Today, I started using the trial version of Canva Pro for our homeschooling, and it was an interesting experience! I had heard so much about how good it is, but I found it a bit complicated to navigate. Maybe it’s just my brain trying to process all the options and features available.
I was excited to explore the templates and tools, but I quickly felt overwhelmed by the choices. While I can see how well Canva functions, figuring out how to create what I envisioned turned out to be a challenge. I kept getting caught up in trying to understand how everything worked, which made it hard to focus on actually creating useful materials for our lessons.
Despite the initial struggle, I’m determined to keep at it. I believe that once I get the hang of it, Canva Pro could help me make our learning resources more engaging.
But as I’m exploring, I’m also learning about the copyright and licensing rules around using Canva for creative projects, especially if I decide to create more original designs in the future.
From what I understand, as the creator of a design, I do hold the copyright over the final, unique composition I make in Canva. However, the individual elements—like stock photos or illustrations from Canva’s library—are licensed to me non-exclusively. This means I can use them in our materials, but others could potentially use the same elements in their own work too.
The Canva Pro license allows me to use these designs for educational or commercial purposes, like books or other print materials, which is helpful. However, I also know I can’t claim exclusive ownership over each element I use, since they belong to Canva or their original artists. As long as I combine, edit, or create unique compositions, it should meet the licensing requirements—and for homeschooling materials, this works well.
If I decide to sell my designs, I need to be mindful that I can’t sell unaltered copies of stock images, videos, or audio files. My work must be a unique composition, and I also have to avoid using identifiable people or logos in a way that implies endorsement of my product.
Additionally, it’s important to be prepared to convince any potential publisher that my designs comply with copyright regulations to avoid any issues.
In fact, I did manage to create my first simple designs today! My girls wanted pink, yellow, and white as their main favorite colors, so I incorporated those into the first design. Here’s what I came up with!
I’m happy with the result, even though it’s just a starting point. I’m looking forward to improving my skills and creating even better materials in the future.
The Learning Curve
While my husband encourages me to explore AI design tools, trusting that my complex mind will come up with creative prompts, I find myself fully absorbed in figuring out Canva for now. My mind feels like a whirlwind with all the options and features I’m trying to navigate. Each step I take is part of a messy learning process, filled with trial and error.
Canva itself has integrated AI features that enhance the design experience, like Magic Resize for adjusting dimensions and Magic Write for generating content, but I still don’t know how to use them. These AI tools can simplify certain tasks, maybe, I don’t know.
I often find that the creativity I feel inside my mind doesn’t always translate easily to the screen. Sometimes, I get caught in an endless loop of tweaking and adjusting my designs, which can be both frustrating and enlightening. It’s not always a straight path; moments of confusion and creativity intermingle, making the experience both chaotic and rewarding. By sharing this journey, I hope to show others that learning new skills—whether it’s Canva or standalone AI design tools—often comes with its own unique challenges and messy steps.
Have any of you had a similar experience with Canva or other creative tools? I’d love to hear your tips and tricks for navigating these platforms! I am not sure if I will continue to subscribe to Pro; I’m using the trial version, so I basically have one month to fully explore it… Alhamdulillah!
