A little about me...
I didn't always use to be this bold, if you can believe it. I used to be scared of being different, scared of change. I lived my life on repeat for nearly 18 years. For almost my entire life, I lived in the same city, had the same house, went to the same school, had the same friends, and the same dreams. I never wanted my life to change, but it did, and I could never be happier now because of it. It was October, 2nd, 2021 when I said goodbye to my lifelong childhood home on Braeburn Place I would of left kicking and screaming if I could. I was not only leaving my old childhood house , but also my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA , to the small beach-town of Vero Beach, FL. As the countdown to graduation and the official move to Florida began, something switched in me. I realized I hardly did anything notable in the last decade and 3/4, and I was determined to make my mark on the Steel City before I headed south. I became more expressive with my style, opened up to new people, and became more involved in community organizations such as the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, the Foster Love Project, and the Carnegie Museum of Art. More than two years on, and I have never been happy. I am more true to myself than ever, and embracing commitees old and new!
Podcast!
podcast reflection
I was honestly a bit worried about this assignment. First of all, I hate the sound of my own voice, second, I had no idea what I wanted to talk about, and third, I had no idea how one makes a podcast. After some guidance from my instructors and some toying around on Audacity, I quickly learned the basics of audio recordings. I learned how to layer audios, access background noises and music, and edit audio segments. Finally, I had to develop an actual script for my podcast. I was having a heavy case of writer;s block, so I ventured to my Notes app for inspiration. After some scrolling, I found an old essay from when I was preparing to move away from Pittsburgh. I remember randomly writing it in the middle of the night of my final semester of high school. It is nearly 1,500 words reflecting on Pittsburgh, its beauty, and its quirks. I loved this assignment. While I was initially intiminated by the thought of recording a podcast, it was a very fun learing experience. I even intend on utilizing the One Button Studio, and other resources at Wake Forest to continue my podcast, The Diary Inside My Notes App!
Digital Story
Digital Essay Reflection
This project brought me into the fun world of copyright. Turns out you can't just use any random picture on the internet and take it for your own use. As someone potentially interested in law, I found this very informative. As a perfectionist however, I found this quite frustrating because I couldn't use the specific photos and videos I wanted. Luckily, my instructors provided a wide variety of resources for finding usable media such as the Creative Commons Forum, and Adobe Stock. I used Adobe Premiere Rush to organize and edit all the media. While it was initially a bit challenging to arrange the photos and videos, it was rewarding to watch my podcast come to life in visual form!
Guest Speaker Reflections
Atlantis Green- Artificial Intelligence with Adobe Firefly
Atlantis' presentation was really though provoking for me. I used to be very weary of AI because it was such a big unknown. Atlantis specifically talked about AI generated art, its ethics, and how to utilize it in a creative, academic, and profession setting. As a visual artist myself, the idea of a robot generating art is a bit off putting, however after Atlantis' speech I recognize the many uses for AI art. I am also confident I can now utilize AI when appropriate in a workplace setting, and even combine it with my own artistic skills.
Marcus Sanderlin- Crafting Your Personal Statement
Marcus was by far my favorite guest speaker. Before his presentation, this webpage was very minimalistic with a basic white template. However, Marcus inspired me to make this digital portfolio reflect my personality. Marcus spoke on the importance of developing a personal brand. He demonstrated several exercises to help us figure out our individual brands such as listing the top 10 most important parts of out identity. Mine were as followed:
- Christian
- Writer
- Artist
- Volunteer
- Designer
- Friend
- Daughter
- Wake Forest student (or Deac!)
- Delta Zeta member
- Tutor
Marcus also encouraged us to examine our personal beliefs and values to help develop our brands. I loved this presentation because I definitely struggle with cover letters, personal statements, and the question "Tell me who you are as a person". After this workshop, I feel much more confidently with promoting myself to future employers.
Final Reflection
Digital Literacy in the 21st Century has been one of, if not, the most useful, engaging, and fun class I have taken at Wake Forest University. My new favorite pastime is playing around with Adobe Express! I have learned about so many tools and resources in this class, and I envision myself utilizing all of them in my future personal, academic, and professional life. I learned how to use different softwares, access ethical media, and develop digital skills. I used to be hesitant to use digital tools, because I didn't consider myself to be very tech savy, however through this course I've learned that I am actually a very fast learner when it comes to using digital tools. I look forward to using the skills I've learned in the future!