My iPad Is My Second Brain (Outside of Work)

I've been thinking about how much I rely on my iPad for things that aren't work. Not the email-checking, meeting-scheduling stuff—the other stuff. The personal stuff that used to require either a laptop or, you know, actual paper.

I have an M4 iPad Pro (13 inch), and somewhere along the way it became the device I reach for when I want to do something creative or personal. Let me explain.

Always Having a Journal

I've tried journaling before. Multiple times. The problem was always the same: I'd buy a nice notebook, write in it enthusiastically for a week, then forget it at home and lose momentum. Or I'd be somewhere—waiting for a rehearsal to start, sitting in a coffee shop—and think "I should write something down" but my journal would be on my nightstand.

With the iPad and Apple Pencil Pro, my journal is always with me. And here's the thing that made it actually work: I got a paper-like screen protector (not from Paperlike, which I found is a pain to attach, but from Astropad. It adds just enough texture that writing feels natural, not like dragging a stylus across glass. It came with a replacement pencil tip too, and now it genuinely feels like writing with a pencil or a ballpoint pen. That tactile feedback matters more than I expected.

Script Work for Theatre

I'm currently rehearsing for Mamma Mia with Northumberland Players (running February 20 to March 1st at the Capitol Theatre in Port Hope, if you're curious). Here's something I started doing that's been a game-changer: I photographed all the pages of my script where I have lines or blocking notes.

Now I can highlight my cues, mark where I need to enter, add notes about blocking or character choices—all digitally. The script is always with me. If I'm waiting somewhere and have fifteen minutes, I can run lines. I can review notes from the director. I don't have to carry around a physical script that gets dog-eared and coffee-stained.

For musicians in theatre, forScore is worth mentioning—it's the go-to app for digital sheet music on iPad, with annotation tools, setlist management, and page-turning features that make it indispensable in the pit.

The Keyboard That's Always There

I use the Logitech Combo Touch keyboard case, and what I love about it is the flexibility. When I want to type—like when I'm writing or need to send a longer message—the keyboard is right there, attached. It has a stand built in, so I can prop it up at whatever angle works. When I want to use the Pencil for journaling or script work, I just fold the keyboard back.

It's not as heavy as a laptop keyboard case, but it's substantial enough that typing feels good. The trackpad is decent too. It's this nice middle ground where I have laptop-like functionality when I need it, but I'm not committed to it.

Multi-tasking? K, Sure

One thing I do constantly (mayeb too much...) multi-tasking. I'll have a draft open of whatever I'm writing on one side and Claude on the other, working through stuff, doing research. Or I'll have my script on one side and notes on the other. The 13-inch screen is big enough that this actually works—you're not squinting at tiny windows.

The Point

I'm not saying an iPad replaces a computer. For actual work—coding, heavy document editing, anything that needs multiple windows or specialized software—I'm at my desk with my Mac.

But for the personal creative stuff? The journaling, the script work, the random writing I do for myself? The iPad has become the thing I grab. It's always charged, it's always in my bag, and with the right accessories it adapts to whatever I'm doing.

The best tool is the one you actually use. And apparently, for my non-work life, that's an iPad with a pencil that feels like a pen.