Kelly Valbuena E-Portfolio

Second Reflection

So far in the semester, the main obstacle I have faced and continue to face is maneuvering within the designated program in specific assignments such as the timeline. Even when receiving aid from online sources like YouTube, the design I hope to demonstrate in creativity is limited by the program used to make a timeline. At the beginning of the first project, I found the Knight Lab program most user-friendly. However, I continue to face some obstacles. 
With the upcoming project of creating a digital story, I am excited to have the opportunity of making my first one. However, I am terrified of the technological aspect of the project. Knowing that this will be my first attempt, the reassurance of the Professor makes the project expectations realistic and optimistic. I have yet to choose a topic for my digital story. Currently, I am in between two subjects. One case focuses on the topic I selected for my timeline: Macedonia's journey to joining the EU. The other issue focuses on a more personal story: a family who moved to another country, away from family, and how they cope with that separation. The family in question is my family and how they manage being separated from siblings and mother.
As the first digital story I would create, the first one will be a work in progress. As I get more familiar with the program, digital storytelling will be a more fun and interactive project. A project where I could express and share stories close to me. Stories that I can share with my family and future generations one day. 
The projects I would like to continue to focus on are the more technical ones, mainly because the tasks that tend to be more technical, such as digital storytelling, will allow for more in-depth practice of maneuvering through the program of design. Since I am still facing issues with the program itself, the more practice, the more creativity I can implement, demonstrating the importance of a topic. However, with my limited expertise in using the program, the potential to have the impact I would like to create is limited. 
Reading and viewing the examples of digital storytelling that we were assigned have motivated me to want to have an inspirational story to tell regarding the actual project. Without an emotional grasp, this plays a factor in applying digital storytelling to future projects. Projects that I wanted to share with other people obstacles where the need for advocacy needs to be supported by the viewers. However, realistically the amount of research that must be conducted if I chose one that does not impact me personally, I would find it more challenging to demonstrate a feeling that refrains from being viewed as an educational video. Practice makes perfect, and the more videos I do will allow for further development that I can apply to projects in foreign affairs and personal journals. I plan to view this form of expression as it progresses, so I will continue making stories after this class.