Sunsets hold an unparalleled magic for me. No matter my location or activity, I’m compelled to pause and witness their splendor. The image above perfectly encapsulates the awe and beauty that I experience during these moments. Each sunset is a unique masterpiece.
Watching the sky transform always uplifts my spirits, making my love for them undeniable. I chose the acoustic guitar to accompany this image because its light and airy sound mirrors the ethereal quality of a sunset. Just as one can easily lose themselves in the music of an acoustic guitar, it’s equally easy to become mesmerized by the breathtaking beauty of a sunset. Combining these elements – the visual and the auditory – creates an even more profound and immersive experience.
I spend many years chasing the big, exciting highs of life. However, about a decade ago I began the journey of learning to embrace and celebrate the little things in life, realizing it was those little things that brought me the greatest joy. Now having a preschooler getting to experience life and play through his eyes, I have an even deeper appreciation for the joy that the little things in life bring. One of the purest and simplest forms of joy I find is blowing bubbles with my child. There is something incredibly peaceful and fun about watching these soapy balls float in the air, but the laughter and happiness both my child and I find in popping them is bliss.
Popped by carterse paired with the song Hey! by Benjamin Tissot represent the joy I find in the simple pleasure popping bubbles. I cannot help but giggle seeing the dog in Popped attempting to burst this bubble. By pairing the image with the upbeat and happy rhythms of Hey!, I find myself provided with ample smiles, amusement, and joy. This pairing enhances the experience finding joy and pleasure in the little, simple things in this life.
This sound and image resonated with me because I wanted to capture the feeling of kenopsia, which is strongly linked to the atmosphere of liminal spaces. Liminal spaces, which are transitional places, often create a feeling of uncertainty and being disconnected. I was trying to recreate that sensation you get when you’re wandering alone, and everything feels a little off, or even nostalgic. It’s a hard feeling to describe, but it’s the one I get when I’m staring out the car window on a cool fall night, lost in thought, or when I’m walking around an empty campus at night with my music on.
This meaning is enhanced when you put the image and audio together as the audio brings the eerie vibe to complement the dark and spacious parking garage. When you put these together it can possibly recreate the feelings that I once felt before. There is a bit of an anxious feeling when looking at the picture and listening to parts of the audio. Especially because I hear a sort of footsteps and some kind of echo. The music isn’t too dark either because this feeling isn’t supposed to be scary. Its supposed to be comforting and reminiscent of those sleepless nights.
Hey everyone! My name is Kiani, and I’m excited to share some big updates in my life you. Right now, I’m in the process of buying my first home in Morriston, FL. Not just any house, it’s a brand-spankin new single wide and our very own piece of land where my husband and I will start our family, basically my dream come true! I can’t wait to make a home our family, and I really can’t wait for my man to rent an excavator and get started on the dirt bike track in the backyard, haha!
During the day, I work as a Capability Analyst for United Health Care’s provider portal. My role is all about connecting the dots between technology and business, and I get to lead various initiatives in areas like Broker, Employer, and Provider Search Services. It’s a dynamic job that keeps me on my toes, and I genuinely enjoy being part of the team I am on I get to work with good people.
Outside of work, I’m diving into something I’ve always wanted to do: learning to play the guitar! My dad gifted me a guitar for my 15th birthday, and it’s been a dream of mine to really learn how to play. But honestly, the best gift he ever gave me was moving our family to Florida when I was just four years old. Growing up here has given me a deep appreciation for nature and the diverse cultures around me. I love spending time outdoors—hiking, camping, or just enjoying the fresh air with my feet in the dirt, and meeting new people.
I am the youngest of 3 children, a brother and a sister, my family is so proud of me for completing my degree and now my Master’s of Science in IT! My parents worked very hard to try to give us the best opportunities, it took me over 10 years to pick a major and stick to it, but I am now at a finish line of sorts and looking back where I started makes me so thankful for them. My last two classes will be the Fundamentals of Metadata Practice and Theory and Digital Media Production. I’m really looking forward to a class on digital media production. In today’s digital world, understanding copyright and how to build a successful digital library is essential, and I can’t wait to dive into these topics.
