samanthamashillustration:

Here is 10 things I tell my students on the first day of class about building yourself up into being a artist. This is starting point, not a all encompassing list. Hope you find it helpful!

1. Never stop experimenting. When you stop trying new things your style will get stagnant. Developing your style never has an stopping point, you’re going to continue learning and changing–that is a good thing.

2. Don’t draw to please a particular person or audience. It is tempting to draw something you think the person viewing it will like. It starts with drawing to please a friend/family member, then a teacher, and then a wider audience online or in person. However, consider drawing to please yourself first, an audience will follow in time and you will face a lot less burn out down the line. You’ll be hired for this, work you made out of something you liked crafting–not something you forced yourself to craft. Don’t make art that makes you miserable.

3. Learn the basics. Get good at anatomy (human and animal), perspective, creating depth, lighting, etc–then break the rules you’ve learned. Work, no matter how abstract, pushed, and pulled is always stronger when informed by a mastery of the basics.

4. Practice working in ways that do not hurt your hand. Learn to draw with a relaxed hand and draw in long strokes. Both of these methods help prevent issues with your hand, wrist, and arm. I’ve never gotten carpal tunnel, and I draw on a daily basis, because I have learned how to treat my hand well. Your hand is your tool, if you wear it out there isn’t a new one you can just pick up. The best treatment for any possible physical issues is prevention.

5. Learn how to draw without erasing. It is scary and it is tough no doubt! However the best way to become more confident is through not erasing. There is a medium for everyone to try this out, whether it is pen or non-erasing colored pencils. If you want to ease yourself into this method try out Pentel red lead, it erases a bit–but overall will always leave a mark with every stroke you make. The importance of this is learning to not be afraid of mistakes.

6. Draw from life, from reference photos, and from imagination. This trio is important, combining all three is usually how you build great drawing skills. Drawing from life gives you the ability to capture small details that you’ll remember to put in when drawing from a reference photo, drawing from refs will give you the practice you’ll need to handle whatever subject so that one day you can draw it from your own imagination–see how that works?

7. You’re art isn’t completely unique and that is okay. I can’t emphasis how many people I know who have gotten so hung up on being something totally unique that they burn out fast and never make work again. Now, considering how much art is in the world there is no way that what you create will be 100% unique to you. That is fine, your personality in your work is more of what makes something yours than a “style”.

8. Figure out your work’s personality. On that note finding the personality of your art is important as you go into trying to build your own place in the art world. The personality of a piece is a combination of style, subject, color, shapes, lines, and maybe most important themes (yes subject and themes are different). This combo is what makes your art special. At a loss for where to start figuring out your own personality? Compile a list of 10 artists you love. Why do you love them? Is it the shapes of one artist that speak to you, the line work of another is beautiful, the themes of a third make you feel inspired? Now take the 10 things you love about those 10 artists and start applying them to your own work. This isn’t about copying these artists, it is about the inspiration. That line work you love in another artist’s piece is gunna look different in yours for example. Those themes from another artist, well when you take them on your life might inform them in a opposite way. In time your inspired work will evolve into something that is your own.

9. Talent is nice, persistence is more important. Someone may be naturally talented in some areas of art, however someone who is persistent in their craft is so much more likely to succeed. Effort, continued growth, and practice will add up to so much more in the long run than just skating by on “talent”.

10. Be a good person. Treat others with respect, learn about social issues, don’t be a creep, and use your art to help people. And this might mean you craft a piece about an important issue that changes thousands of lives, or you might just be creating to help yourself get through the day. Both are important, after all you are a person too and you should always be trying to help and be kind to yourself.

Reblogged 1 year ago from pukao
9474 ♡
areistotle: “ hey guys, it’s me again!! a lot of you ask me about bullet journals + to help you out i wanted to make a masterpost on bullet journals so [hopefully] all your questions can be answered + you can make one right on time for the new year...

areistotle:

hey guys, it’s me again!! a lot of you ask me about bullet journals + to help you out i wanted to make a masterpost on bullet journals so [hopefully] all your questions can be answered + you can make one right on time for the new year :]

what is a bullet journal?

what journals should i use?

