CLASSES TO STOP BRAIN SHRINKAGE

MICHELANGELO QUOTE

With everything going on right now it doesn’t seem very pragmatic to be adding classes to my to-do list, but I figure I should take in a few before the baby arrives as I may not have as much time as I previously did pre-baby and also that whole shrinking brain thing has me motivated.  I didn’t sign-up for anything too challenging like advanced Calculus so maybe I didn’t prevent anything from shrinking but I am happy that I did sign-up for these classes:

CJ Nicolai’s ‘Fall in love with film’ through Clickin’ Moms.  Oh, how I cringe when I say or write that name as I feel like it turns people off, you don’t need to be a mom to participate (you could be a dad or an aunt or nothing associated with mom’s at all).  I have belonged to their forum for many years and think it’s a great resource for any photography enthusiast.  My quick review on this class, I love CJ’s work, I was thrilled to see that she has six videos on developing film at home (worth the price of the class).  I was disappointed on some of the basics like metering for film (there wasn’t a demo, or even a suggestion for a meter in this class), the concept of pushing & pulling is also still very vague to me. You do have the forum to turn to for questions though (and I did get meter suggestions). I wouldn’t recommend this class if this was your first exposure to wanting to shoot with film, BUT if you did have an interest in developing your own film someday CJ makes it seem very do able and as mentioned I think that’s worth the small price of this class.  CM has so many other classes that are affordable and not a huge time commitment (and others that look great but are more spendy), it’s a site worth bookmarking. If you are interested in film photography there’s plenty of resources in The Directory, but I recommend this book and this one and Jen Huang’s Workshop in a box.

I am having a tough time not knowing how to take more control of my blog functionality (I am on WordPress) it pains me to always have to annoy my coder whenever I need something tiny done.  I signed up for this WordPress Basics class, it’s not exactly what I was looking for but still enlightening for a WordPress newbie. For those new to Skillshare the link will get you $10 off and for those that aren’t new to Skillshare Aaron Platt the teacher is offering a 50% discount for October by using the promo code PUMPKIN. Unlike a lot of Skillshare classes that are open enrollment Aaron is very dedicated and involved and will answer your questions.  I would definitely sign-up again for any other WP class he would offer in the future.

Has anyone signed up for Mary Kate McDevitt’s class-First Steps of Hand Lettering?  It is SO good!  I love that it is a lettering class and not just a calligraphy class (where you would need special tools like nib & ink, so no excuses). All you need is a pencil, paper and some imagination.  It’s worth every penny if you are even remotely interested in lettering.

I have been wanting to take an InDesign class for a while, I was planning on signing up for this one at Nicole’s Classes but I actually hate that I can’t just sign-up anytime and I have to wait for a new session to begin. On the flip side, Alma Loveland the instructor is a great teacher and if you can wait I am sure it would be a great class! I saw that Anne Ditmeyer was teaching Learn InDesign so I signed-up!  I am an Anne fan so it seemed like a win-win.  I haven’t started yet, but I am eager too. I haven’t played around much with InDesign, but I know it is a robust program for putting together projects like books and magazines and why not add that to my skill set?

Some classes I wish I was taking/attending…

Food Photography at The Pantry with Aran Goyoaga of Cannelle et Vanille. It’s sold out of course, but I am sure it would have been fabulous!

I want to take all the classes at this shop, but this shirt dress series looks especially intriguing.

What about you?  Are you signed up for any classes right now?

18 thoughts on “CLASSES TO STOP BRAIN SHRINKAGE

  1. Hi Tristan,
    I think Lynda.com is fabulous for online courses. I learned Dreamweaver (way back when it was the only thing around) Illustrator, Photoshop, HTML and CSS from Lynda.com. Give it a try for inDesign. You wont be disappointed!

    1. Carrie, I have tried Lynda.com a couple times and I think it’s a brilliant concept but boring as all heck! Maybe I signed up for the wrong classes? I should give it another try, I really, really want to get a handle on WordPress so I can make these little changes, even though I love working with Lindsay at Hello Monday (and always recommend her) I hate bothering her for things that I am sure are so easy if I just knew them myself! Even knowing them might help me better explain what I need/want. I am basically scared of my WP blg, lol!

  2. Yes, fit in as much as possible before baby arrives! I haven’t taken Anne’s class, but knowing her talents well (and calling her a friend)…I highly recommend it!

    1. Of course she is a friend! You know ALL the amazing people Miss Susan! And yes, I am thinking that I need to do everything I can now, the on-line classes are perfect for me since it has been so difficult at this stage in the game to get to sleep at night and a class helps me just relax and concentrate, better than laying there counting sheep!

  3. Hi,
    I was beginning to start a blog and even took a class to “help” me with the setup back a few months ago. It seemed to be so ridiculous with all of the codes, etc. I desperately wanted something easier, simpler, cleaner looking. I am a fan of camillestyles.com. She has a great blog and actually lives in Austin, TX just like my husband and I do. Anyway, one day she talked about a company her husband is one of the owners of here in town. It is called SpaceCraft. This company has the easiest format for setting up blogs, are so easy to contact, will actually answer the phone and talk to you if you have any questions. I suggest you take a look at them, call them, see some of their work on their website. Your blog is so very clean looking to me which is one of the things I love about it.
    I don’t know if this would be something you might think about doing but I hope you will take a look to see if you might.
    Beverly

    1. Sewing can be so fun! I actually like seam ripping. A tote is perfect starter project, congrats on your new adventure!

  4. Funny that! I have signed up for a paper cutting class and a table top photography class to be taken in the next two weeks! Nothing like moving forward by doing! Thanks for your post Tristan. x

  5. Ah, well, I’ve signed up for 2 Skillshare classes, but have yet to get on and get started. Ugh. I keep scheduling them on my calendar, and then end up having last minute interruptions that force me to postpone my learning. I want a class that teaches how to make my camera do all the work and I do nothing, and still end up with perfect pictures. :)

    1. I was doing the same thing BUT then I decided that a lot of the class videos are SO short, so even if I watched one 5 minute one a night it was better than nothing! I am really enjoying the WordPress class!

  6. Hello Miss B,

    I enjoyed visiting your website. I was wondering…do you work with Fine Art Publishers? I am president of Poems Art Publishing ( in Salt Lake City, Utah ) and saw some things that might work well in our publishing program. Of particular interest were ‘F is for Frond’, ‘California Dreaming’, ‘Ruffled Tulip’.

    I would be happy to send you our Artist Agreement if this would be of interest.

    Thanks so much.

    Owen F. Hickey

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