And here’s the exciting news: I’m expecting my first baby with the love of my life! We are hoping for a girl, but as my pops would have said, as long as the baby has 10 fingers, 10 toes, and health we are blessed. With the house closing just around the corner, graduation in May, and a little one on the way, 2025 is shaping up to be an incredible year for me.
Thanks for following along on this journey of homeownership, parenthood, and all the adventures that lie ahead!
My name is Theo, and I’m in my final semester of the Master of Science in Information program. I currently work as a graduate assistant for Special Collections and Archives at FSU, which I’ve actually written several blog posts for in the past year. During my undergrad, I studied art history with a minor in philosophy, and I’m very passionate about the importance of the arts and humanities in all their forms (especially popular/internet cultures).
I have picked up a lot of different creative hobbies over the years–my favorites being drawing, writing, and crocheting–but my special interest remains the Sims franchise. This will certainly not be the last you hear about it from me. Last semester, I wrote a paper about archiving Sims 2machinimas, and a couple semesters before that, I used Dublin Core to organize sims. I mostly play Sims 2 and 4, and I love learning about the franchise’s lore and its place in gaming history.
Here’s a house I built in Sims 4 recently.
When it comes to making things, I’m much more used to working with physical formats, so this class will give me an opportunity to practice and improve my skills in digital art (broadly defined). I’m also eager to improve my knowledge of copyright, which I think will be good to know in general.
I look forward to getting to know you all through your creations!
I’m Sara. I live in Orlando, Florida and work as a Media Specialist at a public high school. I’m pursuing the MSI degree with FSU and I am excited to say I’ll be graduating this May.
In true media specialist fashion, I enjoy reading novels. I read every day before bed. Other interests of mine include The Sims 4 (I have been playing The Sims since its inception in 2000), baking, and live music. I am not, by any means, a musician but I am a music-lover and avid concert-goer. The most recent concert I attended was David Kushner this past November.
I’m looking forward to having fun in this course. I always struggle with library programming and I’m eager to learn how to create and use media resources to support learning in my media center.
My name is Jacob and I am currently studying for my MSI degree here at FSU! I am currently a social studies teacher in Jacksonville, Florida. I enjoy visiting museums, historic sites, new restaurants, and watching documentaries in my free time. I am hoping to gain a lot of new creative and technical skills to apply to being a school librarian in the future. I especially will take interest in the story development and digital storytelling units within the course.
To learn more about my interests you can see the website of our local museum called the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens (www.cummermuseum.org)
Also to see more in the area historic St. Augustine is about 30 minutes south from me. Here is a guide to different sights to explore in the area. oldcity.com
My name is Chrislene Nahomie Perceval and I currently live in North Miami; where I work as a Digital Media Specialist for the City of North Miami. https://www.northmiamifl.gov/
I’m in the process of earning my Master’s in Information, which allows me to explore how technology, data, and user engagement all come together in today’s digital world. [Exciting right 🤩🤩 IK]
I got in this program because of my mentor, she’s a librarian and inspired me to go down this route. I love how libraries create communities for everyone. And I was searching for a job that didn’t feel like work, and that held meaning not only to me but to my community.
Outside of work and school, I’m a lover of the arts and a passionate dancer. I find that expressing myself through movement fuels my creativity in other areas of life. I also enjoy experimenting with various digital platforms, discovering new ways to tell stories and connect with communities. Speaking of communities, I love learning about different cultures and how people are just… people. On my last trip, I was blessed
to visit Japan and I enjoyed learning about a culture that was different from my own but still shared many similarities. I’m excited about this Digital Media Productions class because I want to refine my production skills and become more adept at creating high-quality, impactful content. My hope is to integrate these newfound techniques into the work I do for the City of North Miami, as well as my own creative pursuits. I look forward to collaborating with everyone, exchanging fresh ideas, and gaining hands-on experience that will help me bridge the gap between technical production and artistic expression.
