While on deployment in the desert, I wrote a poem that reflected how isolated and lost I had become. I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to use this poem for a project that could potentially help other people who are struggling with harmful thoughts.
The narrative starts from a post I made on my Twitter account and links to the webpage from a hyperlink. I added the hyperlinks to articles, my twitter page, my online portfolio, and to the media that I used. Originally, I was going to have all of the help links go to information about depression, but I know that a deep depression can lead to suicidal thoughts.
When I was in the military, I wrote this poem during one of the lowest points in my life. I had survived a nearly fatal accident in the Middle East on the second week of an eight-month deployment. The aftermath and punishment I received was too much for me to cope with. Every day was miserable, depressing, and my future was unsure. I’ve always wanted to share my experience and let other people know that help is available if you are wanting to harm yourself or others.
While brainstorming for my storytelling class project, I was inspired to make this webpage when I learned how to make an object stay in a fixed position on the screen. The flow of the page is meant to be smooth and easy like water. Normally yellow is used for caution, but I used it in a way that means cautious optimism. I used HTML5, a free song from Free Music Archive, a background from Pixels, and a variety of links to webpages.
At the start of this project, I drew a rough draft of the website design on graph paper. I designed a basic webpage before I started gathering all the elements needed for the project. Although, the fixed image idea was the reason for me to make this webpage, I am unskilled in Photoshop and couldn’t get it to do what I needed.
It was difficult to make this project as good as I imagined it to be. When I wasn’t satisfied with any of the backgrounds that I had initially found, I nearly gave up this project. I decided not to quit and soon after found a background that fit with my theme. From now on, I’ll be more patient with websites I create. Developing my skills in photoshop and in HTML will be essential for me to make effective narratives in the future.