Linda Kulp Trout

Thursday, February 3, 2022

Kicking It Up a Notch: Creating Images for My Poems

Self-promotion is hard for me, but I'm learning how important it is to showcase my poems.  It's a great way for readers and publishers to get to know me and my writing.  I've always admired poems combined with images because they grab my attention. I wanted to do something fun and interesting with my poems, or as Emeril Lagasse would say, "Kick it up a notch!"  

I knew about Canva, but it seemed so complicated until...

last Saturday when  a group of Poetry Friday friends and I participated in Anthologies 301: Creating Graphics.  The class was led by two very experienced Canva users,  Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell.  

To see some of their designs, check out the  Pomelo Books Pinterest page!

Janet and Sylvia, are kind and generous teachers who offer a safe learning environment where every voice is valued. 

They shared lots of tips and ideas to help us create beautiful images for our poems and gave individual feedback.  Although I'm still learning, I have a much better understanding of Canva. 

Here are some of my practice images. I had fun playing with placement of the text and colors. 






Later this month, we'll meet for our next Anthologies 301 session to learn how to make videos. I can't wait for that one!

A third session on how to make "swag"for our poems and books will be held in March. If you are interested in taking one of these classes, contact Janet . There may be a few spaces still available. 

If you take a class taught by Janet and Sylvia (check out other classes here), expect to learn a lot, and laugh A LOT!   I hope they offer more classes in the future!  


A big thank you to Elisabeth at Unexpected Intersections for hosting today.

Have a great weekend!




21 comments:

  1. Love your Canva poem designs, Linda - the final blue one especially. Picture perfect! :)

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    1. Thank you, Bridget. I'm not good at choosing colors, but I'm learning! : )

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  2. Oh, wonderful to see, Linda. I use Canva, too, but somehow my go-to is another creative source. I love all that you're learning with Sylvia & Janet. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thank you, Linda. Janet and Sylvia are wonderful teachers and so patient!

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  4. It is fun learning new techniques and there are no better teachers! I love the photo of the geese, Linda, and like the placement of the text in the fourth and fifth image, in the lower right. Have fun and I look forward to seeing more.

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    1. Thank you, Janice. I hope to share more images in the future. : )

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  5. A wonderful summary of a great experience, though I need to review already. Your postcards are lovely, Linda. I want to "play around" on Canva when I can. I am glad I can review the videos, too, that will help me! So glad you had so many to share!
    Janet Clare F.

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    1. Janet, I've watched the video several times. It is so helpful. : )

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  6. Nice job. It's fun to play with Canva, isn't it? :)

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  7. So THAT'S the secret! Canva! And of course, Sylvia and Janet's courses! Cannot wait to participate in Anthologies 101 (missed the last one). Thank you, Linda, for sharing this tidbit. Your poem is beautiful even without art, but like you, I enjoy finding images to pair with mine.

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  8. Thank you, Patricia. You're going to love Anthologies 101!

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  9. I love that you shared a variety of images so we could see what you've been up to. Playing with images and poetry is so rewarding. I especially like your final image although the softness of the first photo really appeals to me. My biggest challenge with doing this is figuring out what font to use! I have no sense for that! Enjoy your classes with Janet and Sylvia--they sound wonderful!

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    1. Thank you. I'm still learning and having fun trying new things! : )

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  10. It's so fun to see what a different feel you got depending on the placement of the text or the background picture! (The last one is my favorite.) You're inspiring me to play around more in Canva!

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    1. Thank you, Mary Lee. I hope you'll share some of your Canva images, if you make some! : )

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  11. That is so neat. I enjoyed looking at the poem paired with different backgrounds. I like the blue, too! Canva is something new to me, so I'll have to take a look. Thanks for telling us about it and the workshop.

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    1. Thank you, Susan. Canva takes time to learn, but Janet and Sylvia made it fun!

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  12. These are beautiful Linda! I love how each one expresses your beautiful poem slightly differently. Thanks for sharing these with us, and for being a part of the Poetry Friday Party!

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