📜The Scribbled Line Toolchest

30 tools and links for Scribbling outside the lines

WOAH - What’s this? A special Friday edition of The Land of Random! 🙌

My entire life, I’ve always scribbled outside the lines. It didn’t stop when I learned how to properly draw. It just moved to different mediums.

Whether it was obsessing over history, experimenting with tech, or listening to strange genres of music, I always had a different perspective on things. Ask anyone from my life and they are SURE to tell you that I’m a bit eccentric. 😂 The Land of Random is quite literally a manifestation of the inner workings of my brain - Curious about EVERYTHING.

Now, maybe you’re eccentric too. Maybe YOU write outside the lines.

Maybe you want to write outside the lines - but don’t know how to start.

I’ve been hoarding a list of tools, ideas, books, and news sources to get you started on your journey outside the lines, and I’m finally ready to share it with you! It’s so very exciting to share this.

Whether you want to implement this philosophy into your work life or personal life, I’ve got a bit of everything here today, from “off the beaten path” to more popular and well-known tools.

Today, I’m challenging YOU to get a bit eccentric TOO. Start scribbling outside those pesky lines.

Why wait? Get started today.

💾 Software

Whether you want to transform your work-life OR personal workflow, the following tools are a FANTASTIC place to start!

🖊Notion

If you haven’t jumped on board the Notion “Hype Train” you definitely need to. This tool feels almost infinitely flexible. What is it? Well, it’s kind of a Doc Editor, CRM, and really whatever you want it to be. Want to set up a personal journal? track goals? create a CRM for work stuff? store files? This product fits neatly into the spatial thinking category because it’s such a “blank slate” tool. Even better, there’s plenty of templates you can use for free to get started. It has a very generous free plan if you plan on using it just for yourself. Get Started Here

🧱Whimsical

Ok, Ok, so you’ve opened a new google doc and are staring at it blankly, trying to come up with ideas to put down. Try a different way of looking at things. Try Mindmaps, Flowcharts, and Sticky Notes! Whimsical is a great way to get started with visual thinking, AND - it has a free plan. 😁 Get Whimsical

• Want to do this but in live time with other people? Well, for that, there’s Miro

• Want to do this, but need more fun, happiness, and imagination? Kinopio is another fantastic option.

• The Muse App is a really sweet spatial canvas you can use on the Ipad. It’s as Freeform as you can get! Check it out

🤺 Excalidraw

Ever wish you could have the infinite flexibility of a whiteboard? Well, now you can with Excalidraw, a free whiteboard tool. I use it quite often when I’m trying to brainstorm. Try Excalidraw

• Need native Google Drive integration? Draw.io is another good option.

📄 Post It Notes App

The Post-it Note App is actually really really cool! You can cross the physical with the virtual world by taking photos of real post-it notes and uploading them to the cloud. Did i mention the Kanban boards you can make of your Post-it notes too? Get the app

🦜Communication

Why limit creativity to your workspace? Bring it to the way you communicate with other people.

Muze Chat

I can’t tell you enough good things about this app. This app radically redefines instant messaging - making it a blank canvas. Want to make your text big? upside down? create pictures with Gifs and stickers? Use different fonts? All that is possible. It’s one of the coolest apps I’ve seen in years. Get it here

• You can have fun in normal chat apps too! Try creating a “gif only” “meme only” “15 second and under Youtube video” or “sticker only” chat with your friends. You can have fun finding the funniest/craziest content to share!

Capuccino FM

Create a personal audio show for your friends, family, and followers. It’s a unique way to communicate, and is more personal than just typing out a message in a group text. Check it out here

Kosmi

Kosmi is a really fun an easy to use Video Chat app that works natively in your browser. Watch videos, play games, or just hangout with your friends! Check it out.

• Want a digital hangout that’s more like the real world? Try Kumospace

• Want to watch movies with your Friends? Try Jelly Party

• Want to Draw with your friends? Try Aggie

🎶Music

Yes, Apple Music and Spotify are fantastic - but sometimes you need to get out of your comfort zone! Get outside your typical musical comfort zone and relegate control to the shadowy curators.

Arcade by Output

I find it deeply cathartic to fool around making my own music. Instruments are great, but if you don’t have the time, here’s an alternative. Arcade is a fantastic way to do that, with thousands of loops/patterns in easy to use keyboards. Try it free

• Want to record your creations? Use Audacity to do a straight recording.

• Mix your own Lo-Fi Vibes with the Google Lo-Fi Player

Digital Radio

When I say Digital Radio, I don’t mean Last.FM or other such sites. I mean aesthetically pleasing ones to get you in the creative “outside the box” mood.

• Nightwave Plaza is a great choice for Vaporwave Vibes

• Big Desk Energy has great vibes and pong

• Poolside FM has 80’s Vibes

🕸Website Creation

Creating a website is a deeply creative act, and I firmly believe in starting from a blank canvas. It’s the best way to build whatever you want. Here are a few of my favorite ways to build a website.

• E.gg. Ever wanted to build your own gif filled wondrous digital site/zine? Well, now you can! Check out e.gg

• Carrd. It’s a simple website creator. It’s easy to use, and you can start completely from scratch to build something wild and crazy! Check it out

• Webflow. You can build whatever you want. It’s pretty cool! Check it out

• Use Wordpress? These Brutalist themes will change your perspective on web design.

😊Inspiration

An Inspiration funnel is a fantastic way to keep yourself full of new ideas. These are some of my favorite websites for staying inspired and creative!

Cool Inspo Sites

These days, it feels like most of our news sources are singing doom and gloom. I say - rise above the horrors and choose to get inspired!

• Hacker News always has the most interesting stories and links.

• Product Hunt has the dopest new products around.

• Dribbble has the coolest new designs and sites

• Artstation has really cool digital art

• Get Random Inspiration from cool websites

Save Your Inspiration

Now that you’ve been inspired, you need to save your inspiration for further research and study. Here’s some useful tools you can use.

• Use Bublup to save links, photos, and notes across your devices!

• Raindrop is modern, minimalist, and cool

• Use Roam Research to organize + chronicle your notes

• Organize your content in an online digital space, like Animal Crossing, but for notes.

🙌Entertainment

Off the beaten path of social media, there are niche apps waiting for you!

• Byte is an alternative TikTok - some wild creativity here.

• Are.na is an interesting social media experiment, unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

That’s all for this special edition of The Land of Random. If you’ve been visiting the Land of Random today, I encourage you to join us! We have cookies - and wild content every week

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