Hey there Reader !
This week there was some very interesting news from Canva: Affinity (who create a brilliant suite of professional design tools), have joined the Canva family!
Now personally I think this is great - and they are both companies that I respect for their ethos and culture. They have always put their communities first, and have been really transparent about fair pricing and giving back. These are things that align with my values, and I want to support companies like that. The Founder of Affinity said they have found a 'kindred spirit' in Canva...and to be honest, that tracks. As always there are lots of questions still - especially because (unlike Adobe) Affinity products have always had a one-off purchase price - as opposed to a subscription model - and I think their users are concerned about that changing. But I'm optimistic.
One of the KEY reasons I have always liked Affinity is that even though they are focussed on professional designers, they have always said their mission is to make design accessible to everyone...a mission that aligns perfectly with mine.
Now for us Canva users, I think this is potentially VERY exciting. While it may not mean any immediately changes, I do think it will mean that Canva will start to evolve design tools and integrations that are a little more robust - and provide even more professional tools in an accessible way - as they now have access to the expertise of the Affinity team. While Affinity and Canva have different distinct audiences, this means that the Canva 'Family' - now including Affinity - becomes a REAL contender with huge possibilities ahead. Affinity is one of the few genuine contenders to Adobe's crown, and it's kinda fun to see them now becoming part of Canva. π
Lets get things moving!
As you probably know I have been doing a lot of exploring of Canva's motion graphics & video tools (and seeing what they are REALLY capable of), and I've had a LOT of requests to share my templates. The challenging thing is that the way some of the animations work make it tricky to share things...cos they could go wrong really easily and that would just be frustrating for everyone! So I've been trying to figure out how to create some templates that both stylish and easy for anyone to customize. And I'm really excited to say that I'm pretty close to doing just that!! π
So in today's tutorial I am doing a step by step walkthrough of how to create YOUR OWN simple but really flexible template that you can use for Instagram reels, TikTok or YouTube shorts videos. It's a great way of showcasing products, services, an event or anything else.
And if you want to find out how to get your hands on this exact template WITHOUT having to create it all yourself, I will reveal all in the full tutorial over on the YouTube channel - and there's more to come next week! ππ
Meaningful Creations
As someone who has always been told I am 'too sensitive', I find that the world gets me down sometimes. Ok, often. But then I see or hear or read something that just gives me that little bit of hope that there is beauty and good in the world...and I'm ok. Donovan Alexander Beck (aka @mindofsol) delivered one of those moments recently. He is a poet and creator and a 24 year old with an old soul. A reel of his brought me so much joy, and I wanted to share it with you today - just click the image below to watch it. It is everything a meaningful creation should be. I hope it brings you a little light today.π€
Have a fabulous weekend you lovely people.
Be kind to yourselves and scatter some joy around. π€
β
β