When I think back on my year in learning for 2022 there were 4 classes that were impactful for me. I learned something new in all of them, but more than that taking those classes nudged me off the path I was on, onto a better one. This is why teachers are such magical creatures. I mean, maybe I would have eventually found my way to these things on my own but having a unicorn guide me there was much more pleasant. These interactions – both in person and online – were transformational which is the real power of learning.

So without further ado, here they are (in date order):

The class that got me back into blogging

Beginner’s Guide to Creative Blogging: How to Set Yourself Up for Success. This is a pre-recorded online class by teacher, artist and author Anne Butera on Skillshare.

If you’ve enjoyed anything I’ve written on this blog this year, you’ve got Anne to thank for that. Her class helped me get back into something I used to love doing a long time ago, but had struggled to find a way back to. In the intervening period an industry of marketing advice has sprung up around blogging. There are oceans of advice about using this lovely tool as means to sell to people and making your posts “SEO friendly”. Anne helped me reconnect with blogging as a writing medium, one for expression and connection. She helped me find my authentic voice within it, and get a great deal of pleasure (and I hope, you too).

The class that got me deeper into painting

This was a live, in-person workshop by artist Áine Divine, hosted by the Edinburgh Drawing School called Watercolour Portraits. I loved it so much I took the workshop twice during 2022.

Áine is an incredible artist and very giving teacher. Her workshops profoundly deepened my understanding of painting people with watercolours, provided advice that was both specific (“a touch of warmth on the nose brings it all together“) and more general (“it’s good to have a balance between discipline and play“) and helped me realise just how much I treasured having a space to paint outside my home and a dedicated and long period of time to do it in.

The class that gave me a huge insight into videography

Good Lighting For Film & Video at Any Budget. This was a pre-recorded online class by teacher and digital storyteller Hallease Narvaez on Skillshare. I learned so much more about videography than the title would suggest!

I learned not just lighting but set design. I also got a handle on a lot of videography terms. Hallease is such an inspiring and knowledgeable teacher. Her own videos walk-the-walk and are educational in and of themselves too.

The class that got me organised

Bullet Journaling: Life Management for Creatives. This is a pre-recorded online class by teacher, illustrator and surface pattern designer Dylan Mierzwinski on Skillshare.

This was something I didn’t meant to take. I had no interest in Bullet Journals and only watched the introduction because I know the teacher always makes lovely classes. I was curious to see how she had put her introduction together. Instead I got sucked in, curious about using Bullet Journals (“BuJo”) without the time-consuming elaborate spreads you see on Pinterest and now use one to help me make discerning choices with how I plan and organise my life. Talk about a happy accident!

How was your year in learning? Were there any classes in 2022 that were particularly impactful for you? I’m all ears.