Digital Ventures
First of all, I love layout design for its precision and art. I volunteered at the creative services department at JAARS in August 2011 to help, and also to learn how to use Adobe InDesign.
I also love typography, which means that I read the MyFonts newsletters and I cringe at the sight of Times New Roman. 
GIMP
I use GIMP (free, open source, pared-down Photoshop) for image manipulation and graphic design.
My favorite GIMP tutorials:
Selective colorization: I like to remove the color from a photograph—basically, make it black and white—except for one element. Various how-to’s can be found here and here. The latter is more comprehensive.
Windshock effect: This cool effect is called windshock. Click for my simplified instructions!
Faux graffiti: A modification based on this gimpology tutorial.
Golden text: I followed the gimpology tutorial to a T.
Glossy button: Awesome tutorial from mygimptutorial.com.
PagePlus SE
I also have PagePlus SE, another free program that I generally use for text or text/picture designs. It also comes in handy when doing school projects. The computer does it so much better than I could by hand. If I had the most recent Microsoft Office programs (Word/Publisher), I would use those, but this is a great alternative for fine-tuning layout design projects.
If you ever need help or a second opinion, don’t hesitate to ask me for advice!
On the other hand, I am completely open to any advice, suggestions, and questions.
