Best Online Education Resources // For All Things Creative

The only way to get better at your craft is to be constantly learning. As creatives, we tend to get into ruts that seem to have no end and can quickly become discouraged. You get tired of using the same techniques over and over again and you long for something new.

Unless you are lucky enough to live near studios that offer workshops, you typically have to turn to the Internet for help. Today, I'm going to share the four Best Online Education Resources that I have come across to help you when you are in a creative rut. 

Photo by Jeremy Bitterman for NY Times

Online Card Classes: 

A few years ago, crafty masterminds Kristina Werner and Jennifer McGuire joined forces to create the best online resource for cardmaking: Online Card Classes. Over the years, the duo, with various special guests, have covered dozens of topics from watercoloring to clean and simple cardmaking. All of the classes come with lifetime access, video tutorials, pdf downloads, and galleries full of inspiration from crafters just like you. All of the classes they offer are reasonably priced which makes it easy to justify. Plus, if you register early enough, you can receive special early bird pricing. 

I've purchased a ton of their classes and I have never been disappointed. The ones I am constantly revisiting are the Clean & Simple Cardmaking ones. They are seriously the best!

Skillshare: 

This is a newer website that I have become obsessed with. Skillshare is a platform that offers hundreds of video lessons on various creative topics from photography, hand-lettering, Photoshop and Illustrator, and even business. 

When you sign up for a membership you pay a monthly fee of $10 to have unlimited access to the classes they offer. You can cancel your membership at anytime, however, I love having the ability to log on whenever to learn something new. 

Each class also has a Project Gallery where other students enrolled in the class can share what they made after completing the lessons. Usually there are quite a few examples posted there which amounts to even more inspiration! 

Craftsy: 

Another awesome website is Craftsy. This website specializes specifically in handmade crafts from embroidery to jewelry making to cooking to sewing, etc. Of course, they have a variety of paper crafting lessons available on the website as well. This website operates a little differently than the other's mentioned as you pay for each class individually. 

This website is particularly popular amongst some famous paper crafters in our industry. Recently, I have seen a ton of different talented women advertise that they are now teaching classes on Craftsy. Kelly Purkey, Danielle Flanders, Wilna Furstenburg, and Jennifer Gallacher are just a few. 

Each class has high quality videos with pdf downloads featuring more information about the lesson. There is also a forum with each class that gives you a place to ask questions and interact with the other students. Make sure to check their website every so often as they always have some of their classes on sale. 

YouTube: 

While I love being a part of the websites featured above, my preferred education resource is always YouTube. There are literally millions of people uploading their creations daily. 

That being said, there are a few people whose channels I constantly visit for inspiration and new techniques and I will list them for you in case you wanted to check them out: Jennifer Mcguire, Kristina Werner, Laura Bassen, Catherine Pooler, and Carissa Wiley. 

Through these workshops, I've learned countless techniques and gained a better knowledge for art and creativity. I urge you to look into these websites if you are ever looking to expand your crafty horizons. Plus, it's always fun to play "student" again!

Have you tried any of these websites? Make sure to let me know in the comments below!

Nicole