The Creator's Map

Apparently I’m following the fad with this one… and honestly, I get the hype now. 😂💜

Somewhere between instructional design, podcast microphones, coffee refills, and “just publish the thing” moments… I created this little snapshot of me.

I’m Sonja.
Instructional Designer & Developer.
Host of The Creator’s Map Podcast.
Creative Pirate.
Professional overthinker with a heart for helping people learn, create, and share what they know with confidence.

Also:
☕ Canvas is my jam
🎙️ Podcasting is my happy place
🗺️ I turn complex into clear
🐶 Rocky is my co-worker
📚 I believe good design changes lives

This one feels a little like my brain on paper and honestly… I love it. ✨

If you want the prompt style for making one of these for yourself, reach out and I’ll share it. 😊

2 minutes until the EDUCAUSE Demo Day on Applications of AI and I’m genuinely excited for this one.

The lineup is packed with conversations around AI in education, accessibility, student engagement, learning analytics, collaboration tools, and what real implementation is starting to look like across higher education. Seeing companies focus not just on “AI tools,” but on ethics, accessibility, instructional support, data visibility, and faculty workflows feels like an important shift.

I’m especially excited about the Instructure IgniteAI session because Canvas is absolutely my jam. I really want to see what it can actually do inside real workflows, especially across course design, admin support, and faculty efficiency. The idea of completing complex tasks through Canvas APIs with natural language prompts has my instructional designer brain fully awake this morning.

A few other sessions I’m curious about:
• YuJa Accessible AI Umbrella
• D2L Lumi
• Harmonize Learning
• Answerr
• CampusLens

One thing EDUCAUSE consistently does well is create spaces where institutions can explore emerging technology with actual educational context instead of hype alone.

Coffee is ready. Notes are ready. Let’s see where higher ed is headed next. ☕

The Venture by Design Workbook is a guided business development workbook designed to help you build, organize, and strengthen your business idea step by step. Through structured questions, reflection prompts, planning exercises, and strategy activities, this workbook helps entrepreneurs and creators move from idea to ex*****on with greater clarity and direction.

Built around a practical 5-step framework, the workbook helps you think through every stage of the business you are building.

The 5-Step Venture by Design Process

See the System
Define the problem, audience, opportunity, and purpose behind your business idea.

Design the System
Map out your business structure, offers, customer experience, workflows, branding, and communication.

Test the System
Evaluate your ideas in real-world situations through feedback, audience response, usability, and practical application.

Strengthen the System
Refine weak areas, improve systems, clarify messaging, and strengthen the overall business foundation.

Lead the System
Prepare your business for long-term growth, leadership, sustainability, partnerships, and expansion.

Inside the workbook, you will answer questions and complete activities related to:

• Your business idea and mission
• Audience and customer needs
• Competitor and keyword analysis
• Branding and messaging
• Products, services, and offers
• Marketing and communication
• Workflow and system planning
• Revenue and sustainability
• Growth and leadership strategies

Whether you are starting from scratch or refining an existing idea, Venture by Design was created to help you build a business with structure, purpose, and momentum.

Created by Sonja L. Howell, PhD
Founder of Tranquil Studio, Inc.
Creator of TMID and The Creator’s Map™

🌐 Visit: CreatorsMap.co
📚 Explore books and resources
🎙 Follow The Creator’s Map™ Podcast
⚡ Build the business. Strengthen the system. Lead the vision.

E37: Venture by Design Business Planner Workbook The Venture by Design Workbook is a practical guide for turning ide...

I almost did not make this video because it’s honestly embarrassing to admit. A few days ago, I discovered a Trojan on my computer.

As someone who works in instructional design, educational technology, publishing, AI tools, online systems, and digital workflows every single day, I wanted to share this experience because if this happened to me, it can happen to anyone.

This video walks through:
⚠️ The warning signs I noticed
⚠️ The mistakes I made
⚠️ The strange software behavior that started happening
⚠️ The steps I took to protect my files and accounts
⚠️ What I backed up and disconnected
⚠️ Why I chose to do a full factory reset
⚠️ What I learned during the recovery process

I also share an important reminder to be careful with downloads, browser pop-ups, suspicious prompts, and keyboard commands you do not fully understand, especially commands connected to system tools or the Windows Run feature.

What I did next:
✔ Backed up important files
✔ Disconnected external drives
✔ Ran hardware diagnostics and scans
✔ Changed passwords
✔ Checked startup programs
✔ Monitored account access
✔ Performed a full factory reset
✔ Carefully restored files and programs

I also included a recovery checklist in the video description for anyone going through something similar.

Sometimes charting new territory means sharing the mistakes too 🏴‍☠️

Stay safe out there.

E36: I Found a Trojan on My Computer ⚠️ | What I Did Next A few days ago, I discovered a Trojan on my computer. As someone who works in instructional design, educational technology, publishing, course development, A...