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.

recording session for a CBC radio series.

Any podcaster knows the complexities of recording in-house, but I have done a healthy amount of recording, for podcasts, radio etc not needing to handle my own equipment or even handle all the ins and outs of setup.

Until now.

There is nothing like a pandemic to force one to get over their fear of tech, muddle through the necessities and learn a thing or two along the way.

Thankfully, being married to an electrical engineer, I have the advantage of in-house tech support. If everything goes ‘to hell in a hand-basket’ so to speak, I can yell bloody murder from my office and he will trundle in, all nonchalant, while sorting through the latest glitch.

Things I Have Learned

Stuff yourself into a closet (it’s a plus if you have a walk-in)

In our new home, every room as an echo.
Mostly due to being slow to add pictures or rugs to rooms. I like taking my time with decor.

No matter how hard you try, a lawnmower is still a lawnmower.

Wait until all lawnmowers have retreated for the day…or at least rush in quickly and record.
Don’t get me started on this one. It’s not always easy to schedule a peaceful time to record, but you just have to adjust accordingly.

Plan interviews but leave room for spontaneity.

I get self conscious about my own physical voice in any project. It’s so much easier for me to build a spotlight and narrative around others, but lately my work has been more personal, leaving me little room to escape my own voice. Remembering that I can also follow an interesting lead in thought and question while trying to honour the project anchor points is a helpful way to stay loose.
It’s okay to go off book sometimes.

Don’t review material on the same day. Even if you have access to it.

This is something I have learned over a long time of doing interviews / recording film.
As exciting as it is to look over the material that same day, (not all projects is this possible, but for my work, it mostly has been) try to give yourself a day’s breather before reviewing the recordings. Space away from the experience will help you hear things you wouldn’t hear the day of.