Learn Something New

There are two things I would love, and aim to do every year regardless of my age; one is to travel for a holiday, and second is to learn something new, either a skill or a subject. These two things, I believe, can really help us relax and unwind. Take our minds off some of the daily stress, hustle, and bustle. We should be striving for learning new things constantly to keep us and our minds energized. This year I am going to try to fulfill my aim. I have decided to alternate every year with a skill and a subject. If I am doing, let's say pottery one year, the next year I would love to go for a subject such as architecture.

While the traveling part might not be as challenging, especially if you can get some days off, learning a new skill would require taking time out of your daily life. The good news is you don’t necessarily have to enroll in classes to learn or practice a hobby. There are many videos on youtube you can watch and practice along, or read books about the subject. There are also numerous online classes available which make lives easier for people who can’t leave their families. Because I graduated not too long ago, I have decided that this year I would start off by learning a skill, and I have narrowed down my list to three…

Calligraphy: I love calligraphy, and I would love to learn to write in English and Farsi. In Farsi especially, it looks stunning. I have already started learning by practicing with writing the alphabets and numbers. I feel like I am in kindergarten but so far I love it.

Water Colour painting: Watercolour painting is so stunning, and some of my favorite painters work to look at it is of J.M.W Turner and Georgia O’Keeffe. I love to just sit in my living room and paint anything that comes to my head. But so far, it is a bit of challenge as I think I haven’t figured out the ratio of paint to water. So this particular skill is high on the list for enrolling in a class.

Cartoon drawing: I have always been interested in art, and I have won and participated in many painting and drawing competition as a kid. But I had never attempted to make cartoons even though as a kid, I used to love to read Peanuts and those political cartoons in the newspaper. Recently I did try to make one for this blog. I would love to learn how to draw cartoons that are funny and make a statement.

I’d love to know, what you would like to learn or if you’re learning, what is it? Are you enrolled in any classes for the summer?

Photo by Quino Al.