  • i use a large squared moleskine
  • anything is good though!!
  • just pick a journal

some set-ups i like

ideas for different pages in your journal

other stuff

important

  • you don’t need to have a bullet journal that is overly pretty, you can keep it simple. it’s just there to keep you organised!! [don’t feel bad if other people’s bullet journals look better, it’s not the point of it!]
  • if you’re an artsy person, get creative + make it your own [if you do this please show me by tagging me with #areistotle]
  • you don’t need any particular type of brand for it too, a cheap one is okay!!!
  • have fun with it + utilise it

+ my masterposts

hope this helps all of you out, tag me in your journal photos because i’d love to see them!! - helena xx

Reblogged 2 years ago from areistotle
9890 ♡
# bujo,
30-Day Character Design Challenge

characterdesigninspiration:

This might be helpful if you’re stuck in a rut with your designs! You can do them in any order you want, as long as you do #30 last.

  1. Put your iTunes library, favorite Spotify playlist, etc. on shuffle and design a character inspired by the first song that comes up. Bonus: do this with a playlist of music you’ve never listened to before. Extra bonus: use an instrumental-only song.
  2. Design a character in a genre you don’t normally draw (example: if you normally high fantasy characters, you could do sci-fi, steampunk, etc.)
  3. Draw five mouths, each of which reveal a unique character. Bonus: all are making the same expression.
  4. Grab your oldest sketchbook that you can find and pick an old character to re-design. Bonus: pick the character by opening to a random page instead of hand-choosing.
  5. Design ten unique hairstyles. Bonus: do a turnaround of each one.
  6. Go to this random aesthetic generator and draw a character inspired by the result. Bonus: make the design 100% serious, even if you get “dad wave” or “soap flapper.” 
  7. Design seven pairs of shoes. Bonus: for some of the pairs, make the left and right shoes different, but still recognizable as a pair.
  8. Draw a non-human character— the less human-looking, the better (so avoid things like elves, vampires, etc.). Bonus: Make up their species instead of using existing mythological creatures.
  9. Design a character inspired by this poem. 
  10. Create a color palette based on the colors in your bedroom, then design a character from this palette. Bonus: don’t use the colors of your walls or floor in your palette.
  11. Pick your favorite mythological figure and create two designs for them: one that’s as historically accurate to their time period and culture as possible, and another that takes as many artistic liberties as you want (this could a modern AU, something in your typical style, etc.).
  12. Design a high fantasy character whose outfit is based on whatever you’re wearing right now. 
  13. Pick an order of angels and design a character based on/inspired by their description. The resulting character doesn’t necessarily have to be an angel. Bonus: pick Thrones, the giant wheels covered in eyes. 
  14. Go to this random name generator and design a character for whatever name you get. Tip: you can click each name to learn its origin and meaning.
  15. Design ten weapons. Bonus: Base each one off a real weapon from various historical periods, but with your own twist on it.
  16. Create as many rough thumbnail designs as you can in half an hour. Then pick your favorite and flesh them out into a more detailed character. Bonus: don’t erase anything during the timed portion.
  17. Pick an animal and draw a human character based on it. The final design shouldn’t have the animal’s ears, tail, markings, etc.— convey it entirely though the character’s build, clothing, hair, etc. Bonus: pick the animal from the ones featured in this video series.  
  18. Design a character based on the weather wherever you are right now.
  19. Create an outfit breakdown for a character from their underclothes to their outermost layers/armor/etc. This can be done either for one of your existing OCs or a new one.  Bonus: do a turnaround for this breakdown.
  20. Design ten unique sets of eyes. Bonus: include makeup and/or eyebrows as well.
  21. Make up a god/goddess/deity for a nonexistent religion, then design them. Bonus: describe the symbolism of each aspect of their design.
  22. Design a normal, modern-day character, then three genre AUs for them (e.g. cyberpunk, fantasy, Renaissance-era, etc.). They should be clearly recognizable as the same character in all four versions.
  23. Create a character whose design combines the aesthetics of the last three movies/TV shows you watched. 
  24. Design five pieces of jewelry. Pick your favorite and create a full character design based around it. Bonus: incorporate a couple of the other pieces of jewelry into the design as well.
  25. Pick a vehicle and design a character inspired by it. A human character, not a transformer. Bonus: use something other than a car or truck, like a plane, boat, tank, etc.
  26. Create a character inspired by your favorite childhood stuffed animal.
  27. Design four sets of hands. They don’t necessarily have to be human hands.
  28. Design a historically accurate character for a decade between 1900 and 1990.
  29. Design a haute couture-style dress based on one of your existing OC’s designs. Bonus: draw them in this dress.
  30. Wildcard! Use everything you’ve practiced thus far to create any character design you want. The only requirement: fully flesh out their design, from sketching to line art to colors.

