Skillshare’s Monthly Class Picks: May 2025

The start of a new month is the perfect time to add a new habit to your daily routine, commit to a new goal or add a new skill to your creative toolbelt. May’s longer days and new spring blooms can even inspire a period of growth in your personal or professional life. 

In the name of spring blossoms and new life goals alike, we put together a list of our top Skillshare class picks for the month. From social media content creation tips to a guide to career transitions, these classes will have you developing creative skills like watercolor portrait painting, sketching and more. 

1. Social Media Content Creation in Canva: From Beginner to Advanced

About This Class

Artists, designers and creatives of all backgrounds can use social media to connect with potential clients, build notoriety around their work and create a network within their field. In this class, creative marketer Maggie Stara shares how you can improve your content creation and content marketing skills on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and other social media platforms. 

You’ll discover how to create graphics, shareable GIFs, meme posts, animated Pinterest pins, banners and more within Canva so that your social media presence is both eye-catching and completely unique to you. Maggie will guide you through helpful exercises throughout the class so you can practice your skills alongside each lesson and leave with content that’s ready to be posted to your socials.

As a bonus, you’ll learn about some of Canva’s AI tools and how you can use them to create expert-level content with ease.  

Taught By

Maggie Stara is a creative marketer and one of Skillshare’s top teachers. Her social media content creation class has brought in over 38,000 students since its launch in 2020. She also offers classes on digital marketing strategy and how to make Instagram reels in Canva. We recently interviewed Maggie for a Skillshare teacher spotlight if you want to learn more about Maggie’s business story and her journey to digital marketing. 

What Students Say

“Wow, just wow! I started this course with zero knowledge, and now I can create almost anything that comes to mind. Plus, I’ve started having more ideas and finding inspiration thanks to the examples shared throughout the course. What makes this course even better is the teacher's clear, step-by-step explanations and thoughtful approach, ensuring that learners of all levels feel supported and confident. Loooove it!!!” - Fatima Zahra Kamidi

“This course helped inspire new ideas and broadened the scope of what I thought was actually possible for me to create within Canva. I now feel all the more more confident offering freelance social media services! The social templates are a life saver!” - Nakiah Lashley

2. Expressive Portraits in Watercolor: Capturing Emotion and Character 

About This Class

Award-winning watercolor artist, Will Elliston believes that portraits are more than just copying a face down to paper. He believes that portraits should tell a story through emotion and resonate with depth, mood and personality. In this class, Will shares how you can use the power of watercolors to create a captivating portrait that tells a story.

You’ll combine techniques like flowing color washes and dripping effects with intricate detail work in order to create a true work of art. With Will’s step-by-step approach, you’ll discover how to emphasize key facial features, bring out emotion and balance abstract forms with realistic touches so that you can create a watercolor portrait that captures both the character and emotion of your subject. 

This class is made for both experienced watercolorists and those who are new to portrait painting, which means you don’t need any previous art experience to get started. 

Taught By

Will Elliston is a watercolor artist based in the United Kingdom. Made with both beginner and experienced artists in mind, Will’s classes share the techniques and methods he uses in his own artwork. Will is often inspired by his travels and the beauty of the world around him so he also offers classes on painting animal portraits and landscapes. 

What Students Say

“This is an exceptional class on portrait painting and the subtleties of watercolor painting in general. Will is such a thoughtful instructor, explaining so much of his artistic process and explaining how different techniques are employed to achieve the result he is going for. I found this so helpful for developing a better understanding of the properties of watercolor and for applying that knowledge to my own artwork as well as the student project. This class is so packed full of information I will definitely be rewatching it multiple times over.” - Charlotte Mathias

3. Creative Transition: A Mindful Approach to Rediscovering Creativity and Changing Careers

About This Class

If you’ve ever felt lost or overwhelmed in your career, this class is made to help you step into a more creative and fulfilling life even if you have no idea where to start. Teacher Mimi Chao is a business owner and illustrator who went from a big firm corporate lawyer to a full-time independent artist and content creator. 

