If you're spending a lot of time at home right now, the thought of starting a project or learning a new skill may have crossed your mind. It can be a daunting prospect though, and the pressure to use this lockdown period productively can feel overwhelming – especially when there are endless new Netflix shows also vying for your precious attention.
If exploring your creativity in short, daily bursts sounds like a helpful place to start, Skillshare is currently offering two months of its Premium service for free. This gives you access to thousands of classes from illustrators, photographers, videographers and all sorts in between – with many videos clocking in at under fifteen minutes. So, if you've got a spare quarter of an hour, you could learn anything from writing to drawing (but don't forget to check out our best how to draw tutorials, of course).
Among Skillshare's bite-size classes are New York-based illustrator Jordan Sondler's Visual Journaling series, which will help you "express yourself through art and connect more deeply with your feelings". These eight short exercises include drawing "What you want", "What you hate" and "What you fear", all with Sondler's unique, comic book style sense of humour.
Another perfect short class for these locked down times could be 'Shooting at Home', with photographer Marte Marie Forsberg. One nice, community-focused feature of Skillshare is the ability to share what you create during the classes. Below Fosbergs videos are hundreds of photographs her students have taken at home (below).
According to Skillshare's 'Become a teacher' page, top earning teachers on the platform make $100,000+ per year, "through monthly royalties based on the amount of minutes watched". While we can by no means promise you'll reach those heady heights, teaching on Skillshare could also be worth checking out if you're a creative pro looking for some extra cash.
Head to Skillshare's website to grab those two free months of Premium right now. Whether you want to learn a new skill, or hone an existing one, we've no doubt you'll find a class (or 100). And if you're looking for more inspiration during these strange times, take a look at our list of the best free resources available for creatives stuck at home.
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