Just wondering if people have the time to actually use their computers to enhance their creativity, (i.e. photo, video, musical, scientific, programming, ). . . What’s your line?
Rich;)
This is not to say that there isn’t a lot to learn using the computer. . . this in itself is a whole different ballgame by itself.
I do some simple photo editing from time to time, using:
darktable
rawtherapee
gimp
gthumb
I don’t know that I use anything to “enhance” creativity, but I use things to “utilize” any creative spark I have.
Music: Reaper DAW, Tenacity
Images: GIMP, Krita, Upscayl
Similarly I am unsure of the attribute ‘enhance’ .. but there are some tools I use:
gimpinkscapeffmpegimagemagickSome outlying relations might be:
aseprite/pixelorama - pixel-art ‘painting’/editing tools.kcolorchooser for when I want to quickly nab the color from anything on screen.spectacle for screenshots or screen recording.Creativity for me, as an artistic outlet, is writing things.
I have tried every ‘productive’ app including focuswriter, manuskript, latex and cast of ‘writing’ apps. ZZZZ.
LibreWriter or a text editor at the end of the day does more to enhance creativity because it they are plain jane with no features/ bells/ whistles/ distractions.
If I’m creating something visually for someone then Scribus and Gimp. [Scribus the next best thing to Quark, which is superior to InDesign in every way, but Quark arrogantly refuses a Linux edition.]
Try your hand a panorama photography. . . .
(1) Hugin
(2) enblend
These programs will help you stitch a row/column photo-mosaic allowing you to put together large panorama pictures with details that wide angle lens can’t capture.
I did work in my high school photo lab developing film, making prints using techniques that were true and tried by many before me. I’m no pioneer by any means but that’s where some of this interest got me started.
Rich 
I often wondered how good writers utilize what’s now available today and how to publish
manuscripts with enclosed photo’s. Page layouts, formats, etc. all the technical things that you just can’t do with the old fashion typewriter I’m familiar with that disappeared like the dinosaurs of the past.
Writing in itself is a tedious task and having all the tools available (i.e. dictionary, thesaurus, all come in handy. . . for sure. To write a good novel or piece of literature is a work of art. The computer makes this task so much easier when your work can be saved, edited and reworked before final publication.
Rich
I think programs utilized are unimportant, as pagination, font, format (all, sadly) will be decided by whoever wants to publish it. I’m talking short story, novel, even poems. I hear Hollywood recptacles will pay attention to submitted scripts written in script software (character centered, spoken line centered, brief background moves in parenthesis) as its the accepted movie/play form and easiest to storyboard.
if it’s your call, and bleeding out of your pores, then none of those tools matter.
Two of the best writers I know write longhand in a notebook, in cursive! Get it to word processor later.
absolutely a godsend and amen. libre office all you need. scribus if you are getting fancy.
I think your emphasis on ‘good’ (as subjective as that is) is key here. I have heard many argue any creation is art. When people tell me that I say ‘what if a street person pooped on the street, took out a butter knife, and made his poop look like a duck? Is it still art?’ Most say yes. Then I ask ‘would you put it in your house?’ Absolutely not they say 
. Who knows?
The computer I think, can get in the way of raw creative flow. There’s something to be said for removing all of the frills and distractions, and laying down creative expression directly to paper. For more serious creative efforts, I’ll often conceptualise it on paper first. If the work is within existing design paradigms, I’ll be more inclined to go direct to computer, as creatively it’s more of an adaption, than a creation.
A large chunk of my career was creating really fun and interactive public spectacles, bringing together my love of creativity, hardware and programming. I loved that work. I leveraged Adobe AIR (now Harman AIR) for most projects. It was/is a hugely underrated cross-platform multimedia framework for development, but the demise of Adobe Flash in browser, ultimately saw much of the community step away to alternatives like Unity.
I use open-source haxe now, which in conjunction with OpenFL accomplishes a similar goal, in a similar way (as a spiritual successor of sorts). When developing, I tend to just use Kate and the terminal.
Oh, and very important for my creativity, vlc for listening to chill beats so I can focus and find flow.
Autodesk Inventor in virtualbox.
Thanks for the tip @rich52! Much appreciated! I’ll take a note.
Not every piece of art is intended to be put in a house. Street Art is a well-established genre
Poop Art (not Pop Art) seems also to be its own thing. A notorious example:
Kdenlive for video and some of the other software for video may work fairly well. I’m just learning some of the in’s and out’s of video editing using Kdenlive. I’ve also done some still photo videos using 4kslideshowmaker and photo-filmstrip.