Go forth, have fun, and create some awesome characters! If you post what you create, feel free to tag them ‘characterdesigninspiration’

Reblogged 2 years ago from memesforartists
33673 ♡
# this seems so useful, art,
FLOWERS AND PROMPTS

zora-zen:

citrusconcerto:

Everybody loves flowers! Everybody loves prompts! Now, love them even more with this A-to-Z flower (meaning) meme! Drop one with a fandom or pairing into my ask, or toss in a bouquet’s worth into there, and I’ll write a thing! Feel free to reblog this and be showered in flowers~

Azalea- fragile and ephemeral passion
Buttercup- ingratitude
Camellia- my destiny is in your hands
Daylily- coquetry
Elder- compassion
Forsythia- anticipation
Gladiolus- you pierce my heart
Holly- foresight
Impatiens- impatience
Jonquil- desire
Kingcup- youth, innocence, dawn
Lily- majesty
Marigold- grief
Nettle- cruelty
Oats- the witching soul of music
Persimmon- bury me amid nature’s beauty
Quince- temptation
Raspberry- remorse
Sweet pea- delicate pleasures
Thistle- misanthropy
Ulmus- royalty, strength, age
Verbena- pray for me
Witch hazel- a spell
Xeranthemum- eternity, immortality
Yarrow- cure for a broken heart
Zinnia- I mourn your absence

(flowers and meanings from here and here)

Give me something to do 

Reblogged 2 years ago from memesforartists
3796 ♡
# art,
thycora: “ cy-lindric: “ matthieudaures: “ Huevember is back ! Get ready ! I used last year suggestions of Cherrehc for the chart Some exemples of huevembers here : Afficher davantage ” Huevember 2k15 !! WHO’S PUMPED ” Hey I’m gonna do Huewvember!!...

thycora:

cy-lindric:

matthieudaures:

Huevember is back ! Get ready !


I used last year suggestions of Cherrehc for the chart


Some exemples of huevembers here :

Afficher davantage

Huevember 2k15 !! WHO’S PUMPED

Hey I’m gonna do Huewvember!!  If you wanna send me requests that’d be super cool! :33

Reblogged 2 years ago from memesforartists
36097 ♡
# art,

rngrn:

You guys asked me about my ways of doing things so here it is. I’m sorry for my lame english and crappy handwriting , but I hope it’s understandable! 

Reblogged 2 years ago from rngrn
4019 ♡
# art,

leseanthomas:

A brief breakdown of how Thomas Romain (co-creator of Code Lyoko, Basquash! Space Dandy Mecha Designer, Cannon Busters) designs backgrounds digitally.

