HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF SKILLSHARE

You know how you get your first month free on Skillshare when you use my referral link? Then you also know what happens next: it's the end of the month, and you haven't completed a single project. Yes, I know. This happened to me too! More than once. You'd think that being a Top Teacher on Skillshare will automatically make me a top student. Yeah, right!

Over the years on Skillshare, I've learned how to complete courses. In this article, I'd like to give you some tips for completing Skillshare projects and share some of my favorite classes.

If you've never tried Skillshare, use this link to get your first month free. Cancel any time before the trial period runs out.

Here are some things to remember when you are starting out on Skillshare:

Tip #1. Productivity rules also apply to your creative journey! Just like with work, it is important to set your intentions and direct your attention towards them: allocate time, organize your work space, set up your routines, and say no to other things. It's the same as exercise, healthy eating, or any other habit you want to build.

Follow this Skillshare path "Productivity For Creatives: Make More Of Your Time" to learn more about creating time and space for your creative work

Tip #2. Use the power of accountability! Find a creativity buddy: share your goals, keep track of each other's progress, get together for some sketching (offline or even online), and send each other photos of your work! I have a big dream – and I'm working on making it a reality – to create an online community of artists, where we would support and encourage each other on our creative journey, as well as work on our techniques.

Make a commitment to post a completed project: in the Project Gallery on Skillshare or your own Instagram stories. Skillshare teachers (me included) like to give feedback and help you improve. I also love showcasing my students' artwork on my Instagram stories. I've got some fantastic success stories, and I write about them in my newsletter.

Tip #3. Store your art supplies in an easily accessible place. It should only take you seconds to get the materials out and start drawing. If you have some extra space, have a designated desk for your creativity – and just keep the supplies there!

Tip #4. If you are doing a video class (such as Skillshare), make sure you pin the tab in your browser so that it's always there and you don't need to look for it when you decide to do the class! The effort required to look for the right video is where many people stumble and quit.

Tip #5. Know that the project will definitely take longer than you planned! Be realistic about that. For example, my gouache class "Let's Draw Some Homes Together" is only an hour and a half long, so you'd think you only need that much time. Unless you're an experienced artist, you can safely double that time! Just imagine, twice as much fun!

Tip#6. Know that you will surely mess up (more than once) and have to start over on parts of your project! Messing up is inevitable, but somehow all of us believe that we will get it right the first time. You might get lucky, yes. But really, this is what learning is about. Making mistakes and doing things over and over.

Skillshare subscription is affordable (cost may vary depending on where you are in the world), and you can learn so much there! You might initially sign up in order to take one of my classes, for example, but I would like to encourage you to explore Skillshare beyond art classes.

To make the most of Skillshare, browse through their extensive collection of classes and look for topics that can support your creative process but are not directly connected with your primary focus.

My Top Picks:

If you like watercolors, why not take it a bit further and try creating a realistic watercolor drawing in Procreate with this fantastic class by Brenda Bakker "Create a realistic watercolor drawing in Procreate"? Digital illustration might become an exciting adventure (or an intriguing next step) on your artistic journey.

Conversely, if you are a digital illustrator, you might be interested in picking up some real brushes and paints and joining some of my classes on watercolors and gouache. This will expand your creative range and give you new tools and a new perspective.

Another one of my favorites is Cat Coquillette's "Modern Watercolor Techniques: Explore Skills to Create On-Trend Paintings". Join this class to learn about on-trend watercolor techniques and create colorful modern designs.

Or try this class on botanical illustration with a modern twist: "Learn to Paint Botanical Watercolors with a Modern Twist".

Another excellent botanical painting class is Yasmina's "Easy Doodling & Painting Fun! Create Gorgeous Botanical & Floral Illustrations in Watercolor & Ink". Yasmina shows a simple but very fun doodle and watercolor technique for creating loose botanical and floral illustrations. You can use it in your other (not botanical) sketches.

James Richards' class "Urban Sketching Essentials: Drawing People and Crowds Made Simple" will teach you how drawing people can enrich your sketches and show you simple techniques for building a human figure and creating the illusion of depth using people.

Okay, you have to stop me here! I have so many favorites, that this post might turn into a book. Just one final recommendation before I go:

If you want to turn your art into business (yes, even amateur artists can do it. And where's the line between amateurs and professionals anyways?), follow this path to learn more about the steps you can take.

Photography and web development? Video and music? Entrepreneurship and marketing? Skillshare has got you covered! It's a treasure chest waiting for you to open. Do you have favorite classes on Skillshare? Have you completed many classes on Skillshare? Do you teach your own classes? Tell me in the comments!