My name is Philipp and you are reading Creativerly, the internet corner where I unpack my musings, curate and write about noteworthy apps and software, and explore the latest trends in design and tech.

Hey and welcome to Creativerly 302 👋

Just like that we entered the last month of 2024. For me, that means it is time to wind down a bit. Before that, I like to sit down and plan ahead some posts for Creativerly (Creativerly's Favorites are already around the corner), reflect on the past 12 months, and come up with some focus areas for the upcoming year. I stopped setting myself specific goals for the new year already some time ago, since I simply enjoy living in the moment and taking on opportunities when they arise, instead of thinking of a specific path I have to take and shouldn't leave along the journey. Usually, I also like to set some time aside at the end of the year and go through my digital subscriptions and evaluate whether I still need them or if there are any alternatives available.

Because of the ongoing weird behavior of Proton for example, I recently cancelled my subscriptions there, and moved my emails to Mailbox, a simple, secure email provider, which saves me a couple of bucks compared to my Proton subscriptions. Software is ephemeral, and sometimes you realize that you do no longer need it. If I would be able to still continue paying for the software just to support the developers and creators of those apps, I would do that, but the reality is different. However, I started to increasingly use independent software and apps in terms of software created by passionate folks, solo developers, or small teams that are not forced to build towards a specific directions just because the VCs who invested in them see it as the right future.

This reminds me that I need to update my Stack page on my personal website to reflect all those recent software changes. But see, that is another nice and cosy tasks for the last month of 2024 ahead.

I know I write that every single year around the same time, but it is mind-boggling that we are about to wrap up yet another year. To be honest, I am looking forward to it, since 2024 has been one of the toughest, hardest, and also one of the worst years I had in my life for multiple reasons, so I am looking forward to leave it behind and start all over.

I am also thankful that there are still so many people around here. Creativerly has not been growing as fast and as steadily as other newsletters, blogs, or publications, but yet this here feels like a cozy and calm community. And I appreciate that. Thank you.

Last but not least, I assume that your inboxes are already overflowing with loads of Black Friday Cyber Monday deals and marketing stuff, which is the reason why I usually do not send out yet another email including those (I mean, are tech media sites that reliant on those affiliate commissions that they literally spam tens of articles within just a couple of hours highlighting all the amazing deals they found?), however, I stumbled across three deals that I do wanted to share with you, all from apps I use myself and love. Go check them out down below, but keep in mind to shop responsible, and not just grab something because it is on sale or discounted.

Take care.

upload in progress, 0
The best new app for newsletter reading.

Meco is a distraction-free space for reading newsletters outside the inbox. The app is completely free and packed with features designed to supercharge your learnings from your favourite writers. Become a more productive reader and cut out the noise with Meco - try the app today!
Get started for free

This is an affiliate link to support Creativerly. If you are interested in putting your tool, product, or resource in front of over 2000 creative minds, consider advertising in Creativerly and book a sponsor or classified ad spot. Find all the important information at creativerly.com/advertise.

Fresh Updates & News

Ever thought about grabbing a Setapp subscription? Now is the right time* →

I am a long-time Setapp user and it is without a doubt the most valuable subscription I have. A single subscription that gives me access to over 250 app for my Mac, and as of recently even for my iPhone, since Setapp introduced their alternative iOS App Store*. With Setapp you get access to popular apps like Godspeed (usually $6 per month, or $48 per year), Ulysses (usually $5.99 per month, or $39.99 per year), CleanShot X (usually $29 for App and Cloud Basic, or $8 per user per month for App and Cloud Pro), Paste (usually $29.99 per year), CleanMyMac (usually $39.99 for one year), and a lot more, however, instead of paying hundreds of dollars for those apps every single year, Setapp gives you full access to them for $8.99 per month (billed annually).

Until January 2, 2025, you can get a 15% discount though, which is a rare opportunity. The discount applies to the Two Macs, Mac + iOS, Power User,* AI Enthusiast, and AI Expert plans. Using the links provided here, you get to a page with the discount code pre-populated in the input field to claim the deal. Those codes are only available for new users, not existing ones.

Craft introduces v3, the most personal version of their app →

I have been a Craft user in the past, but once they decided to focus on businesses rather than individuals and once they started building a Google Docs alternative rather than sticking to their note-taking roots, it felt like the app became increasingly complex, as well as bloated with features that I did not need and which did not support my note-taking practices. It is super exciting to see that with v3, Craft decided to pivot away from competing with Google Docs and selling to business, and instead get back to its note-taking basics and build the most personal version of Craft ever.

With their newest update, Craft introduces a Task Inbox and a new Tasks section page where you can check all your tasks in single place, an Apple Reminders integration, a fully revamped calendar, new and powerful ways to organize content with Collections, and a lot more.

Sill is a newly launched link aggregation service similar to Nuzzel (which has been acquired by Twitter in 2021, and then got integrated in Twitter's app), with the goal of keeping users informed and on track regarding what everyone is talking about on Mastodon and Bluesky. After connecting your Bluesky and Mastodon account to the service, Sill will start search your feeds for popular links, aggregating them in a single place, and send you a daily email with the highlights from those feeds.