In this class, she shares how to pursue your life's meaning, connect with your creative spark and realize your true potential in a more mindful way through an approach she calls Mindful Growth. 

You’ll learn how to align with your true purpose through each of Mimi’s lessons and a free downloadable class workbook that will accompany you through each lesson’s activity. By the end of the class you’ll have an action plan for your new career journey and a toolbox full of helpful tips to deal with time and money challenges and common fears. 

Taught By

Mimi Chao is the founder of Mimochai, an independent studio based in LA where Mimi makes art, books and classes for curious minds. As a former lawyer turned self-taught artist and full-time creative, Mimi enjoys helping others engage with nature, creativity, and mindfulness and step out of a career that isn’t the right fit anymore. 

What Students Say

“This class is brilliant as is the accompanying workbook. I'm already seeing the results of incorporating mindfulness into my days and using it as a basis for living more intentionally.” - Mo Ray

“Truly wonderful class and journey into how to use mindfulness to achieve career goals and dreams. This course introduced lots of different ways and tools to think about the present moment and how to move forward by re-framing your mind.” - Helen K

4. Seascapes for Beginners : Learn to Paint 10 Easy Watercolor Seascapes

About This Class

Paint a collection of beautiful beach landscapes that you can use to decorate your home, gift to loved ones or turn into a greeting card. Made for students of all skill levels, this class will give you the techniques you need to create your own watercolor seascapes. Top teacher and artist Zaneena Nabeel will walk you through ten different beach landscapes that you can complete in under thirty minutes each. 

You’ll learn how to choose the right paper, mix colors and create your own color palettes. Designed to be a daily art challenge, this class provides ten day’s worth of watercolor painting exercises. Whether you decide to paint one seascape a week or a day, you can use this class as relaxing time with watercolor that will easily fit into your busy schedule.

Taught By

Zaneena Nabeel is an architect and artist who enjoys all kinds of art mediums. Zaneena has over sixty five classes on Skillshare including her popular urban sketching class and her watercolor landscape class for beginners. As someone who finds art to be very therapeutic, Zaneena loves art challenges because they can help keep you motivated and accountable. 

What Students Say

“Very enjoyable class and I love my finished projects. Pacing is perfect for painting along and I would expect this to be a relaxing class for painters at any level.” - Cyndi Michener

“This was a fun and engaging class. It is super beginner friendly. Great instruction and clear steps. Absolutely beautiful projects upon completion. Would highly recommend to anyone who loves ocean painting!!” - Laura Storch

5. Drawing Is Important: Develop a Sketchbook Habit in 30 Days

About This Class

Drawing everyday can help you tap into your creative voice, improve your illustration skills and even relieve stress. This class with illustrator and designer Tom Froese will help you kickstart your own daily drawing habit in just thirty days. 

You’ll discover how to break through creative block and self-doubt and plan your drawing habit around your daily schedule and what inspires you most. Tom also shares how you can capture your drawings so they shine on social media in case you want to share your drawing challenge with your followers. 

By the end of the class, you’ll learn what it takes to draw every day and how to constantly evolve and grow as an artist. 

Taught By

Tom Froese is an award winning illustrator, speaker and Skillshare top teacher. Known for using joyful colours, spontaneous textures and quirky shapes, Tom has worked for brands and businesses all over the world including Yahoo! and Airbnb. As a teacher, Tom has inspired tens of thousands of students to become better at what they do.  

What Students Say

“I struggle to sit down and decide what to draw in my sketchbook, this class teaches you how to plan your 30 days and make the decision making easy, this has really helped me and after 30 days drawing I still regularly fill my pages.” - Katin Atkin

“This was a great class. As a beginning sketch "artist", the lessons were easy to follow, the steps given were concise and helpful, and focused really well on the topic of maintaining a sketchbook.” - Rob Domaschuk

Dive into Your Own Creative Journey

Now that you got a glimpse at what creative skills and tools you could add to your artistic repertoire this month, treat yourself to an afternoon of creative exploration. 

Written By

Calli Zarpas

Producer & Writer by occupation. Ceramicist & Newsletter Editor by avocation.

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