My mum was a bit of trailblazer when it came to technology.  I didn’t notice or appreciate it at the time, but items came into our house before they arrived in many neighbouring homes.   We had a microwave oven, a personal computer, a home darkroom and many photographic items.     The computer and camera equipment were used by mum to be both creative and practical.    With photography Mum created audio-visuals (the precursor to slideshows and moviemaker) – stories created with images on slides and music.  Would her creative juices been connected to digital publishing instead of the beautiful calligraphy she produced?   I have evidence of quirky cards made with MS Publisher in it’s earliest forms and I wonder what she could have created with Canva!

In her 70’s and 80’s, Mum embraced email using it to keep in touch with many distant friends and family.  Word processing developed from being a business tool, a wonderful extension of the typewriter she mastered as a 16 year old to being the tool of choice on which to create poetry, prose and stories.  She was quite happy to share what she wrote, shaer her thinking and ideas with others and in those days her work was published in printed newsletters.  It was well received and Mum enjoyed the responses she received from her ‘readers’.

I can’t help but wonder what Mum would have created with today’s tools at her fingertips.  I see her as being a blogger – sharing her writing in a number of ways.  Her handwritten travel journals would likely have been blogs.  I can see her creating a whole new network of people: commenting on posts, creating conversations with those beyond her local area.

I wonder how she would have viewed Facebook.  I think she would have loved the fact that it connects people, keeps them in touch over time and space.  I am fairly sure, her forehead would wrinkle at some of the inane material people share, but I reckon, she would be there, contributing and receiving in her own way.

Digital photography would have allowed more instant products and variations, I am not sure they would be any better but the variations would have been extended.  The ability to access information in an instant would have challenged her but I think she would enjoy the ability to answer that niggling question in a few key strokes.

No-one can transplant themselves into another generation, we live our lives as we can and as we should, in the environment in which we are born….. but I do wonder.  Creativity takes many forms.  What would Mum have done with today’s tools?

In honour of Mother’s Day 2017