If you've been staring at three open browser tabs — one for a Cricut, one for Procreate, one for a Canva tutorial — this is for you. Here's an honest breakdown of what each tool actually does, who it's right for, and which one to start with first.

Procreate has a reputation for being the iPad app professional illustrators use. That's true. It's also the app a complete beginner can open and make something with in the first hour. Here's your honest map to getting started.