Blank Creative Assignment

Over the break, I spent a lot of time in my backyard, soaking in the warmer weather, and watching Studio Ghibli movies. I was inspired to combine two of the media we’ve explored in previous weeks, but unfortunately, I ran out of time. I took many photos in my backyard and recorded different sounds I heard during my mini adventures with the intention of creating a digital collage and a complementary soundscape to go with it. I planned to do this in Photoshop and Audacity. Instead, I used some photos from my excursion to create a smaller collage in the PicCollage app on my phone. The result is not exactly what I envisioned, but it is useful as a building block for what I hope to create eventually. This process helped me narrow down how I want my future collage to look: wide landscape view, more mini people, drawn in details (bugs, furniture, curtains), more landscapes, and better blend/flow between terrain changes. The soundscape would add to the whimsical scene, making it more immersive and reinforcing the theme that mundane things can be magical. 

For my collage, I used the paid version of PicCollage; however, I wouldn’t recommend it for classroom use. I had a subscription through a previous project, but after using it a few times, I’ve found its tools to be limited in scope and functionality. It’s more tailored to social media use and doesn’t let you edit photos much beyond cutting and cropping. Though I did not get to create my intended project, I think the idea behind it might make an interesting lesson plan: go for a walk or spend 20 minutes outside to take photos and recordings to be later used in a connected digital collage and soundscape. Not only would students get to connect multiple media, expanding their opportunities for self-expression, but they would also have the chance to make connections with their surroundings.