getting schooled

at the beginning of the year, i decided that 2011 was the year of gaining some skills.

i feel like every january i have a list of goals that include learning new things or improving upon existing skills (usually the same list: photography, computer classes in illustrator & photoshop, silkscreening, sewing...) and then- the year goes racing by and i haven't done anything to work towards those goals.

so, same goals, new year! this time i decided- less talk, more rock.

for my birthday, matt's parents got me the gift of an online class i'd asked for (on amazon's universal wish list- have you tried this? it is awesome. you can add anything to your wishlist there & it will link to it) in the design program illustrator! it was through the one of nicole's classes; i found it through her blog a little sussy, which i've read for a few years now.

i wasn't sure if i would end up liking the program (and it is super pricey) enough to use it long-term, so i downloaded the free 30 day trial to use for the duration of the month-long class.

i have to say, the class was awesome. even juggling a lot this past month, including sick kids for half the month, i loved it.

not to be an infomercial or anything, but alma, the teacher, was warm and funny. the videos were great, easy to follow along with, and concise; the textbook was fabulous and a great resource for future projects. besides, every time i watched a five minute video i felt accomplished, and like i'd just knocked out some of my to-do list.

i didn't have quite the amount of time that i would've liked to tinker and play with the program, but that was more due to sick kids and a busy schedule. i feel like learned the basics and will be able to integrate it into some of my freelance or personal projects in the future.

the mini-projects i did were very simple, since i had limited time, 

but one was my new (very rough) blog header (above)

here's a sneak peek at a couple of my homework assignments:

this poster for m's room

and this sweet elephant

very beginning projects, but it was so fun to discover the possibilities! 

plus, this class whet my appetite for learning more skills in other areas.
next up?
maybe photoshop or photography.

what would you like to take a class in or learn how to do?