Blog #3 From Pen to Pixel: A Personal Reflection on My Digital Writer’s Notebook Journey

What is digital media?

Digital media as media in a form that can be stored, read, seen, etc. using a computer, such as news websites, social media, electronic books, and digital video, images, or music (Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.). 

By using a digital writer’s notebook, I felt unsure and intimidated. I felt ambivalent at the thought of leaving behind the comfort of pen and paper to try something new. Paper had always been my safe space where I can complete tasks in a simple, quiet, and personal way. I worried that moving online would take away that intimacy and bury my emotions beneath unfamiliar tools and screens. I was used to the comfort of holding a notebook, the scratch of ink, the freedom to scribble and cross things out. A paper notebook had always felt like a private space where my thoughts could spill out any without pressure. So, stepping into the digital space felt almost like entering unfamiliar territory.

At first, the digital features overwhelmed me, so many videos, audio, layouts, and editing options felt distracting, and I missed the ease of pen and paper. I even feared that technology would weaken my emotional expression. There were moments of frustration where I found myself trying to align media, fixing audio, or figuring out why something wouldn’t upload. Slow internet or a frozen device reminded me how easily the process could be interrupted. After all, a paper notebook never refuses to turn on.

But as I began working on the notebook, I realized something significant. I realized that even though the format changed, the heart of the process stayed the same. The digital notebook still gave me a place to think, question, express, and explore. It still felt like my space, it was just structured differently. In that way, it reminded me that writing isn’t really about the tool but it’s about the mind behind it.

Gradually, the digital environment pushed me in ways I didn’t expect, unlike my paper notebook, which holds only words and sketches, the digital space allowed my ideas to breathe through sound, visuals, colors, and movement. It challenged me to think bigger than sentences. I could layer emotion through music, emphasize mood with images, and bring meaning alive through arrangement and design. Completing my monologue as a multimedia piece shifted everything: I realized that technology doesn’t replace emotion, but it actually strengthens it. Adding visuals and sound helped me express grief, anger, and hope more powerfully than text alone.

Instead of feeling distant, I felt closer to my writing. Hearing my voice and seeing my words come alive made the experience vivid and meaningful. The digital notebook made me reflect on how I communicate, not just what I say. It made me more intentional. I found myself asking:

What effect do I want this moment to have?

How can visuals strengthen the emotion?

What does the pacing of music add to my message?

In the end, I wasn’t just writing, I was composing, arranging, and shaping an experience for my reader or viewer, that made me feel more like a creator than I ever have with just pen and paper.

Looking back, I can see how much I've grown. The digital notebook stretched me creatively, taught me new skills, and made me more confident in multimodal expression. It reminded me that writing isn't limited to words on a page; it can be a full sensory experience. My feelings transformed where at first, I felt limited, unsure, hesitant, then I began feeling empowered, expressive, and deeply connected to my message. While I'll always love my traditional notebooks, the digital space opened doors I never knew existed. My students can definitely benefit from this since it shows them that writing is not limited to words on a page. By experimenting with digital media, they can learn to express emotions more vividly, connect ideas across different modes, and become more intentional about how their messages reach an audience. While the technical side may feel frustrating at first, the process teaches resilience and adaptability. Most importantly, it empowers them to see themselves not just as writers, but as creators who can shape meaning through sound, visuals, and design. This kind of multimodal practice helps students grow in confidence, creativity, and communication skills that extend far beyond the classroom.