Friday, March 20, 2020

Getting My Learning On Through Online Classes

Well, something good has come out of navigating the uncharted waters that we're all going through.  Last night, I finally did something that I've been talking about doing for a few years now- I signed up for some online classes that I've been interested in.

I've talked about taking other in person adult education classes over the past few years while living here in Maine.  Some of my favorite classes so far have been sewing, resin ink, resin geodes and acrylic paint pouring.  When I lived in Massachusetts, I took many classes including cake decorating, jewelry making, chocolate making, silk-scarf painting, spa night, soap making, doing makeup and working with polymer clay.  There aren't as many options available here in Maine.  I get excited every time the new class schedules come out.  (I've been known to stalk the adult ed websites.)  Sometimes, there are fun new class options and other times I'm left feeling a little disappointed.


That's the beauty of online classes.  Websites like uDemy and Skillshare offer you a way to take an online class, at home, on your own schedule.  I've been considering it for a while now; I just never jumped in.  Last night, I went onto uDemy and signed up for a few classes that I've wanted to take for years.  (You read that correctly... years.)

Back in 2014, I wrote my first Blog and Disney Goals post.  That's when I first shared my desire to take a class on storyboarding.  While I didn't sign up for the class that I'd originally planned to, I found Learn to Storyboard for Film or Animation and I signed up for that class instead.  I've always been fascinated with that part of making a film so what better way to explore that more than with a class on it!

The other class that I've wanted to take forever was a Theme Park Design class.  This one requires a little bit of a backstory...


As you know, I've always dreamed of becoming an Imagineer.  When I got to choose a senior design project for my interior design degree, I wanted to design a theme park or at least a resort, but my professor told me that was too big and too ambitious.  Instead, I opted to design a small cruise ship.  I could still design hotel rooms, a restaurant, bar, etc. without the project becoming overwhelming.  (Hindsight is 20/20 and I'm thankful that I was talked out of the bigger design.)  I enjoyed the cruise ship project, but I've always had the dream to design something bigger lingering at the back of my mind.

Then, when I graduated from college, it was August of 2008 and the economy was plummeting at an alarming speed.  (Sound familiar?)  I spent months trying to get a good job that I actually enjoyed.  During my many days of job hunting, I started to do research about online classes to take to diversify.  I was terrified that I'd never get an interior design job.  (Who wanted to hire an interior designer when the economy was crap?)  I found classes for wedding planning, landscape architecture and more.  One day, I stumbled across Steve Alcorn's Theme Park Design book and his website.  It was then that I discovered he taught theme park design classes online.


The problem was that the class I found was like $300-$400.  A broke, right-out-of-college kid couldn't afford it, so I put a pin in it for the time being.  This class sat on my Christmas Wish List for many years before I totally set the idea aside.  Recently, I've had a growing desire to explore that path again.  Will I become a Theme Park Designer or Imagineer?  No, but I love theme parks and design and it will be a fun way to learn more.  Eliot and I still talk about things we'd love to design for Disney and I have this wonderful little corner of the internet that's a perfect spot to share some of our ideas.

Thus, I find myself enrolled in both Theme Park Design and Learn to Storyboard.  And the best news of all was that both of these classes were on sale for a St. Patrick's Day promotion!  They were on sale for $12.99 each.  I'm getting hours of education in two classes for less than $26.  That's a deal if I ever saw one!!!


I'm hoping to make myself a schedule so I can set aside time to do each of these classes during a specific time each week.  I love how my Tuesdays are dedicated to my sewing class and that I can look forward to it each week.  I'm hoping scheduling them will keep me on track and it will also give me breaks throughout the week!

If you're bored and trying to find something to do during these next few weeks while stuck "socially distancing" at home, consider checking out uDemy and Skillshare to take a class and pass the time!  There are tons of different classes to choose from depending on what interests you... and you don't even have to get off your couch! °o°

*** Please Note: If you click on the links above and purchase a class, I might get a small commission or credit that I can use for a future class.  I'm honestly not sure how it works, but these are links they gave me to share with my friends! ***

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