Until December 2 you can grab Things at 30% off on any device. For years, Things has been one of the most popular task management apps, exclusively designed for the Apple ecosystem. Things is known for a top-notch design, delightful interactions, and smooth animations. It structures your tasks in a clear way, and helps you plan your day.

With the 30% discount, you can grab the macOS app for $34.99 (normally $49.99), the iOS and watchOS version for $6.99 (normally $9.99), the iPadOS version for $13.99 (normally $19.99), and the Vision Pro version for $20.99 (normally $29.99). The offer ends on December 2.

Apple reveals App Store Awards finalists →

Every year, Apple gathers the best apps and games from different categories, and honors their work through the App Store Awards. The 45 App Store Award finalists across 12 categories has just been announced. Among them, you find Kino or Tripsy (nominated for iPhone App of the Year), Procreate Dreams (nominated for iPad App of the Year), Balatro+ (nominated for Apple Arcade Game of the Year), or OmniFocus 4 and Shapr3D (nominated for Mac App of the Year).

The Affinity Suite is 50% off →

As of writing this, you can grab the awesome Affinity Suite at 50%. It has been a couple of years now since I cancelled my Adobe subscription and deleted all of their apps, as I made the switch to Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo, and Affinity Publisher, lovely and powerful alternatives for Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.

Back in March 2024, Affinity got acquired by Canva, which created a bit of turmoil in the creative scene, since Affinity has been known and praised for not offering a subscription-based business model, but rather single purchase licenses for all of their apps. Affinity ensured though that it will stay like that. Anyway, you can now grab either a single app from the Affinity Suite for 50% off for each platform, or you can get the Affinity V2 Universal License, which gives you access to Affinity Designer 2, Affinity Photo 2, and Affinity Publisher 2 for all platforms (macOS, Windows, iPadOS) for €89.99 instead of €179.99, which is an amazing deal.

Mental Wealth

❯ Don't call it a Substack – “Email's been here for years. But the reason Substack wants you to call your creative work by their brand name is because they control your audience and distribution, and they want to own your content and voice, too. You may not think you care about that today, but you will when you see what they want to do with it.”

❯ Plotlines, poetry, and pixels: The art of crafting captivating narratives – “In an environment that thrives on the exchange of creative ideas, part of my job as an experience designer is to tell stories that create clarity while also eloquently engaging the audience. Whether documenting a project, persuading a stakeholder, interviewing for a new job, or simply communicating with people, the ability to craft an effective, engaging, and memorable story is nothing short of a superpower.”

❯ Does Behavioral Science Have a Dark Side? – “I recently downloaded a new app to manage my meetings better. It was touted as one of those productivity apps that helps manage tasks, set reminders and timers for events, and collaborate across platforms, so I thought I’d give it a try. Once I logged in—perhaps too seamlessly—I realized that the platform didn’t have some essential features I needed (like integrating appointments across calendars), so I figured keeping it wasn’t worthwhile keeping.”

❯ The Art of Taking It Slow – “There are places in California that can make a person feel in tune with geological time, newly alert, on the brink of something cosmic. Walnut Creek, an affluent suburb east of San Francisco, is not one of them. Nestled in the foothills of stately Mt. Diablo, the city’s quaint downtown is buffeted by chain retailers and big-box stores. On a recent summer morning, I took the train there to meet Grant Petersen, the bicycle designer, writer, and founder of Rivendell Bicycle Works. Petersen has become famous for making beautiful bikes, using materials and components that his industry has mostly abandoned, and for promoting a vision of cycling that is low-key, functional, anti-car, and anti-corporate.”

Do not miss out on this ...

❉ Experience the ultimate vector editor for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. Get started with Amadine*.

❉ Think tasks, not apps. Setapp* is you one-stop subscription to solving every task on Mac and iPhone.

❉ Fathom is cookie-free, GDPR compliant, privacy-first website analytics software. Get $10 off your first invoice and a 7-day free trial when you use this link*.

These are paid promotions or affiliate links to support Creativerly. If you are interested in putting your tool, product, or resource in front of over 2000 creative minds, consider advertising in Creativerly and book a sponsor or classified ad spot. Find all the important information at creativerly.com/advertise.

Appendix

❯ ICYMI

With the rise of personal knowledge management back in 2019, people got promised a lot: if they would connect their notes, create links, and take notes on everything they would become more creative, more productive, and turn themselves into idea machines. The reality behind personal knowledge management is different though: why complex productivity systems fail, how true note-taking thrives, and what remains when the hype fades, I asked myself those questions in my newest post called Systems Over Substance, which is a critical look at the PKM landscape.

❯ Quick Bits

Till next time! 👋‌‌‌‌

Support: Do you have a friend who is looking for inspiration, news about design, and useful tools and apps? Forward this newsletter to a friend or simply share this issue and show some support. You can also show some love by simply clicking the button down below and keep this newsletter a sustainable side-project by buying me a coffee. ☕️ 🥰

Some of the links in my newsletter and my blog posts are affiliate links. Those links are marked by an asterisk. If you buy something through the link, the product will not cost you anything more, but I will receive a small commission which not only supports Creativerly and my work but also helps me to keep this publication a sustainable side-project.

Creativerly is proudly published with Ghost*.