Hello creative friends,

Today I wrote a blog post about Skillshare, why I love it and how to get the most of your membership and thought I should share some of it with you, too (read the entire post here).

How do you make the most of your membership?

Follow skills. Be sure to choose some skills to follow when you set up your account. Already have an account? You can follow skills from the home screen. The skills you follow will show up where it says “Your Creative Interests”.

Experiment with Learning Paths. Click on Learning Paths in the header bar. Each learning path is a curated list of classes on a certain topic. They’re designed to be watched as a group, in succession, so that you’re learning skills that build upon one another.

Follow teachers you admire. When you take a class you enjoy, click on the teacher’s photo (on the “About” tab) to be taken to their profile. There you can see their other classes and also click to follow them. You’ll be alerted when they have new classes and can also take part in conversations with them, know when they’re running contests and learn about any exciting news they have to share. I like to periodically check in with my Skillshare followers and ask my students for suggestions for future classes.

Limit search results. If you’re overwhelmed with what comes up when you’re searching for a topic, try limiting the search. Skillshare allows you to limit by class level, class length and recency of publication. You can also limit search results to Skillshare Originals or Staff Picks. Originals are classes that were produced by Skillshare (often with big name teachers). Staff Picks are classes chosen by Skillshare’s curation team as being exceptional. That’s not to say other classes aren’t also exceptional, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed or need guidance picking a good class, a Staff Pick will always be a great place to start!

Make a plan. It’s easy to want to learn All The Things. Instead of getting distracted by project after project, start with one topic or one class. Create a schedule for yourself, set a goal and put it on your calendar (Skillshare even gives you the option to add a class to whichever digital calendar you use).

Do the work. Classes on Skillshare are created around a class project. To get the most out of a class, create a project inspired by the class. Or try out the skills and techniques on something of your own. Doing the work is the only way you’ll learn. Watching someone else paint won’t help you become a better painter. Painting will.

Participate in the community. One of the best ways to get involved is to upload projects in the classes you’re taking. Many teachers will respond with feedback (ask for the specific feedback you’re after in your project!) and students will chime in, too. Asking questions in class discussions or responding when a teacher (or fellow student) asks a question in a discussion is another perfect way to make use of Skillshare’s community.

Save classes for later. If you want to remember a class for when you have more time, click “save” to add it to your classes. Come back to your saved classes when you’re ready to try something new.

Share the love. Tell people about the classes you’re taking. On social media, if that’s your thing. On your blog, if you have one. Or even in person. When you, as a student, refer someone to Skillshare, they’ll get a free month and so will you!

Some classes loved taking:

I’ve enjoyed each class I’ve taken with Bonnie Christine. Her class Focus to Flourish is wonderful for time management, planning and goal setting.
Rosalie Haizlett’s class Painting Nature with Watercolor and Gouache is a lot of fun (I’m a bit envious of the beautiful scenery in her videos!).
Denise Love has lots and lots of classes. I love how enthusiastic and excited she gets while she’s making art. I enjoyed taking her class Master Studies - Creating Abstract Art Inspired By The Masters' Color Palettes.
Jen Dixon is super inspiring. When I was trying to figure out how to use oil pastels her class Oil Pastel Boot Camp was just what I needed.
I loved learning about acryla gouache from Dylan Mierzwinski (another super inspiring teacher and artist) in her class Still Lifes are Cool.
It’s fun to branch out and try new things. I certainly did when I took Alison Kolesar’s class on painting Pattern Ladies.
So many artists struggle with understanding their creative identity. If you do, too, you’ll love Andy J Pizza’s class Find Your Style.
Jessica Swift teaches on Skillshare, too. I recently enjoyed taking her Daily Art Practice for Self-Care class.

Now it's your turn!

Which classes and teachers have you enjoyed learning with here on Skillshare? I can't wait to hear about them!

Hope you're having a creative weekend!

Wishing you joy,

Anne

Anne Butera

Artist. Instigating creativity and joy.

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