An Education

I was an unhappy student.  I spent my college years partying and wasting opportunities (as I'm sure many of us have.)  I was trying so hard to study something that didn't really suit me in any way, like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.  I didn't know what I wanted or where my interests lay (except reading, I loved and still love to read everything.  But reading alone does not an education make.)

Lately I've been fired up, trying to soak up any and all resources online and in my community about my new interests.  I've taken BlogShop to learn how to use Photoshop more effectively, and BlogShop Video to learn how to shoot video more effectively and edit it in the CS6 version of Photoshop (more on that in this post.)  I've taken several classes online to brush up on my limited HTML and CSS skills, and lamented over classes offered only to paying students like this CCA class Summer Design Intensive with my personal graphic design hero Jason Munn (swoon!)

I missed my calling, folks.  I just love to create!  So this next round-up is a spring and summer to do list, of all the classes I want to take.  Classes that are interesting, push my skills/art/graphic design to the next level, stuff that makes me feel good, people!  Learning should make you feel good, here's to better late than never!

1. Illustrator CS6: One-on-One: Fundamentals, with Deke McClelland on Lynda.com.  9 hours and 19 minutes of working with shapes and closed paths, including painting, grouping, and coloring, and placing and adjusting type.  I want to make logos, and I want to be able to make illustrations without hand drawing them on my tablet - this is going to get me started. I've been making custom stationery and working on logos (more on that to come) and I think Illustrator would really help bring my work to the next level.

2. Online Modern Calligraphy for Beginners, by Melissa at I Still Love Calligraphy.  Yes the wedding is over but I STILL LOVE CALLIGRAPHY TOO.  Who doesn't want to learn how to write like this?  Oh, you want to take it too?  Sign up!  We'll do it together!

3. Intro to Knitting at A Verb For Keeping Warm.  I have always wanted to learn how to knit, I have several knitting books at home - but this book sent me RIGHT OVER THE EDGE!  I want to knit every.single.thing for Rosebud, and every other baby I know!

4. Tabletop Photography by Nicolesclasses.com.  I've mentioned a few times my frustration with limited photography skills, I'd just love to do something about it.  I feel like this class would at least point me in the right direction.

What do you say folks?  Let's make this the summer of educational self-indulgence.  What classes are you jonesin' for?