By Terry Davidson || Training & Communications Manager, Information Technology Services (ITS)
Do you find it hard to say what you are thinking? Do you have something that you want to say but just don’t know the right words? With the events that have happened in our nation during the last few weeks and months, my mind is awash with feelings and uncertainties, and I figure that I am not alone. I wish that I was more comfortable with talking to others about my views and concerns, and about the things that I am thinking, doing, and wanting.
For me, putting down my thoughts in words is helpful, but for some, words are hard to come by. Recently I discovered a digital storytelling app called Adobe Spark. Digital storytelling is a process by which diverse peoples share their life stories and creative imaginings with others using computer-based tools. If you have pictures or videos on your camera roll, you can use Adobe Spark to create a poster or a webpage.
Adobe Spark is a free product. If you sign in with your (F&M) school account you’ll also have access to the premium level of Spark. Whether you have a story about a trip you took, a story about how life has changed for you since COVID-19, or a crazy weekend where you attended a protest march, Spark can help you tell your story. I encourage you to give Spark a try.
Create digital posters
These one ‘page’ creations can be shared on your social media platforms. A click of a button will reformat your poster to fit on Instagram, on Facebook, or on Twitter. You can even have it formatted to print on different sizes of paper if you need to go the old-fashioned route. Spark makes it easy to start as they have a load of templates that you can customize.
Create webpages
All you need is a few pictures and a couple of words. The power of pictures can probably tell your whole story. When you’re done creating your page, send a link to your friends by text, post a link on your social media accounts, or mention the link on that digital poster you may have made! You can also continue to modify your Spark webpage and anyone with the original link will see your new content.
Some resources to get started
- Check out this document about using Adobe Spark with your F&M school account.
- If you know folks outside of F&M that want an account, they can create a free account at spark.adobe.com. They will be prompted to upgrade to a Premium account, but they can do a lot with just the starter version.
- If you want to see my first attempt at creating a Spark page, follow this link. I know it looks a bit foolish, but I tried to use every feature that is available in a Spark Page, including the ability to insert a video from YouTube!
- And if you are looking for some “Spark Inspiration”, this blog will show you some current topics that people are Sparking about, like helping your neighbor, social-distancing, and making money from home!
I would love to help you tell your story
If you have questions let me know. I would also enjoy seeing what you create, so share a link with me if you feel like it. You can reach me at terry.davidson@fandm.edu.
If you received a printed version of this article, the following URL links are provided for your reference:
- Using Adobe Spark with your F&M account: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18iZ3sLL7kc_W8p1mvR61lM6P4Acg37espHd3Snk5MoE/edit
- Spark page sample: https://spark.adobe.com/page/PucwkAr9IJNsd/
- Spark blog site: https://blog.adobespark.com/