So You Want to Learn a New Skill?
New year, new hobby? Here are a few tips.
One of the most common New Year resolutions is acquiring a new skill or hobby. Maybe you want a new hobby purely to entertain yourself, or maybe you’re looking for a skill to turn into a side hustle. Maybe you want to start watercolor painting or to become a master at yoga-the specifics aren’t as salient as how you follow through.
When it comes to resolutions, it’s important to know and prepare yourself on how to accomplish them. Learning a new skill is not a quick and easy feat-it takes effort and dedication to become good at something. You’ll need to stick with it over time to make progress. Hopefully, it will become something you are passionate about along the way.
Other skills and past experiences may help you. For example, if you took a few computer programming courses in college, it’ll probably be easier for you to learn Python than someone who has never coded before. It’s still possible either way, but the level of difficulty changes. Don’t worry-newbies can also have advantages. If they don’t know any other coding languages, they won’t be mixing up syntax rules and likely have not developed any bad habits yet.
I tend to engage in as many hobbies as possible (if I was a Sim, I’d have the Knowledge aspiration for sure), so I’ve collected some tips throughout the years. Writing, coding, music, art, sports…I frequently cycle through them all. As I’m currently trying to pick up some realism colored pencil techniques, I thought I would share my thought process on how to acquire new competencies (hobby tip: if you’re learning more than one like me, you can find ways to combine them! Writing, in particular, can be integrated with anything).
Learn From Others
There are a lot of resources immediately accessible to us these days. The internet allows us to access tutorials, guides, and classes any time we need them. Especially if you’re completely new to a skill, it’s beneficial to have someone to guide you through any initial concepts. Plus, they can instruct you on what tools you need to do so (hopefully at a free or cost-effective beginner’s level-no need to spend a ton of money until you’re getting the hang of things).
You can find the learning method that suits you best and begin learning. If you prefer self-guided, you can browse through YouTube videos or purchase a Udemy or Skillshare course. You can also purchase books (or borrow from the library) or follow podcasts about your skill. Local community centers and community colleges may offer classes that you can take in person as well.
While many creative pursuits benefit when you find a unique method of doing things, it’s a good idea to understand basic concepts first. Unless you’re a prodigy, but even they will have things to improve. It’s good to have a little humility-even if you’re an expert. You can always learn things from people.
It’s also valuable to have peers who can give constructive criticism and advice. Sometimes, you won’t realize what you’re doing wrong, but with fresh eyes, a friend might easily point out how to fix it. Someone else can give you new ideas and perspectives to consider.
Self-Exploration
I mentioned learning from others first because it’s important to learn the basics and draw inspiration from them. To keep yourself engaged and self-motivated, however, you’re going to need to explore your hobby on your own.
Maybe you’re learning to play an instrument-sure, it’s a good idea to learn notes and scales, but you should also have fun with it. Find a tutorial on the song you want to learn to play and go for it. Find a balance so you can learn the material and how to apply it.
If you only rely on what an instructor is teaching you, you might be lost once you start something on your own. For example, you may know what colors or shading to use when following a step-by-step tutorial, but could you draw something from scratch? You may know the textbook examples, but can you apply them?
This brings us to…
Practice, Practice, Practice
If you’re looking to master your new skill, you’re going to need to practice. A lot. Setting aside time for your hobby every day can help you establish a routine. This will also make it easier to recall what you learned the day before and build upon that knowledge.
Keep in mind, you don’t have to do it every day. That will advance your progress, but you should go at the pace right for you. You’ll still be moving forward no matter how small the step. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I’m a hobby cycler. Granted, I sacrifice social time for that but I tend to alternate days for different interests of mine. I’d say I’m still learning, albeit more slowly.
If you want to get better, it’s important to stick with it and not give up. Learning a new skill can be difficult. Even if you enjoy it, you will likely go through rough patches and lapses in inspiration. You won’t become a master overnight; you will create pieces that you’re not proud of. That’s the only way you’ll learn and create pieces you are pleased with. Breaks are useful when needed, but coming back and carrying through is the only way to overcome and improve.
This also brings me to perfectionism. This is something that prevented me from starting projects all the time because I felt as if I would mess them up as soon as I put the brush in my hand. Perfectionism can help you follow through with meticulous detail-but don’t let an all-or-nothing attitude deter you from starting. You will make mistakes, but that’s okay-you’re taking action and making progress.
“Don’t wait for inspiration. It comes while working.” -Henri Matisse
There’s a misconception that great artists and writers are always inspired and flowing with ideas. In reality, those who find success are normally those who continue to work on their craft even when inspiration fails them. They also don’t procrastinate and put off practicing because they fear they won’t be good enough. They just put themselves to it and create.
Regardless of what hobby you desire to pursue, don’t let it sit idle on your list of aspirations. Start learning and doing, and you’re on your way.
