Bringing It to Life with Animoto

I have been experimenting with Animoto, the on-line application that allows users to easily create hip, fun, and creative videos. I have really been enjoying what it has to offer and look forward to lots more “animoto-ing”…

Here’s a break down from the Animoto website:
“Animoto Productions is a bunch of techies and film/tv producers who decided to lock themselves in a room together and nerd out.

Animoto’s web application automatically generates professionally produced videos using their own patent-pending technology and high-end motion design. Each video is a fully customized orchestration of user-selected images and music. Produced on a widescreen format, Animoto videos have the visual energy of a music video and the emotional impact of a movie trailer.”

There’s also this brief Animoto How-To:

Just like the tutorial above describes, Animoto makes it easy to create very cool videos and share. You can send your video to your contacts via Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, embedd on your website or blog and even export to YouTube. I started making a few videos using photos of my art with the freebie 30 second short option.

Here’s an Animoto video featuring some of my collages here on Creativity in Motion:

This week Animoto took the fun to the next level and introduced a new application that allows users to incorporate video as well. This includes uploading video via your camera, phone or using some from Animoto’s collection provided by iStockphoto and Getty Images. You can read more about this buzz here via the Social Media site Mashable.

Short 30 second films can be made for free and an unlimited pass that allows you to create full length films is available for an annual $30 fee. If you are a teacher or educator, you can apply for a free unlimited pass to share the creatvity and joy of Animoto with your students. Animoto also supports non-profits and other humanitarian efforts through their “For a Cause” program.

Currently Animoto is partnering with Search for Common Ground and inviting people around the world to submit Animoto videos that answer the question, “What does common ground look like?”. Check out Animoto’s blog for more details. It makes me wonder what I would put together….What would your video look like?

It’s nice to discover something that brings together many of the things I love in life: creativity, technology, and social good!

Social Media: Art Therapists and the Internet

 

In September, myself and Cathy Malchiodi will be presenting on the topic of social media and art therapy at The Buckeye Art Therapy Association’s 28th Annual Symposium. I am really looking forward to this, as presenting on how art therapists can navigate and use the web is one of my favorite topics.  And it’s a pleasure to be presenting with Cathy again!

The dynamic digital landscape of the Internet is continuously in motion, making it essential for the modern day art therapist to remain up to date on new advancements and resources emerging in the art therapy community’s web presence. Obtaining and acquiring information on-line, as well as building and sustaining connections with colleagues and professionals through e-mail, e-groups, blogging, and social media sites are important resources that not only help decrease isolation for the art therapist, but can cultivate new opportunities.

Our presentation will highlight the potential and benefits for art therapists interested in using the Internet for professional networking to enhance their career, strengthen support, as well as discuss how social media can promote art therapy and bring art therapists together in a global web community to share experiences, exchange ideas, and collaborate on projects.

Attendees will be introduced to and learn more about how we use our social media trifecta: Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to promote art therapy, as well as other on-line tools and applications that are available to art therapists for professional networking, development and communication. Social media’s role in developing and building communities such as The Art Therapy Alliance and the International Art Therapy Organization will highlight how developing a strong web presence can support the many professional needs and interests of art therapists in an accessible and cost effective way. 

Come and join us for this presentation and many other interesting topics on art therapy at BATA’s Symposium in Dublin, Ohio during September 11 and 12, 2009.  For more information, visit http://www.batasymposium.org.

Getting Addicted to and Making Art with Polyvore

This week-end I stumbled upon Polyvore, a free on-line web application and creative community that allows users to create works of art called “sets” from mixing and matching images from all over the web. The site is primarily style and fashion driven, with lots of brand selections to choose from, such as endless catalogs, stock photos, and image content. It is easy to keyword search for images or install a “clipper” to import images from other websites, and begin dragging and dropping items to arrange, layer, and create your set. In addition, you can add text to what you have put together, choosing from many different types of fonts. It’s also easy to share your sets with the Polymore community, its many groups, or with your own social media network.

After exploring Polyvore a little more to create my first “set”, it did not take long for me to become hooked. I had a lot of fun searching for images, designs, objects, and words that I could use. Below is the first image I put together with only a few images from searching different Polyvore categories.

BeTrue by Gretchen Miller on Polyvore.com

After playing around with Polyvore a little more, including a few drafted and published sets later, I started to incorporate more images/content and experimented with layering.

rev o’ lution by Gretchen Miller on Polyvore.com

Learn, Live, Hope: Never Look Back by Gretchen Miller

It was difficult to stop once I got started! Lots of opportunitity to be creative, become inspired, and share…. I’m sure I’ll be creating many new sets soon with this new discovery and as I learn more about what Polyvore has to offer. Check out new additions of images I created here. Tips and suggestions are welcome!

Be the Change

 

“When we are no longer to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves…”  ~ Victor Frankl

Making Meaning: Be the Change

This week I spent time reflecting on change; thinking about efforts to make change outside of myself and how these efforts have influenced  change within myself.  Outer and inner change is not an easy process, comes with many challenges and for me,  an increased commitment to make meaningful decisions. The above quote from Victor Frankl inspired me to create a mini-altered book focused on change and meaning, as well as to identify key principles that have been important in my growth and being the change I want to be.   

Be the Change: Think / Energy

Be the Change: Think and Energy- I have learned about giving more thought to what I put my energy towards,what supports my authentic self, and my intentions.  What opportunities and experiences will best utilize my strengths, ideas, spirit, and dedication?   

Be the Change: Relationships / Choices

Be the Change: Relationships and Choices-  The relationships I nurture and the decisions I make also influence my ability to make meaning and take a stand to be the change I want to be.  Collaboration, choices, responsibility, and commitment all fall under these principles.   We reap what we sow.

Be the Change: Meaning / Empower

Be the Change: Meaning and Empower- These principles are most important to me and my path to purpose. How and where do I want to make meaning?  Enstilling hope, trust, and having the courage to keep moving forward helps me create empowerment and resiliency. 

Be the Change: Action / Truth

Be the Change: Action and Truth- To create change within or outside ourselves requires action coming from a belief rooted in truth and vision.

I’m sure there will more art and thoughts around this topic on my end, as meaning and change are important to the work I do and my every day life experience. Until then, the video and song below by Kat Edmonson also captures many of the reflections mentioned in this posting, as well as adds new ones to think more about.  How do you create meaning to be the change you want to be?

 

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