Hey there from the depths of my sofa (or couch as you might call it)!
So…we have an official drought here in London and much of the UK and it hasn’t stopped raining for daaaaaays. It’s going to rain for many more days yet but apparently it’s the ‘wrong sort of rain’ or maybe not wet enough rain. Anyway, the official drought stays. Until Christmas, or so we are told. Go figure.
Anyway, a great excuse to spend today working in comfort while my daughter builds astonishing Lego creations beside me. Don’t you wish you’d come up with the Lego concept? Simple and yet brilliant enough to stand the test of time. Still, today’s suggestions should help unleash that creativity within you while saving you precious pennies as well as valuable hours…
Software is one area of expenditure that can really impact on your pocket so I’ve decided to focus today on more free alternatives to some of the pricy big boys out there but first I want to introduce you to another new fave of mine (drum roll)…
AlternativeTo – http://alternativeto.net/
This is another of those simple yet brilliant ideas that I think will run and run. You can go here to search for alternatives to ‘crappy’ (their words) and often expensive software and all for nothing (although you have the option to donate via Paypal if you feel inspired to do so).
The categories are neatly sorted and there is a wealth of fantastic stuff on offer here. Do go take a look and let me know of any particular gems that you find so we can all benefit!
A long-established site I am also a big fan of is Aviary which offers an excellent array of editing and creation tools that are a serious alternative to Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Aviary have now diversified into apps as well but you can still find the main site here and explore all the creative goodness it has to offer:
With infographics, diagrams and mind maps becoming ever more dominant online and in products, I am always on the lookout for easy-to-use resources. I therefore particularly like Cacoo as it is point and click simple:
Lastly, and on a completely different note, I just have to share with you this wonderful site which I turn to whenever I am feeling frazzled. Calm.com has a variety of different guided relaxation exercises along with relaxing images and soothing sounds although you can take advantage of the options tabs to turn off sound, guidance etc as you wish.
Highly recommended for ‘those’ days and you can find it here:
That’s it for this week – I will have news shortly of how I am unleashing my own creativity but, in the meantime, have an amazing week and speak soon!
