Forever Learning

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"How much longer do you think you'll take to graduate?"

I was asked this half way through my junior year of college and had every plan to graduate the following year. At the very least, graduate before deciding to do something else. While I know this person didn't mean anything harmful by it, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed that I was somehow taking much longer to graduate college than what was deemed "normal". In fact, according to my quick google searches, on average more people graduate between five and six years than those who graduate in four. 

But.

Here's the thing.

I shouldn't have felt embarrassed then. I'm not embarrassed that I took a little longer than some of my peers - six years instead of four. I'm not embarrassed that I changed my major and went a different route therefore needing to wait until I was a Sophomore to start Graphic Design classes. I enjoyed going to classes and while I didn't always enjoy writing essays or taking the tests, I have always loved learning something new and something different.

I still do today.

Thankfully, with the Internet it's not required to sign up for college classes to learn something new. This is of course, unless you're looking to add a degree to your wall and in that case, may the force be with you. The fact remains the same, no matter how much I think I know, there's always something new and a new way of doing what I think I already know.

With that, I wanted to share some of my favorite websites, online classes and resources in case you're like me and would love to learn something new. 

YouTube / Google

One of the best resources we have is free! You don't have to pay a bunch of money to learn something different and new. What did I do when I wanted to learn how to change a kitchen faucet? Clean out my AC? Learn how people did nail art when I was going through my nail polish craze? I went straight to Google and YouTube. In fact, the other day I went to YouTube and looked up 'Misty Tree Watercolor Tutorial' and watched how someone did it. 

YouTube and Google are my best friends.

Skillshare

I absolutely LOVE Skillshare. I've been a member for over five years and have watched several classes on hand lettering and watercolor. Not interested in either of those two? That's fine. The options don't stop there! There are over 20,000 classes on Skillshare on any thing from writing, the arts, technology, business to lifestyle and cooking. You're bound to find something interesting on Skillshare. Do you have a skill you want to share with the world? You can even sign up to be a teacher!

On a month to month basis, Skillshare costs $15 / month. If you choose to do the premium, it is a lump sum of $99 - making it $8.25 / month. 

Unsure? I have a referral link that will allow you to give Skillshare Premium a try for two months without any strings attached.  

Skillshare Referral

Brit + Co

Brit + Co has a much smaller course offering but it's selection of lettering, drawing, calligraphy and painting classes is very good! Unlike Skillshare, if you find a class you want to take, you can purchase it individually (between $29-39 each) or purchase a 'bundle' for a discounted price. Over all, they are very well done and enjoyable.

Lynda

While I don't currently use this one, I used it a lot while in school to learn Adobe Flash and Adobe Premier. It has a steeper ticket price at $30/month or roughly $300/year but it has discounts for students and teachers. It is a great resource if you're wanting in depth tutorials on how to use a program or learn a particular new skill. There are thousands of classes to choose from taught by industry experts.

Craftsy

I haven't used this one as much either but I have signed up for a course with renowned hand letterer Adam Vicarel through it. Like Skillshare, Craftsy ranges in price between $15/month and $120/year. The class options list is limited to the craftier side of life, so, If you want to learn to weave, knit, garden or paint, this is a great resource!

Local workshops & classes

One of the best resources for me was following local businesses in the city on Facebook and finding out who offers workshops / classes on what I'm interested in. I've attended many workshops taught by calligraphers and hand letterers in my city and they're so enjoyable. Having trouble with painting a flower or making a certain letter? If that's what the workshop is about, they will help you! Hand lettering and painting aren't the only ones having fun either, there are loads of other opportunities to brush up on forgotten skills or try your hand at something new.

Finally, our online community is a great resource on its own! There are a number of people who offer classes / challenges through Facebook and Instagram and other journaling websites. It's through the people I follow that I found two of my current classes both listed and linked below

What am I taking currently?

Passion to Paid with Lauren Hom

Learn Copperplate Calligraphy with Younghae Chung at Logos Calligraphy

Design House Prep School with Design House of Moira

Food Illustration : Design Your Favourite Fruity Recipe on Skillshare with Ohn Mar Win

What about you? Have another website or resource to share? Let me know in the comments!

The Adventures in Branding

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I have a confession to make.

After changing my major in my first semester of college, I wound up majoring in Graphic Design. All I knew at the time was: "hey, I enjoy making graphics in Photoshop for LiveJournal. I can TOTALLY do this!" Truth was, I didn't really know or understand what it was about, what it would involve and my revolving love / hate relationship with it over the next few, strike that, over the next several years.

At some point, okay no - let's be honest, closer to the end of my senior year, I asked probably the next to lamest question a training graphic designer could EVER ask: Why do I have to brand myself? Do I HAVE to brand myself?

I'll come back to the answer to this in a second.

At that point, I had made the decision that I was not going to pursue Graphic Design as a career after graduation and instead, I wanted to delve into Art Therapy (which likewise didn't last long, sense a theme here?). So, I'm sure my professors were equally face-palming and just as thankful that I wouldn't be pursuing a career in design.

Flash forward nearly six years when I realized that although design wasn't my career (and instead, I had gone into fundraising), it was an actual interest and dare I say it, passion of mine that I thought I had lost. When I made hand lettering and typography (basically anything revolving around letters and letter design) a daily habit, I wanted to see what it could become as a side hustle and with that, came the realization of: I should probably look into branding myself. Oh. Aha.

I mean. It didn't take THAT long to understand it but... it took awhile.

So, as a creative, should you brand yourself?

I would tell my naive early 20-self that 'yes, you should.' If you are starting your own shop, no matter if it's an Etsy shop or a brick and mortar shop, your focus is always bringing in clients and making that sale. Other than the product, your name and your brand say a lot about who you are, what you do and what you're selling. (That is, unless your job is in non-profit and still, it's a sale of a different kind.)

And let me tell you. Branding yourself is HARD and considering how stubborn I am on a daily basis... I was my own worst client. And, while it took several long months to determine what my look and feel would be (let alone the NAME), I learned a LOT! And frankly, I'm still learning a lot. There is no doubt in my mind that as I continue to learn and work on my style, this current design and concept will change to reflect who I am and what I do at that time. 

So, what does this LONG story mean for you? 

It means, I know how crazy the process can be and I want to make whatever you need as streamlined for you as possible, to give you the best and the one of a kind solution you're looking for. I will work with you to determine the best solution and have your vision come to life.

What I can help you with: Custom hand lettering and calligraphy, Envelope addressing and day of signs for your party or event, Custom food and flower illustrations, Facebook and blog headers, Branding

Interested? Let's talk!

Not interested? Let's still talk! I like kittens, chocolate chip cookies and rewatching tv-shows I've seen a million times!

-A