Don't Be a Tool, Use One

Stop complaining that you don't have Photoshop or a Mac.

There are plenty of awesome creativity tools in the freeware world for any operating system!

I present to you the list of my favorite, free, creativity software that I use all the time.

Adobe Photoshop » GIMP

The Gnu Image Manipulation Program is a nice stand-in for Photoshop if you don't want to spend a lot of money.

It has plenty of features, a nice toolset and can edit a huge number of image formats.

You can use it to create animated GIFs, doctor a photo, generate graphic elements for websites, test and save color palettes and much, much more. In addition, several effects come bundled with the program, and if you feel so inclined and happen to know a bit of C, you can write your own.

Adobe Illustrator » InkScape

To be honest, I haven't used this program extensively. It's a Vector Graphics tool (in contrast to GIMP, which is a pixel-based graphics tool) so you can create scalable images with lines and shapes.

I've created a few things with it, and plan to do more in the future as SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) capabilities improve in browsers. It's very easy to use and let's you make some pretty sharp work that you can export to many formats.

Pro Tools » Audacity

Audacity is a very simple, track-based audio editor. You can use it to record and edit audio tracks and files. It works with a variety of formats so that you can create MP3 remixes, or if you happen to have some recording hardware, create your own music all together.

With Audacity you can create the rock album you've always wanted to.

3ds Max » Blender

Blender is an awesome 3D modeler. However, it takes some time to get used to. With it you can render beautiful 3D scenes and even create movies.

This program is incredibly powerful for being free. I've used it several times to generate 3D components for logos and other elements.

Also, you can write your own plug-ins for it using Python.

AutoCAD » Google SketchUp

Google purchased the company that makes SketchUp and has released a free version to the public.

This program can turn any dreaming amateur into an architect. Within an hour you can learn SketchUp from easy video tutorials.

SketchUp lets you create anything you want in 3D very quickly and easily. You can design a new back porch or a record-breaking skyscraper.

In addition, Google has a warehouse of 3D models made in SketchUp that you can download from and use or upload to and share.

Try each and every one of these. They are amazing and free.