This page is an ever-evolving list of the tools I tend to use for all the different aspects of my art business. They’re pretty much all here, blogs, books/authors, browser extensions, desktop applications, mobile applications, short-cuts, physical resources, local resources, etc. I’m not saying these are the best options, the best options for you, or even the best options for me, they’re just what I use in current workflows. Also, they’re probably not in any semblance of order :/

jump to the “Shit list”?

Applications

    • Adobe Creative Cloud – Photoshop, Illustrator, Bridge, etc. I use most of the applications they offer and have the full subscription without any major complaints. Every now and then, they run unadvertised specials that you can take advantage of by canceling your current subscription and immediately resubscribing. I think accounts become eligible for those deals once every two years. I don’t know, I just did it so I get the big subscription for $20 less per month for a year.
      UPDATE 2025-11-15: I’m working hard to ditch this company. I’ve replaced all but Photoshop and Illustrator in my workflow now. Was going to use Affinity, but they just embraced a bunch of AI shit in their apps after Canva bought them.
      UPDATE 2025-12-29: I finally canceled my Adobe subscription. I’ve been a Photoshop user since v3.0 back in the mid-1990s. First purchased Photoshop 5.5, then Adobe CS, and then subscribed when they switched to that.
    • Quickbooks – SMB accounting. I use the desktop version, not the online stuff, which I’ve found lacking.
    • AutoHotKey – this is one of the most powerful little tools that most haven’t heard about. I use it as both a text replacement tool and as a macro replay tool. I have to do the same repetitive set of clicks when printing shipping labels and such, and this tool can replay those clicks from a recorded macro so I just use a keyboard shortcut to do special printing tasks that normally open different windows and click through lists of options. This little program automates that entire process, and that’s really under-utilizing its power! I will also share some of the snippets I use. It has a high learning curve because it does require being able to write code in it’s proprietary language. There are some other tools, that can do some of the same things, but use a graphical user interface.
    • Dropbox – cloud storage. I use it for a lot of different things, I store parts of my ebook library (article on my personal blog), deliverables for certain clients, some digital products that are sold through Etsy and my own websites, etc. Apps for all devices allow you secure access to everything from anywhere! I’ve always just used the free version of this service. (using my link to Dropbox gets us both 500Mb of extra storage for free)
    • Directory Opus – this is a replacement for Windows Explorer (not internet explorer, it’s not a browser!). I can’t even describe how powerful this application is. As an artist, I find it so valuable in so many ways for interacting with files on my PC. I have certain image folders configured to sort and display in specific ways. Its dual-pane view is something I wished for in Windows for years! Built-in duplicate file finder and powerful search engine, and so much more! Check out the website for more info. There are also lots of free add-ons to do even more things!
    • Bulk Rename Utility – makes renaming a bunch of files at once stupidly simple and does so many more things to groups of files. I still use it sometimes, but I mainly installed it when I was getting a handle on all the crazy asset files from a few clients, and they were named oddly. Free!
    • Fontbase – the best free font manager I’ve ever used. Replaced NexusFont with this since NF hasn’t been updated in years. Fontbase is so much faster and better at doing this job, and the free version is pretty good. Although, if you use Adobe products for asset/art creation, I highly suggest upgrading to the Awesome plan.
    • Obsidian – a free, incredible writing app that, through the use of plug-ins, is so so so much more. Similar to Notion and Roam, as I understand, but far more configurable and manipulable. I manage much of my life with my Obsidian install.

Blogs

    • None really catching my eye right now

Books/Authors

    • Atomic Habits by James Clear – I can’t recommend this book enough! Every time I open this book, I learn something new. It’s densely packed with useful, actionable information.

Browser Extensions

    • Cold Turkey (replaces RescueTime) – RescueTime changed models. However, I’ve discovered I need something that can force structure at times, but I found Cold Turkey, which doesn’t store my usage data outside of my computer, so there’s no data for a company to sell. I’m tired of companies profiting from tracking me. It’s why this site doesn’t have any external analytics.
        • RescueTime – with this one browser extension, I discovered where the hell my time got wasted or used productively. It’s brilliant! I had to tweak it for my situation (e.g. Etsy isn’t a time-waster because 99% of my time there is spent managing multiple shops). Although not necessary, I recommend kicking in some cash for the premium level…the “Focus Time” feature is worth its weight in gold! UPDATE 2021: I’ve stopped using this kind of thing. I’ve used it for 3-4 years and have learned how to do the right things without it, but it did teach me a lot!
    • 1Password – it’s best practice to have different strong passwords for every online thing. Keeping track of that would be a nightmare without this! It’s a combo desktop app/mobile app/browser extension, so I have access to my passwords/secure notes on every device I use, but they’re all encrypted and protected, so other people can’t access them. No tracking codes, unlike most other services of this kind!
    • ClipGrab – download YouTube videos to watch later. I rarely use this, instead just opting to bookmark the link, but some are good enough that I want to keep a copy in case it goes away online.

