Time for back to school? "crafting your craft" for your creative practice

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Fall has a focus for getting "back to school" especially for youth and young adults returning to grade school or college.  Fall is also a wonderful time for us as creatives to explore how we can learn a new creative skill, launch a new creative endeavor or refresh our current creative practice. 

When was the last time you took a studio art class in your area of expertise, explored a new creative practice or learn something totally new?   Here's some benefits of taking some workshops or courses for creativity:

• Exposes You to New Information:  You get to learn some techniques that you always wanted to try or an easier way to do something.  You also may find out about current trends in your creative practice that you need to be aware of to get ahead.   Learning a new creative active also appeals to your curiousity and it helps you determine which kind of activities you want to pursue down the road. 
• Sharpens Your Existing Skills:   Let's face it...our creative skills we may have developed can get rusty or in some cases, outdated.  To stay innovative and fresh, taking time out to get updated on new ways of doing things keep us inspired and interested in our creative process.
• Meet New People and Expand Our Network:  Whether we take classes online or in person, we get the opportunity to meet some fellow creatives that we may not have met otherwise.  These people can help expand your personal network for creative support or may eventually lead to collaborations or other opportunities.
• New Skills to Add to Your Bio or Resume for Future Opportunities:   As we amass new skills and information, we open ourselves to new opportunities to share our creativity.  By taking a specific class or completing a course, we may become eligible for grant funding, consulting contracts or teaching artist positions if we want to monetize our creative pursuits.
• Keeps Our Brain Active and Alert: Learning keeps our brains activated.  By opening up our minds to new information, we stay alive and alert for new creative ideas and innovative thinking. 

What workshops, classes or courses are available in your community that you always wanted to try or explore? Are you interested in honing your writing skills, exploring movement through a dance class, or want to try your hand at learning how to play the piano? Take time to make a list of activites and creative interests that you would like to try and explore what is available in your area.  Just about every community offers these educational and professional development opportunities either online or in person at a variety of price points that make it affordable for anyone to participate.  Make a plan to sign up for a class, workshop or course for the Fall and watch how your creativity  thrives as a result.