Share Your Life Experiences with Everyone – Digitally

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Participants learnt how to be digitally creative at Silver Digital Talents

We all have fond memories of interacting with our grandparents especially when we were young. They often have exciting life stories, good advice and sometimes unexpected wisdom that can benefit us.

At the Silver Digital Talents event that was held on 2-3 March 2019 at The National Library, more than 2,000 seniors learnt the power of using digital devices to create and share their stories.

There Is An Author In All Of Us

Recording down our life stories by writing a book is probably something that some of us aspire to do at some point in life. With digital technology easily accessible, you do not need to be an expert to tell a great story and everyone can create your own e-books!

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Helpful volunteers led seniors through their e-book creation

At the Silver Digital Talents event, each senior got to learn different digital skills at three stations -from learning how to take digital photos, record video demonstrations of themselves, and even voiceovers to include these interesting elements to their e-book. They also learnt how to use digital pens to add finishing touches with illustrations, and were finally rewarded with the completion of both a physical and digital copy of their very own personalised e-book.

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Seniors recorded their sporting skill on video as part of their e-book making journey

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Tavana, 60, with her newly completed e-book

See, Hear, & Feel

As dynamic as e-books are, it is not the only way that seniors with stories can share their thoughts and talents. Katherine Chua, 67 wants to create documentaries about wet markets in Southeast Asia. She aspires to share this unique aspect of the region with the world, and the event taught her some newfound videography skills which she can put to good use.

Katherine wants to use her video making skills to shoot documentaries.

Beyond just creating e-books, others saw the benefits of learning these new skills that will come in handy in their daily lives. Mike Lockett, 63 and Risdiana, 46, are used to taking only photos with their smartphones, but now look forward to making use of the video function to record important life moments. “We were not used to making videos, but the workshop has familiarized us with it,” said Risdiana. Lockett, a businessman, felt the skills he learnt could be helpful in his business. “I can see multiple uses for [video and photo taking], like for marketing. Instead of having to pay someone else to do it, I will try to do it myself.”

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Happy couple Mike and Risdiana gave Silver Digital Talents two thumbs up and said they will look out for similar events

A Photo Snaps A Thousand Words

Beyond just learning the digital skills from station to station, the other main highlight of the Silver Digital Talents event were the talks on applying digital skills into daily lives. As the saying goes, “A picture paints a thousand words” and the talk on “Making Stories with Mobile Photography” was exactly teaching the seniors how to do that simply by using their smartphone to take meaningful and great photos.

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Attendees were taught how to take meaningful photographs with their mobile phones

Lee Mei Chun, 56, was surprised at photo quality of smartphone cameras. After attending the talk, she learnt that smartphones contained functions such as a camera grid and light balance that enabled her to apply various photography techniques, making her photos much more pleasing to the eye. “Through this talk, I learnt that photography can be very meaningful. It can capture moods, stories and magical moments,” said Lee.

Simon Tung, 68, recalled how photography in the past used to be a troublesome task, requiring expensive equipment that was difficult to use. Tung was amazed at how digital photos of similar or even better quality can be taken with ease. He also appreciated the speaker’s advice on how to make your photos tell a story.

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68-year old Simon enjoyed learning about mobile photography at the talk.

Creativity Has No Age

Whether you are a senior in 70s or a mature adult in 40s, there is no age limit in creativity. Moses Sia, a content creator for Silver Digital Talents, hopes to empower seniors with digital skills, so they can use technology to express themselves creatively. “I believe that everyone is creative, but many of us do not exercise that creativity. When we do, we actually will feel greater vitality in life,” said Sia.

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While learning digital storytelling skills may seem difficult, Sia expressed that it is now far simpler than before. “The digital tools today are so easy for seniors to understand,” said Sia. “Previously you needed an expensive video camera, an editing suite and the skills required in order to put just a short video together,” he continued.

“Today, in any mobile device, you have everything that you need. There’s no keeping anyone from actually coming up with a creative prize-winning video with his or her mobile device.

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From Talents to Creators

The Silver Digital Creators courses will teach you everything covered in Silver Digital Talents – and more!

While the Silver Digital Talents event may be over, it is not the end for seniors who still wish to learn about digital creativity. Interested individuals can sign up for the Silver Digital Creators courses with a choice of 5 modules to choose from – Book Authoring, Coding, Digital Music and Art, Digital Photography and Movie Making.

To find out more about the Silver Digital Creators classes, click on this link here.