I haven’t yet used all of the video software that is available and it needs to be explored for their usage and capabilities. I’ve got two small video camera’s one is a Sony vlogging camera and another is a go-pro spin off which works very well.
I took an hour video while bicycling where I live and also take live weather updates and spring bloom videos of plants around my place of residence. Some ‘slow-motion’ videos of weather patterns moving in with storms and lightning can be exhilarating to view and see. . ( Still experimenting with lightning videos as infrequent storms might be here. )
It’s my attempt to try new and different things with still and video cameras. Actually (fast-frame) videos not slow motion. . . . 1 picture taken every 3 seconds. . . . in video format.
I also attempt to make and edit my own mp4 sound tracks for my video’s along with written text titles and dates placed on the screen describing the date/time and anything else pertinent.
I’m also now exploring ProjectM and making videos with music to play back on my ‘big-screen’ TV for entertainment purposes .
Rich
Interesting, most of you are listing the tools and software packages to realize specific tasks in the scope of creation of multimedia content.
But those, at least in my eyes, are not enhancing creative processes. I.e. simply by using a brush and some paints on a canvas, doesn’t result in enhanced creativity. Those are tools in my eyes, and they require a technical understanding and expertise to achieve a (technically) efficient workflow. Furthermore, the given set of editing tools within that scope is rather narrow and in some cases limiting. Especially if it’s a “new to me” tool that you’re not sufficiently familiar with, yet. Hence, the given tool can be restrictive at first, hindering creative processes.
In other words, you can be creative with the given set of tools and software, indeed. But it’s quite a difference if you’re using following specific (technical) workflows. Then it’s most likely content creation. And it’s a different question if this is really “creative”.
Thus, just let me emphasize that creative processes in their conceptual stages doesn’t require the mentioned tools listed within this thread.
But, you can definitely use GIMP or inkscape or the others to elaborate on a given project in it’s conceptual stages. E.g. to compose story boards, mood boards, mind maps or other methods to shape an idea. These tasks / methods can also performed without the use of any program at all, simply on a sheet of paper, notebook or the like.
So, as there are many software packages for note taking, mind mapping or even distraction free writing environments. I’ld love to see which solutions are being used here.
To me, I’ve got my plain old notebooks / moleskin which I’m using to take notes and simple sketches. A smaller one for unrefined stuff, and larger for the refined / structured stuff.
Additionally. What are your sources of inspiration ? Someone still using pintrest or the like ? Is there even an open source alternative to pintrest that I’m not aware of ?
Well perhaps in fairness, the topic was:
But that aside, I do agree with you in sentiment, that these are tools. I’m not sure I would draw quite as strong a distinction between say pen and paper, as a graphics tablet and Gimp. Personally, I find the raw creative process more free-flowing with pen and paper, but I don’t think that makes using software inherently non-creative.
Someone could take their iPad and stylus outside and sit under a tree in the park with ProCreate for example, and brainstorm wild creative ideas… or they could achieve the same thing with pencil and a notepad.
Which wasn’t my point or statement that I insist upon.
It’s definitely feasible to tinker around with most software packages by means of experimentation, to develop specific workflows. Which is definitely a creative process by itself.
Same here, too.
It’s also important in which scope were talking about creative processes or methods.
If it’s a personal thing, you won’t need to document or refine an idea conceptually per se. But if it’s a collaborative, larger project then the other contributors have to be on the same page.
My point is simply: You’ll find a lot of content on platforms such as deviantart. But it’s easy to distinguish if the displayed and shared content there is … an piece of art. Or a piece in which the creator is documenting his own (technical skill) progression.
I’m not a writer and thoughts are tough to put on paper and people’s interpretations all vary. I guess I was trying to see what apps people have applied and or use to further their talents and creativity. Other than just talking computers and technical jargon.
Don’t misconstrue my intentions. . . . I was attempting to see what others have done and are attempting to do with what software that is available and how people might be applying themselves using this technology. No harm done I hope. . . . I enjoy the conversations people have in all of these forums.
I hope the ramblings of this old man hasn’t offended anyone. We’ve come a long way in my long 73 year existence. There is so much to be conceptualize and understood.
Rich
I’ve enjoyed the conversation @rich52, no offence taken here in the slightest. I found the insights offered by the writers here particularly interesting.
Thanks for your kind response. . .
Rich
Yes, you hit the nail on the head. . . here.
Rich