Brilliant.

https://www.twitter.com/thomasintokyo

Reblogged 2 years ago from mataatode
65615 ♡
# art,
101 self care ideas for when it all gets too much

hbstudy:

1. Have a good, long, body-shaking cry.

2. Call a trusted friend or family member and talk it out.

3. Call in sick. Take comp time if you can. Take a mental health day.

4. Say no to extra obligations, chores, or anything that pulls on your precious self-care time.

5. Book a session (or more!) with your therapist.

6. Dial down your expectations of yourself at this time. When you’re going through life’s tough times, I invite you to soften your expectations of yourself and others.

7. Tuck yourself into bed early with a good book and clean sheets.

8. Watch a comforting/silly/funny/lighthearted TV show or movie.

9. Reread your favorite picture and chapter books from childhood.

10. Ask for some love and tenderness from your friends on social media. Let them comment on your post and remind you that you’re loved.

11. Look at some some really gorgeous pieces of art.

12. Watch Youtube videos of Ellen DeGeneres and the adorable kids she has on her show.

13. Look at faith-in-humanity-restoring lists from Buzzfeed.

14. Ask for help. From whoever you need it – your boss, your doctor, your partner, your therapist, your mom. Let people know you need some help.

15. Wrap yourself up in a cozy fleece blanket and sip a cup of hot tea.

16. Breathe. Deeply. Slowly. Four counts in. Six counts out.

17. Hydrate. Have you had enough water today?

18. Eat. Have you eaten something healthy and nourishing today?

19. Sleep. Have you slept 7-9 hours? Is it time for some rest?

20. Shower. Then dry your hair and put on clothes that make you feel good.

21. Go outside and be in the sunshine.

22. Move your body gently in ways that feel good. Maybe aim for 30 minutes. Or 10 if 30 feels like too much.

23. Read a story (or stories) of people who overcame adversity or maybe dealt with mental illness, too. (I personally admire JK Rowling’s story.)

24. Go to a 12-Step meeting. Or any group meeting where support is offered. Check out church listings, hospital listings, school listings for examples.

25. If you suspect something may be physiologically off with you, go see your doctor and/or psychiatrist and talk to them. Medication might help you at this time and they can assist you in assessing this.

26. Take a long, hot bath, light a candle and pamper yourself.

27. Read these inspirational quotes.

28. Cuddle someone or something. Your partner. A pillow. Your friend’s dog.

29. Read past emails/postcards/letters etc. from friends and family reminding you of happier times.

30. Knit. Sculpt. Bake. Engage your hands.

31. Exhaust yourself physically – running, yoga, swimming, whatever helps you feel fatigued.

32. Write it out. Free form in a journal or a Google doc. Get it all out and vent.

33. Create a plan if you’re feeling overwhelmed. List out what you need to do next to tackle and address whatever you’re facing. Chunk it down into manageable and understandable pieces.

34. Remember: You only have to get through the next five minutes. Then the next five. And so on.

35. Take five minutes to meditate.

36. Write out a list of 25 Reasons Why You’ll Be OK.

37. Write out a list of 25 Examples of Things You’ve Overcome or Accomplished.

38. Write out a list of 25 Reasons Why You’re a Good, Lovable Person.

39. Write out a list of 25 Things That Make Your Life Beautiful.

40. Sniff some scents that bring you joy or remind you of happier times.

41. Ask for support from friends and family via text if voice-to-voice contact feels like too much. Ask them to check in with you via text daily/weekly. Whatever you need.

42. Lay down on the ground. Let the earth/floor hold you. You don’t have to hold it all on your own.

43. Clean up a corner of a room of your house. Sometimes tidying up can help calm our minds.

44. Ask yourself: What’s my next most immediate priority? Do that. Then ask the question again.

45. Read some poetry. Rumi, Hafiz, Mary Oliver are all excellent.

46. Take a tech break. Delete or deactivate social media if it feels too triggering right now.

47. Or maybe get on tech. If you’ve been isolating maybe even interacting with friends and family online might feel good.