Facebook Groups

    • The Artist Garage Group – artists selling equipment, displays, tents, and supplies all over the U.S. Not for selling your art!

Other Resources

    • Square – it’s what I use to process credit card transactions on my website and when I’m doing markets in person. It’s cheaper than every other system I’ve ever heard of (a few have now matched their pricing, but never their full feature set!). Lots of reader options so it doesn’t matter if you need a full register setup for your coffee shop(s) or just a small thing that’s easy to carry in your pocket and use at markets, they have it. (using my link to signup for Square gets us both free processing of $1000 in transactions!)
    • Pirate Ship – this is the shipping system I have tied into my online shop(s). I was using Shipstation, but this has all the integrations I use, plus it’s free. I like saving the $9/mo.

Websites

    • You Need A Budget – I use this website/mobile app to budget my personal and business finances. Most micro-business owners do expense tracking, but I’ve not heard of any within my sphere that do actual budgeting. Certainly not the degree of accuracy and clarity that YNAB allows me by following their “4 Rules”. Sign up for a 34-day trial through my link, and if you decide to purchase a subscription, we both get a free month!
    • Cash App Taxes – cheaper than filing through TurboTax or H&R?! Often, it’s even free, even for folks filing Schedule Cs!
    • MyNoise.Net – my “go to” sound/music page for my studio time. I highly recommend sponsoring the project for the extras…they’re well worth it!
    • What Should I Read Next? – Self-explanatory, but essentially, just enter an author, title, character name, or even genre, and it spits out a pretty clever list of books to read.
    • Noises.Online – a new background noise generator from the same person that does MyNoise.net. This one is simple, intuitive, free, and very high-quality.
    • YouTube – seriously, once you get past all the stupid reaction videos (for real, how is that even entertaining?!), there’s some highly educational content on this platform. Some of my go-to channels include Corridor digital, DrawingWiffWaffles, The Vintage Space, Dr. Becky, Steve Mould, Colin Furze, Nerd Forge, and Cas van der Pol. Some are more entertainment than education.
    • Lose the Very – a handy tool to replace very ______ with a single word that does the job. I’m using it since 2021 to improve my communication writing.
    • CreativeMarket.com – fonts, mockups, and stock resources. Offers weekly freebies and monthly bundle deals
    • Facebook Business Suite – This replaced Later.com for scheduling FB and IG posts. It has fewer features and is clunky because it’s Facebook-level effort development, but it’s also free. Probably because they’re tracking the fuck out of everything I do on the site. UPDATE: I abandoned content calendars and scheduled posts. I shut down 90% of all social media accounts, and now am pretty exclusive to a single Bluesky account.
    • MightyDeals.com – a good source for fonts and stock resources. Sometimes offers some ideal bundles.
    • GraphicRiver.net – part of the Envato family of resource websites. Offers monthly freebies.
    • DesignCuts.com – an excellent source for fonts and stock resources. Offers weekly freebies and monthly bundle deals.
    • UPDATE 2024; I got away from all these crossed out digital bundle/resource sites as I’ve pivoted hard to traditional media and illustrative techniques for any digital work I actual still do.
    • UPDATE 2025 – I just went to a few of these resource sites I crossed off a while ago and it reaffirmed I made the right choice. So much AI slop on them these days. Seriously, there are still some gems I’m sure, but my eyes were pelted with far too much low-effort AI shit for me to ever recommend them any longer.

The Shit List

These are companies I actively avoid and why. I’ve tried to limit the list here to ones somehow related to my art business. You don’t need to email/contact me to tell me you (dis)agree.

Hobby Lobby – weaponized a perverted version of Christianity against people. Treat employees horribly. Caught knowingly trying to steal cultural artifacts from the Middle East.

Walmart – if I need something for my business that I can find here, I’m going to go somewhere else. Period. Unless it’s economically unfeasible, you shouldn’t be shopping here or Target in 2024.

Amazon is absolutely on this list, and listen, I understand. I hear you and see you, and I’m definitely not immune from the struggles of affordability! I’m in the same fucking boat. While I stopped all personal spending there a while a go, I was still getting business supplies from there even earlier this year. I just can’t keep doing that. I don’t know what the answer is, but as I figure it out, I’ll share here.

Microsoft is also on this list. Look, I’m middle-aged, and worked in a professional business environment for part of my life where Windows and Office are as common as morning coffee. I kept using local software like Office long after gmail and outlook.com came about because I had privacy concerns even in the early 00s. I’m still on Windows for now, but I’ve ditched Office for what I consider more acceptable solutions. Their conversion of all their software into inescapable ai-heavy garbage is, for me, the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Uline is a big donor to conservative, and particularly MAGA politicians, who have in turn inflicted a heinous white christian nationalist agenda on the U.S., which has directly resulted in oppression and death. Bottom line: if you support Trump and his enablers, there is no civil discourse to be had with you; I want you all rotting in a El Salvadoran maximum security prison.