Beginning a blog post in 2025, where every second sees more content created than the one before, feels a lot like I’m waiting in a Zoom room where people are there, but no one is talking—a.k.a, a lot of “Is anybody there? Can you hear me?” Or in this case, I suppose “Do you read me?” would be a little more apropos.
Assuming y’all can read me, Hi! My name is Emily Bowlin and I have lived in Florida since I was 8 years old. Originally I lived in a small town called Crestview, which is in the Panhandle of Florida. My Grandpa always referred to it as “L.A.” for “Lower Alabama.” Whenever people say that Tallahassee is a small town I chuckle, because for me, small town refers to seeing folks ride up and hitch their horses at the local Waffle House for a brunch. All that said, I consider myself to be as close to a native Floridian as possible.
I have always wanted to work in libraries because libraries were a safe place when I didn’t have many. Books provided both an escape and a way to imagine a life beyond the one that I’d lived. I am fortunate enough to be working in Resource Sharing within a library currently and am excited to continue on a career path towards librarianship. Currently I am pursuing my Master of Science in Information while working full-time. What I am really interested in pursuing is ways to better equip students and patrons with tools to navigate the constant misinformation and disinformation, while better building and supporting community. My hopes are that I can take some of what I’ve learned in this class and apply it practically to my working environment to improve accessibility overall.
I love reading, but even more than that I love learning. I am always eager to learn more about practically everything! Reading has been a core part of my life and I have read just about anything and everything, with the only exception being self-help books. Currently I’m on a kick of non-fiction books about Roman History, and I just finished Honor Cargill-Martin’s book Messalina: the life and times of Rome’s most scandalous empress.I love science fiction, fantasy, horror, and non-fiction, depending on the topic. For my honeymoon we visited London and I got to nerd out in the British Museum; in this image I’m standing next to a bust of the Roman Emperor Trajan! I’m always looking to add to my TBR, so feel free to tell me about your last five-star read!
As far as hobbies go, when I’m not reading, I love just about everything crafty and creative. I am an avid fan of crochet, I enjoy making earrings out of small toys and Shrinky Dinks, I even love using Perler beads to make fun patterns! If you’re looking for a fun craft that’s pretty easy overall, Perler beads are great for going as big or as small as you want, and you could find patterns for just about everything! Here’s a website that has a lot of fun bead patterns: Kandi Patterns. In general, the more creative, the more fun. What’s fun about being creative is that it’s the joy of making something, even if that means making a story for my character in Dungeons and Dragons! I look forward to learning about more ways to better utilize digital media in this increasingly digital world!
Hi everyone! My name is Kyla Cacoilo and I am currently living in Tallahassee, Florida. I am originally from beautiful Sarasota, Florida and love the beach and being outside in the sun! I am pursuing my Master’s in Information Technology and plan to graduate in Spring 2025. I graduated from FSU in 2023 with my Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and I am excited to become a double Nole! Currently, I work at Florida State University Information Technology Services as an IT Service Management Specialist. In this role, I help to manage major incidents, on-board and off-board services, and lead organizational change management. I have worked at FSU ITS for 2 years, and I am excited to see where my journey will take me!
Outside of school and work, my favorite hobby is to travel! I have definitely caught a bit of a travel bug and cannot stop exploring. Just this week, I got back from a European winter adventure where I travelled to see one of my college roommates. We explored Madrid, Budapest, Vienna, and Andalusia and had an absolutely wonderful time! Some of the most amazing things that I saw included the Alhambara in Granada, the Patios in Cordoba, and the Austrian National Library in Vienna.
Other than travelling, my other hobbies include pottery, hot yoga, cycling, reading, and relaxing in the sun! Over the past 6 months, I have been enrolled in a pottery class and I have learned how to make pots, bowls, plates, mugs, and more! Pottery has always fascinated me and I am excited that I have been able to start a new hobby.
Throughout this semester, I hope to become more confident in my skills related to digital-media resources. I have personal experience editing and creating different medias, yet I have never taken a course to teach technqiues. I am excited to learn a new perspective that is different than my self-taught skills and hope to learn some techniques that will speed up the process. I am excited to have a great semester and I am looking forward to meeting all of you!