48. Go out in public and be around others. You don’t have to engage. But maybe go sit in a coffee shop or on a bench at a museum and soak up the humanity around you.

49. Or if you’re feeling too saturated with contact, go home. Cancel plans and tend to the introverted parts of yourself.

50. Ask friends and family to remind you that things will be OK and that what you’re feeling is temporary.

51. Put up some Christmas lights in your bedroom. They often make things more magical.

52. Spend a little money and treat yourself to some self-care and comfort. Maybe take a taxi versus the bus. Buy your lunch instead of forcing yourself to pack it. Buy some flowers that delight you.

53. Make art. Scribble with crayons. Splash some watercolors. Paint a rock. Whatever. Just create something.

54. Go wander around outside in your neighborhood and take a look at all the lovely houses and the way people decorate their gardens. Delight in the diversity of design.

55. Go visit or volunteer at your local animal rescue. Pet some animals.

56. Look at photos of people you love. Set them as the wallpaper of your phone or laptop.

57. Create and listen to a playlist of songs that remind you of happier times.

58. Read some spiritual literature.

59. Scream, pound pillows, tear up paper, shake your body to move the energy out.

60. Eat your favorite, most comforting foods.

61. Watch old Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood videos online.

62. Turn off the lights, sit down, stare into space and do absolutely nothing.

63. Pick one or two things that feel like progress and do them. Make your bed. Put away the dishes. Return an email.

64. Go to a church or spiritual community service. Sit among others and absorb any guidance or grace that feels good to you.

65. Allow yourself to fantasize about what you’re hoping or longing for. There are clues and energy in your reveries and daydreams that are worth paying attention to.

66. Watch Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response videos to help you calm down and fall asleep at night.

67. Listen to monks chanting, singing Tibetan bowls or nature sounds to help soothe you.

68. Color in some adult coloring books.

69. Revisit an old hobby. Even if it feels a little forced, try your hand at things you used to enjoy and see what comes up for you.

70. Go to the ocean. Soak up the negative ions.

71. Go to the mountains. Absorb the strength and security of them.

72. Go to the forest. Drink in the shelter, life and sacredness of the trees.

73. Put down the personal help books and pick up some good old fashioned fiction.

74. Remember: Your only job right now is to put one foot in front of the other.

75. Allow and feel and express your feelings – all of them! – safely and appropriately.Seek out help if you need support in this.

76. Listen to sad songs or watch sad movies if you need a good cry.

77. Dance around wildly to your favorite, most cheesy songs from your high school years.

78. Put your hands in dirt. If you have a garden, go garden. If you have some indoor plants, tend to them. If you don’t have plants or a garden, go outside. Go to a local nursery and touch and smell all the gorgeous plants.

79. If you want to stay in bed all day watching Netflix, do it. Indulge.

80. Watch or listen to some comedy shows or goofy podcasts.

81. Look for and Google up examples of people who have gone through and made it through what you’re currently facing. Seek out models of inspiration.

82. Get expert help with whatever you need. Whether that’s through therapy, psychiatry, a lawyer, clergy, let those trained to support you do it.

83. Educate yourself about what you’re going through. Learn about what you’re facing, what you can expect to feel, and how you can support yourself in this place.

84. Establish a routine and stick to it. Routines can bring so much comfort and grounding in times of life that feel chaotic or out of control.

85. Do some hardcore nesting and make your home or bedroom as  cozy and beautiful and comforting as possible.

86. Get up early and watch a sunrise.

87. Go outside and set up a chair and watch the sunset.

88. Make your own list of self-soothing activities that engage all five of your senses.

89. Develop a supportive morning ritual for yourself.

90. Develop a relaxing evening ritual for yourself.

91. Join a support group for people who are going through what you’re going through. Check out the listings at local hospitals, libraries, churches, and universities to see what’s out there.

92. Volunteer at a local shelter or hospital or nursing home. Practice being of service to others who may also be going through a tough time.

