The Best of Skillshare 2019: Top Classes and Hidden Gems

With 2020 just around the corner, ‘tis the season to pause, take stock, and celebrate the accomplishments of the past 12 months. Here at Skillshare, we’re doing just that. We’ve got an exciting January ahead (we love the creative energy of a brand-new year!) but before we dive into a fresh decade, we’re taking a moment to reflect and roundup some of the Skillshare classes that inspired our creativity in 2019.

The list we compiled is by no way exhaustive, but it is exceptionally diverse. There are staff picks and hidden gems, community favorites, and Skillshare Originals; classes from all kinds of teachers sharing all kinds of talents. And yet, each sparked in us the same creative energy, the kind that encourages us to try new things, explore new tools and express ourselves more fully. These are the classes that inspired us to take up digital illustration this year, to paint self-portraits, and to try our hand at animations. They helped us take better photographs, style our spaces, work more productively, and find the kinds of creative passions that will carry us into the new year — and beyond.

Ready to feel inspired, too? Click here to explore our full list, or read on to check out the nine special classes that we’re highlighting below.

In her fun, accessible class on digital illustration, multi-disciplinary artist Laci Jordan shares how she channels inspiration from the world around her into vibrant, exciting pieces of art. Her warm and welcoming teaching style makes this an excellent class for anyone developing their creative practice — or who want to expand theirs in a new direction.

Writing The Truth: How to Start Writing Your Memoir with Mary Karr

If you’re interested in the art of the memoir, Writing the Truth is an inspiring and unique peek into the writing process. Memoirist and poet Mary Karr guides you through a series of exciting memory-focused exercises to help you engage and connect with your reader on a more visceral and emotional level, sharing wisdom and creative insights along the way.

Character Animation Basics: Create a Dance Loop with After Effects and Photoshop with Bee Grandinetti

If you want to (quite literally!) make new moves this holiday season, designer, illustrator and animator Bee Grandinetti’s class on character animation basics has you covered. In it, she shares a holistic approach to animation that will give you the foundational understanding you need to create characters that move in a more fluid, natural way.

Whether you’re interested in working as a photographer or want to share better pictures with friends, family, and followers on Instagram, Brandon Woelfel’s class is a can’t-miss look at the shooting and editing techniques that make his work so magical. In it, the mega-popular freelance photographer takes you step-by-step through his approach, from first inspiration to final post, giving you the techniques and tips you’ll need to create your own Instagram-ready images.

Discovering Success: 7 Exercises to Uncover Your Purpose, Passion & Path with Emma Gannon

If you want to make a change in the new year, author, broadcaster and popular podcast host Emma Gannon’s class on discovering your creative passion is a great place to start. Drawing on her own career experiences, Emma shares seven exercises that will help you live more creatively, more meaningfully, and truer to your authentic self.

Fun With Faces: Create a Stylised Digital Portrait with Charly Clements

Want to infuse your digital work with a little more personality? Skillshare Top Teacher, greeting card designer Charly Clement’s popular class Fun with Faces shows you how to create pleasant digital portraits in a simple, straightforward way.

Style Your Space: Creative Tips and Techniques for Interior Design with Emily Henderson

“When you are in a space that represents your personality, that looks like you, it is wildly fulfilling. You just feel like home.” — Emily Henderson.

Whether you want to embark on a full style refresh or just want to add a little extra creative energy to a room, best-selling author, blogger and interior stylist Emily Henderson’s class will give you the simple, practical tools you need to make any space uniquely yours.

Color Masterclass: Simple Steps to Create Vivid Art with Victo Ngai

In her first Skillshare Original, award-winning illustrator Victo Ngai takes a deep-dive into one of the most powerful creative weapons in any artist’s arsenal: color. Using her personal challenges using color as a launching point, Victo simplifies color theory into a set of easy-to-understand but effective principles that, when followed, can help imbue your work with more vibrancy, harmony, and emotional impact.

Productivity Masterclass: Create a Custom System that Works with Thomas Frank

Ready to start the new year with a bang? Productivity expert Thomas Frank shows you how to transform your life using his tried-and-true methods for improving your workflow and staying organized for the long-haul.

Want to see what else made the list of our favorite classes of 2019? Click here to explore more top classes and hidden gems.

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