I use Arch, btw, but I don’t consider it the best (yes I do.) I could easily transition to Fedora, for example (I would never do that,) and be completely happy (I would rather continually hit my head with the metal stapler gun on my desk.)
Gimp and inkscape for vector work, both nice. There is also PhotoGimp, kind of an overlay that changes the interface of Gimp to resemble Photoshop, nice for those transitioning. There is also Krita which has been getting a lot of development, cross between Photoshop and Illustrator, reminds me of the old Adobe Fireworks program. Who remembers that old line of software?
Auh, proprietary software and subscriptions combined (proceeds to put on a strap-on.)
I know everyone loves Fitgirl, and her re-packs are a tiny bit smaller than DODI, but I always have issues with hers for some reason. DODI, never an issue. I am on linux, so there is that.
I assume you are using F-droid app manager, and also added IzzyonDroid repo to it? There you can get a lot of apps, like firewalls to block apps that call home when you don’t really use them. Replace most of your apps with open source alternatives from F-droid. Get an email hosting alternative that isn’t one of the big (spy, data mining) companies. Use decentralized privacy focused social media options. What type of phone manufacturer do you use and is it unlocked? You could use an android privacy rom like CalyxOS, that is what I use, completely de-googled, uses MicroG instead of Google Play services. A VPN would be my last option to add, especially when connecting to outside wifi.
Yeah, give DODI repacks a try and see if they work for you.