93. Accompany a friend or family member to something. Even if it’s just keeping them company while they run errands, sometimes this kind of contact can feel like good self-care.

94. Take your dog for a walk. Or borrow a friend’s dog and take them for a walk.

95. Challenge your negative thinking.

96. Practice grounding, relaxation techniques.

97. Do something spontaneous. Walk or drive a different way to work. Order something new off the menu.Listen to a Spotify playlist of new songs.

98. Work with your doctor, naturopath or nutritionist to develop a physical exercise plan and food plan that will be supportive to whatever you’re facing right now.

99. Pray. Meditate. Write a letter to God/The Universe/Source/Your Higher Self, whatever you believe in.

100. As much as you can, please try and trust the process.

101. Finally, please remember, what you’re going through right now is temporary. It may not feel like that from inside the tough time you’re in, but this too shall pass and you will feel different again someday. If you can’t have faith in that, let me hold the hope for you

(Source: microstvdy)

Reblogged 2 years ago from studyign
36222 ♡
SELF CARE CHEAT SHEET!!

jwstudying:

other cheat sheets

Reblogged 2 years ago from saddrweirdr
189893 ♡
24 Invaluable Skills To Learn For Free Online This Year

the-more-u-know:

Here’s an easy resolution: This stuff is all free as long as you have access to a computer, and the skills you learn will be invaluable in your career, and/or life in general. 

1. Become awesome at Excel.

Chandoo is one of many gracious Excel experts who wants to share their knowledge with the world. Excel excellence is one of those skills that will improve your chances of getting a good job instantly, and it will continue to prove invaluable over the course of your career. What are you waiting for?

2. Learn how to code.

littleanimalgifs.tumblr.com

Perhaps no other skill you can learn for free online has as much potential to lead to a lucrative career. Want to build a site for your startup? Want to build the next big app? Want to get hired at a place like BuzzFeed? You should learn to code. There are a lot of places that offer free or cheap online coding tutorials, but I recommend Code Academy for their breadth and innovative program. If you want to try a more traditional route, Harvard offers its excellent Introduction to Computer Science course online for free.

3. Make a dynamic website.

You could use a pre-existing template or blogging service, or you could learn Ruby on Rails and probably change your life forever. Here’s an extremely helpful long list of free Ruby learning tools that includes everything from Rails for Zombies to Learn Ruby The Hard Way. Go! Ruby! Some basic programming experience, like one of the courses above, might be helpful (but not necessarily required if you’re patient with yourself).

4. Learn to make a mobile game.

If you’re not interested in coding anything other than fun game apps, you could trythis course from the University of Reading. It promises to teach you how to build a game in Java, even if you don’t have programming experience! If you want to make a truly great game, you might want to read/listen up on Game Theory first.

5. Start reading faster.

Spreeder is a free online program that will improve your reading skill and comprehension no matter how old you are. With enough practice, you could learn to double, triple, or even quadruple the speed at which you read passages currently, which is basically like adding years to your life.

6. Learn a language!

With Duolingo, you can learn Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, or English (from any of the above or more). There’s a mobile app and a website, and the extensive courses are completely free.

Full disclosure: BuzzFeed and other websites are in a partnership with DuoLingo, but they did not pay or ask for this placement.

7. Pickle your own vegetables.

Tired of your farmer’s market haul going bad before you use it all? Or do you just love tangy pickled veggies? You too can pickle like a pro thanks to SkillShare and Travis Grillo.

8. Improve your public speaking skills.

You can take the University of Washington’s Intro to Public Speaking for free online. Once you learn a few tricks of the trade, you’ll be able to go into situations like being asked to present at a company meeting or giving a presentation in class without nearly as much fear and loathing.

9. Get a basic handle of statistics.

UC Berkeley put a stats intro class on iTunes. Once you know how to understand the numbers yourself, you’ll never read a biased “news” article the same way again — 100% of authors of this post agree!

