A Week Away from Can-Do Canva

In just a week, I will be leading my “Can-Do Canva for Authors” workshop at the August NECRWA meeting. And look at what the nice folks at Canva sent me to sweeten the pot!

How can you sign up to take this workshop?

If you live in the Boston area, you don’t need to sign up. Just show up to the NECRWA meeting in Bedford, Massachusetts on August 19th from 1 to 3 pm. Details on location and parking can be found online (see link). If you are not a NECRWA member, there is a $5 visitors fee. That’s all!

If you are not in the Boston area, and you would like me to come to you, please contact me: info at jennifer hallock dot com.

Who can come?

This workshop is for anyone who would like to raise their Canva game. Though I will be particularly focused on the types of images that romance authors need, you do not need to write anything, let alone romance, to attend.

What is this workshop about?
This is a screenshot from the NECRWA website. It is my text and author details, but not my graphic design.

My goal is to give you eleven tips that will take your own Canva designs beyond the ordinary and obvious. And I have a pretty handout you can take home. Yay!

How long is the workshop?

The workshop at NECRWA will be about an hour, starting at 1:45 or 2:00, after the business part of the meeting is over. (For other venues or audiences, I can make it longer or shorter upon request. It could also be turned into a two-session workshop, with one being a more basic tutorial for beginners.)

One example of teaser promo images that can be made and standardized on Canva. I am not recommending you copy this exactly, but that you make a template that fits your style.
who am I, Jennifer hallock, to teach this course?

I do not represent Canva, first and foremost. I am merely a fan, a power-user, and maybe an addict. I have used Canva to make most of the graphics used on this website. Look at the menu to the left: peruse the history, glossary, and location posts to see some examples. I have also used Canva-designed slides in my History Ever After presentation, as well as conference promotion materials for NECRWA.

One example of a promo image that has had good results for me on Instagram and Twitter.

Yes, Canva sent me—actually you!— those lovely coupon cards pictured above, but they are not sponsoring the workshop in any way. They were just being nice. And you do not need to use Canva specifically. While I do give more specific guidelines for Canva use, many of the principles will apply to PicMonkey or other programs, as well.

Also, teaching is my day job. As a twenty-three-year teaching veteran, I am pretty comfortable talking to any sized group, from teenagers on up. (Children younger than that are confusing to me.)

how should I prepare to take the course?

My eleven tips will be targeted to an intermediate audience. (Advanced graphic designers should take classes from more qualified folk. That’s not me.) For my workshop, I assume that you have already set up a free Canva (or similar service) account, you have attempted a few designs, and you have explored the premade materials available to you. But I also assume you are not (yet) a power-user.

Please bring your laptop with you to the workshop so that you can play around while I talk!

Your homework this week, if you choose to accept it…

Sign up and start playing around! Good luck.

Did you know that #NECRWA19 may be the best conference we’ve had yet? Stay tuned for more information this fall. (And, yes, I made this banner with Canva!)