How I've Grown
One growth that primarily sticks out to me when looking back at this experience is evolving with the design world. Prior to attending college, I studied graphic design for three years and received my certification in the field. I was taught ways in which to transfer different types of files, such as how to put your Photoshop file into InDesign, ways in which to export, and other design terminology and techniques that I won't dive into. The difference between when I learned this and when I interned is that there wasn't as much development or evolution in the design world - and we weren't in a global pandemic. Along with changes in our world came changes in the design world. Personally, I felt that using Canva was a bit of a "cheat" as compared to making my designs from scratch. I felt that it was a way to make something, but not create - these sound similar, but there's a big difference. However, I had to accept that I was stuck in the past and I needed to grow along with the design world in order to be successful, both in this internship and in any career. Towards the second half of my internship, I used Canva a lot because it not only allowed me to create an interesting and engaging post in a short amount of time, but it also gave me inspiration for when I did make my designs from scratch. Now looking at other internships in the social media field, Canva is actually on the list of skills!
The posts shown on the right are a few examples of works I've done using Canva. I wanted to showcase these because I do not include them anywhere else, but I am still proud of the work I've done using this new tool. As much as I love designing and working on posts from scratch, sometimes we all need a little support, and that's what using Canva did for me. In times where I felt like I had no idea of how to design something, Canva became a great source of inspiration. |
Instagram Story Posts I Designed Using Canva
Instagram and Twitter Posts I Designed Using Canva
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“The key to great ideas is not having them, it is executing them. And great ideas come from problems.”
Kate Moross, Illustrator
What I Learned
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One of the biggest things I learned through this experience was how to be a leader and what that means when working with a team. When I was the Social Media Engagement Coordinator during the Fall 2020 semester, I worked alone. All of the interviews and designs were solely for me to do and create, and I grew comfortable with this. This semester, I worked with Alison and Kelly to form a team of current freshman that would take over the social media pages once I had completed my two years in the Media Scholars program. Finding the students was easy, as the three of them were eager to learn more about this opportunity, but my personal transition was the hard part. I had to learn how to delegate all the work that I once did alone and when an assignment would come in, I thought it would be easier to just do it myself since I knew all of the details and deadlines. It was hard for me to switch between being a one woman show to being a team player and leader. However, I had to learn that a leader doesn't mean to be in control, a leader is someone who guides others to become leaders themselves. It was hard to do at first, since I was stuck in my ways, however I learned that handing things off to my team became easier and easier. Through their works, I've been able to see that each of them has a wonderful skillset and an eye for what looks good. I'm so glad that the three of them will be taking over the social media pages and I can't wait to see what work they produce next fall!
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Three Semester Reflection
Below is a reflection paper that I wrote following the completion of CPMS225, the third and final synchronous class of Media, Self and Society.