Back to School

It is the Australian summer and the shops are filling with stationery and other school supplies ready for the return to education at the end of the month. So as I think about a new year and its possibilities it crosses my mind that I should have something new to try to keep my creative skills growing. How can I go back to school?

Several things came to mind - take a class, teach someone else, learn a new skill, use new materials.

 Taking a class in something you already do can stretch you. It lifts you out of the rut of the way you do things and opens your mind to new alternatives.

Of course, you can also take a class in something you've always wanted to have a go at and so learn a new skill.

Teach someone else a skill that you already have. This might not seem like a 'back to school' idea, but teaching someone else gives you new eyes on how you do things. Watching someone learn makes you think about what you are doing, what the steps are, and how to pass on that joy you have.

Using materials that you don't usually use broadens your horizons, too. Like coming across something you forgot you had, it brings the bright shininess of something new to explore.

Do something in a different style. Try emulating someone whose art you admire. I don't mean a straight copy but something that captures their style; a technique they use or colours that you don't normally put together.

So, how will you go back to school with your creativity this year?