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Sexy new tech be damned! Six of the coolest creative minds tell us why an old-school tool is integral to their process and how it helps their vision come to life.

- Saumyaa Vohra

There are creative hipsters, and then there are the creative old-school. Distinguishing the grain from the chaff (or the vinyl listeners, used book buyers and typewriter aficionados from the poseurs who do it for the 'gram) can be a task. Unless, of course, their work speaks volumes and leaves no room for debate.

For each of the women on this list, there is a simple, creative tool that will never be too old for comfort. With careers spanning across creative fields, they all have that one part of their process that might have 'aged out', but makes their work what it is. Despite access to newer, fresher tech and materials, here are the classic tools they still use to shape the way they imagine the world... completely, utterly, and unironically.

Rajakumari | Musician

The tool: iMac

Songwriters can often think lyrics-forward; write down the lyrics of a track and then build a melody around it—or so Rajakumari believes. “A lot of people will write their lyrics first and go from there. I used to do that too—write everything by hand. But I found my brain ran faster than my hands—I was thinking in a way that I couldn't keep up with, with writing. I then switched to my iPhone and it worked better, because I could type faster than I could write, but it still wasn't where I needed to be.”

That changed when she got her first iMac. “I could finally record myself, hear it back, and build from there. I don't think from a lyrics-first POV—I like to freestyle and be inspired in the moment.”

For Rajakumari, melody reigns supreme, especially when working across languages. “It’s what sticks with people.” Tech will often be used in her experimentation, from creating a range of soundscapes to using autotune as a blending tool. “I don't use it to correct my notes, but more to blend the East and the West you find in my music. It helps me bend my notes in an interesting way, and I use it a lot while I'm writing.”