day planner out of the equation and keeps me flowing in productivity from one year to the next.

Sharpie Pens

I was raised by someone who sold pens for a living (among other things), and the number of pens that multiplied in our home was unreal. It made me want to live a less cluttered ‘pen life.’ Once I found the Sharpie pen, I never looked back. It’s the only pen I will use. It's simple and understated.

Producing

Final Cut Pro

Essential for editing film footage of any kind. Final Cut is UI-friendly, with many features and tools to discover.

Garage Band

For basic sound needs, Garage Band keeps serving. A quick tutorial can give you the basic vocabulary of how to use it, and it does the trick for about eighty percent of my audio needs.

Audacity

Audacity does what Garage Band can’t. It’s not as UI-friendly, but a few tutorials gave me the tools to help fine-tune my files.

Cannon Camera EOS RP

Having a camera, which I can use for any project, both personal and professional, is essential. I am not a professional photographer or cinematographer, but it gives me the ability to point, shoot and capture what needs to be done.

Recording

Zoom H4N Pro

Compact and an excellent quality recorder for in-the-field documentary/reporting work.
If you live in windy locations like I do, you should invest in a wind sock.

iPhone 13

In the multi-media creative industries, a smartphone is a must.
No explanation at this point in time should be needed for why.

Late last year, I began to work alongside Lynn Matheson and Accessible Media Inc. to help produce an episode of Our Community on MusGO Rider, a rural transportation association serving the Eastern Shore, Valley, and Sheet Harbour areas.

What is AMI?

Although not my first time involved in an AMI production, it has been many years, and I am reminded of the impact their not-for-profit platform provides, specifically in their work in Integrated Described Video, which is an art in and of itself. Their mission is clear, and their delivery and innovation are inspiring.

What is Our Community?

Our Community is a series that highlights the people, places, organizations or things that have made life more enjoyable for Canadians with a disability.

What’s Next?

With just weeks to go before production, we are pleased to see this project moving forward and excited to continue the work until it makes its last pass before airing.

****It’s never a waste of time to come alongside someone with a passionate heart and a keen eye for the story behind an organization. I am thrilled to be behind Lynn Matheson and her careful, mindful work.

creativity | ˌkrēāˈtivədē | noun the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work: firms are keen to encourage creativity.

Creativity, alongside its necessary partner' curiosity,' has been the foundation of how I have developed and honed my craft over the years.

Because of this passionate love and pursuit of creativity, I have found myself in various creative industry mediums (radio, scriptwriting, playwriting, comedy writing, film, articles, and web multimedia). It continues to be the heartbeat behind all that I do.

Creative Writer

A Creative writer approaches each writing piece or project with the concept that they discover the authenticity and strength of the material as they go along. They bring not only what they understand about the subject but also all the elements of life around them to fully develop a narrative and paint a picture for the readers of what they desire to communicate.
Creative writing is less about proving a point and more about showcasing an idea, belief or feeling through the art of words.

Creative Producer

A producer can be many things depending on the project they are working on, but in this case, my approach in creative producing has been and always will be as a vision advocate. Every project has its own unique tone, voice, narrative and hook. Taking the time to come alongside a story/project and help shape it and walk it into its fullness is an act of being able to honour it through all its needed changes while also intuitively knowing what is non-negotiable in its creation.
Creative Producing is, in its entirety, a position of intuitive discernment and advocacy for the overall project.

Earlier this year I had a scene flash before my eyes.

It’s a famous scene. From a film called “Field of Dreams”.
In all honesty, it’s not a favourite film of mine.
For a myriad reasons and mostly because baseball and I have a heart breaking personal history.

But it’s this “Build it and they will come” concept.
The idea that to see a dream fulfilled, you need to build the space for it to be before it can live.

When this scene flashed in my minds eye, I was facing many decisions that I had the ability to make, but also felt overwhelmed at the making of them.

I felt selfish.
Who am I?
To act like I could have this?

So I pondered staying in that space, not having, not requesting, not working towards and not putting into motion.

And then that scene.

Of needing to make the investment before expecting the vision to occur.

This is where I am.

I have the vision and I am in a season of pulling triggers, setting the stage and expecting.

Expectation is an otherworldly sentiment that us adults find a way to work out of our systems.

We remind ourselves of the letdowns, the reality, the way things usually turn out, our personal limitations and we decide at some point, that expectations are not safe.

But they can be the ingredient we have been missing.

So,

I’m pulling triggers.

Investing in the visions and believing that the gift of a dream is the journey in creating it.

And you?

What triggers do you need pull?

Are their dreams that you have been sitting on and have been questioning wether you are worthy enough?

Because if you are, you are already exactly who you need to be to start putting your dreams in motion.

Call it a pandemic, insightful colleagues, actively producing independent projects for almost a decade, or maybe just old fashioned perspective. The developments this year have helped me recognize that my work as a producer has weight and value.

At my core, I am a writer, but that has helped me develop my production skills through honing what it means to craft a story. Knowing that there is a bigger picture at play and wanting to see the creative ideas I have come to fruition.

The medium of producing has been becoming more apparent in my collaborations with others. I realize that the joy for me in making anything is behind the scenes of it all. Cultivating an atmosphere of creativity, collaboration and honouring the project holistically. To see a project in its whole self drives me in anything I do.

I am not sure where my active pursuit of professional producing will lead me, but what I do know already,

producing is not just about 'making it happen'; it's about honouring the whole process and working to make sure all of the moving parts are working to their best ability.