It doesn’t matter what tools you use to get your work done, as long as you’re doing the work. That said, here are some of things I use every day (or nearly every day, for a couple of them) to write my books and essays and take and edit the photographs I publish here.
iPad Pro (2021, space gray) — Just got this thing a week ago, and it’s a beast. I’ve been using an iPad Pro as my main computer since the first one was released in 2015, and, needless to say, this is the best one yet. I’ve owned all but the 2020 model, but I don’t plan to upgrade this one for several years. With an M1 chip, 2TB of storage, and 16GB of RAM, I don’t see how I could possibly need to. Plus: the screen! Editing photos on this thing has been a joy.
Canon EOS 90D — I rediscovered my love of photography only about a year ago, and when I did, I bought the best camera I could afford at the time. This means it’s not the best camera. But it’s a very good camera. It’s not the camera most professionals would use, but I’ve gotten plenty of fantastic results with it. Lenses are more important than the camera itself (this one’s my favorite), and the photographer is more important than the tools.
iPhone 12 Mini (blue) — The camera I always have with me.
Kobo Forma — Because I read. A lot. And so should you. I switched from Kindle to Kobo about six months ago, when my expensive Kindle broke after just over a year and Amazon’s customer service was less than helpful. The Kobo has direct integration with my public library, Pocket, and Dropbox. Aside from the design, which is fine, it’s better than a Kindle in every way. I also read paper books, of course.
reMarkable 2 — I bought this thing on a whim several months ago. I think the ads wore me down. But I love it. I write the first draft of all my Minimalism Life essays on it, and I’m writing a novel on it right now. It’s also wonderful for sketching—as well as reading and editing PDFs. I wrote more about it over at The Cramped.
Still Vibrato Coffee — This is the stuff I drink most days. It gets me caffeinated for jiu-jitsu, and it keeps me caffeinated as I write. It’s delicious. Possibly the best coffee in Central Oregon, roasted less than a mile from my apartment.
Morning Glory Pro Mach Rollerball — I don’t write on paper as much as I used to, not since I got the reMarkable, but when I do, this is the pen I use. I have a couple dozen of them scattered around my apartment. There’s always one in my bag, in my pocket, on my desk.