10. Understand basic psychology.

Knowing the basics of psych will bring context to your understanding of yourself, the dynamics of your family and friendships, what’s really going on with your coworkers, and the woes and wonders of society in general. Yale University has its Intro to Psychology lectures online for free.

11. Make your own music.

Step one: Learn how to play guitar: Justin Guitar is a fine and free place to start learning chords and the basic skills you’ll need to be able to play guitar — from there, it’s up to you, but once you know the basics, just looking up tabs for your favorite songs and learning them on your own is how many young guitar players get their start (plus it’s an excellent party trick).

Step two: A delightful free voice lesson from Berklee College Of Music.

Step three: Have you always thought you had an inner TSwift? Berklee College of Music offers an Introduction to Songwriting course completely for free online. The course is six weeks long, and by the end of the lesson you’ll have at least one completed song.

Step four: Lifehacker’s basics of music production will help you put it all together once you have the skills down! You’ll be recording your own music, ready to share with your valentine or the entire world, in no time!

12. Learn to negotiate.

Let Stanford’s Stan Christensen explain how to negotiate in business and your personal life, managing relationships for your personal gain and not letting yourself be steamrolled. There are a lot of football metaphors and it’s great.

13. Stop hating math.

If you struggled with math throughout school and now have trouble applying it in real-world situations when it crops up, try Saylor.org’s Real World Math course. It will reteach you basic math skills as they apply IRL. Very helpful!

14. Start drawing!

All kids draw — so why do we become so afraid of it as adults? Everyone should feel comfortable with a sketchbook and pencil, and sketching is a wonderful way to express your creativity. DrawSpace is a great place to start. (I also highly recommend the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain if you can drop a few dollars for a used copy.)

15. Make your own animated GIF.

BuzzFeed’s own Katie Notopoulos has a great, simple guide to making an animated GIF without Photoshop. This is all you need to be the king or queen of Tumblr or your favorite email chains.

16. Appreciate jazz.

reddit.com

Have you never really “gotten” jazz? If you want to be able to participate in conversations at fancy parties and/or just add some context to your appreciation of all music, try this free online course from UT Austin.

17. Write well.

Macalester College’s lecture series is excellent. If you’re more interested in journalism, try Wikiversity’s course selection.

18. Get better at using Photoshop.

Another invaluable skill that will get you places in your career, learning Photoshop can be as fun as watching the hilarious videos on You Suck At Photoshop or as serious as this extensive Udemy training course (focused on photo retouching).

19. Take decent pictures.

Lifehacker’s basics of photography might be a good place to start. Learn how your camera works, the basic of composition, and editing images in post-production. If you finish that and you’re not sure what to do next, here’s a short course on displaying and sharing your digital photographs.

20. Learn to knit.

Instructables has a great course by a woman who is herself an online-taught knitter. You’ll be making baby hats and cute scarves before this winter’s over!

21. Get started with investing in stocks.

If you are lucky enough to have a regular income, you should start learning about savings and investment now. Investopedia has a ton of online resources, including this free stocks basics course. Invest away!

22. Clean your house in a short amount of time.

Unf$#k Your Habitat has a great emergency cleaning guide for when your mother-in-law springs a surprise visit on you. While you’re over there, the entire blog is good for getting organized and clean in the long term, not just in “emergencies.” You’ll be happier for it.

23. Start practicing yoga.

Most cities have free community classes (try just searching Google or inquiring at your local yoga studio), or if you’re more comfortable trying yoga at home, YogaGlohas a great 15-day trial and Yome is a compendium of 100% free yoga videos. If you’re already familiar with basic yoga positions but you need an easy way to practice at home, I recommend YogaTailor’s free trial as well.

24. Tie your shoelaces more efficiently.

It’s simple and just imagine the minutes of your life you’ll save!

Reblogged 2 years ago from mataatode
213515 ♡