If you’re a regular here on Smart Twenties, you might have noticed that I never work with brands on my content – I never want you to think that I’m recommending something that I don’t personally use and 100% believe in.
But when Skillshare reached out to partner with me, and I was already raving about their online classes on my vlog, it was a no-brainer! I think they’re an amazing learning resource and I can’t recommend them highly enough.
If you haven’t heard about Skillshare yet, it’s an online learning community that offers more than 18,000 classes in design, business, photography and basically anything else you can think of (but don’t quote me on that last bit).
My favourite thing about Skillshare is that it’s like Netflix for creating the life of your dreams – for a small monthly subscription, you get access to a wide array of world class online classes that will help you become your best (and most creative) self.
Today, I’m going to share 5 online classes that will boost your creativity. The thing I love most about these classes is that they will also help you feel more confident to be creative and add some creativity back into your day-to-day life.
Skillshare’s premium membership begins at around $8 per month but they’ve partnered with me to offer Smart Twenties readers 2 months of unlimited classes for only $0.99 using this link – yay!
Fundamentals of DSLR Photography
It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t start with this class on DSLR photography, since this is the class I was recommending on my vlog at the end of last year!
I’m a little embarrassed to say that, until I took this class, I barely touched the beautiful DSLR camera Steve got me nearly 7 years ago (sorry babe). I was completely overwhelmed by the manual settings and, because I found it so confusing, I resigned myself to the fact that photography just wasn’t for me.
But at the end of last year I stumbled upon this class and WITHIN TWO HOURS, could confidently use the manual settings on my camera and take photos like never before. I loved the class so much that I even got my brother to take it so that he could take photos of me for my blog.
The class is taught by Justin Bridges, an incredible fashion and portrait photographer based in NYC, and he explains things in a way that makes perfect sense to an absolute beginner! If you’ve got a DSLR camera that you’ve been too scared to play with or you’re thinking of getting one for your blog, this class is a must.
Happy Houseplants: Caring For Your Plants
Decorating your desk or bedroom with houseplants is such a fun way to be creative.
But as much as I love the look of a lush Fiddle-Leaf Fig, I find that houseplants are a bit of a bitch to look after – especially when you have no idea what you’re doing!
This class by botanist Chris Satch is a lifesaver (or should I say plantsaver?) and takes the guessing game out of caring for your indoor plants. In the class Chris covers potting, re-potting, watering and my favourite – troubleshooting! The advice in this class will have your houseplants looking Pinterest-worthy in no time. And the best bit? They won’t keep dying on you for unknown reasons (or was that just me).
If you’ve been wishing you had a green thumb, you need to take this class asap! And as a side note, I also love Chris’ class on how to pick the perfect plant!
Watercolor: Loose Florals
I LOVED painting and drawing as a child. But as I grew up and life started to get more serious, I stopped doing art altogether (except for maybe the occasional adult colouring book and a ‘sip and paint’ class here and there).
If you can relate, this is the perfect class to help you dip a creative toe back in the water! Artist Peggy Dean teaches a simple, loose painting style that will have you easily creating gorgeous floral paintings in only a few minutes – even if you haven’t done art in years (or you’ve never done art before).
In the class she covers the basics like tools and materials as well as brush control and then provides easy-to-follow instructions on how to create all different kinds of flowers. And I love this loose style of painting as it completely removes the pressure to be perfect. This is a great class to try your hand at on a rainy Sunday afternoon! And I love Peggy’s class on painting tropical leaves!
Interior Styling: Style Your Place Like A Pro
If you love scouring Pinterest for interior design inspo, this is the class for you! Stylist Justina Blakeney guides you through the 8 fundamental principles of interior styling and then teaches you how to use these principles to style a coffee table, a sofa, a bookshelf and a bed.
In less than an hour, you’ll have all the knowledge you need to take your styling game to the next level. And I love how practical this class is! Justina not only teaches you what looks good, but also helps you identify what doesn’t (since figuring out what’s wrong can be the hardest part). If your space needs a refresh or you’ve just moved, it’s definitely worth taking this class!
Weave Your First Woven Wall Hanging
If you need something to help you style your interior space – this class by Rachel Denbow makes it easy to create a beautiful woven wall hanging that will add a little somethin’ somethin’ to any room.
Rachel helps you find the right materials and colour palette for your beautiful wall art and then takes you through the entire process step-by-step, so that you can create a beautiful woven wall hanging of your own! I also love being able to look at all of the woven wall hangings other people have made in the ‘project’ section – it gives me hope that I can do it too! And actually most of Skillshare’s classes have a project section where you can upload your own work and browse other students’ work – I love it!
But Skillshare isn’t just for creative classes, it’s a great resource for professional development and business too! They have heaps of classes on topics like email marketing, project management and data analytics. And since so many of you email me to ask for advice on how to find a job, I have to mention Glassdoor’s class called How to Get a Job: A Step-by-Step Guide. Definitely check it out if you’re on the hunt for a new job or in a bit of a transition period at the moment.
If you’re interested in taking one (or all) of these classes, get 2 months of Skillshare for only $0.99 using this link. And I’d love to hear which of these classes you’d like to try – please let me know in the comments!
Sam xx