We live in an age of information. There's a ton of information available to us that was never so easily accessible. Some of it is crap and some of it is gold and the trick is to find resources that are usable and effective. I'm going to do a short series on some sites that can be used to learn some new things or get better at something we know but haven't yet mastered.
I have a lifelong fascination with languages. If I could, I would spend all my time learning new languages and going to the places where I can use them. Alas, I've got a smattering of several languages with varying degrees of fluency. I used to be very fluent in Spanish (when I lived in areas that I used it on a daily basis) but I've lost much of it. So to improve, I have been getting books on tape in Spanish and that's helping me build up my fluency again.
I've also been flirting with French for quite a few years now. At one time, I could read quite a bit but I've never gained spoken fluency and I've lost much of the comprehension that I had. So I've signed up for short time with www.newsinslowfrench.com to work on improving my fluency. For the sake of full disclosure, this is a subscription site but you get transcripts of the recordings as well as the reading in slower speech (though not irritatingly slow) and readings at normal speed. For me, that's helping build the areas that I need the most help on. Since it's not always easy to find spoken French that also has the translation, I was really pleased to find this site.
They have similar sites for Spanish and Italian. I'm using the Intermediate option but they also have a Beginner option so if you've ever wanted to learn a language, this could be a great option for you. Honestly, if you've never learned another language, I would encourage you to start with Spanish as I think it's probably the easiest language to learn (you always pronounce the letters the same way every time and the majority of the verbs are conjugated regularly - that means easier) and it's so widely used, you can most likely use it right away.
Showing posts with label learn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label learn. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Something new
I was talking to a friend today that was telling me about this new gadget she'd gotten and as she was telling me about how it works, I was reminded about how many obscure interests there are out there that people share and that I didn't even know existed.
Finding out about people or activities you have no knowledge of is kind of random but you can use social media to hit on these kinds of things.
Poke around and join a couple of groups or follow some people and learn about a topic you know nothing or very little about. Pay attention to the vocabulary and the things the practitioners take for granted. What's most surprising about the knowledge they're sharing? How does it compare to your preconceptions? What's something you can take away from their skills or activities?
Here are some random subjects or find your own…
Tatting
Silhouette cutting
An era of history
History reenactment
What went on today in a country you've never visited? (Not necessarily a hot spot, just a random day for ordinary people)
Follow some feeds in a city you've never been in. What are people there caring about today?
Tuba musicians
Architects and architecture
Library science
How does the pancreas work?
What went on at the Black Comic Book Festival today?
How does a camera work?
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Consider the Source
My topic for today is, if you want to be a creative person, hang around with creative people. You become like those you spend the most time with. It's true about physical fitness, eating healthy, having a positive mindset, being generous and any other kind of trait or habit you would like to acquire.
Take stock of those you spend your time with. Some people are in your life and there's nothing you can do about that. If those people are toxic, it's hard. But you don't have to only spend your time with those people. Search out those who are going to encourage you and help you and be around you without strings.
Easy to say but not always easy to master. For the extroverts among us, you'll know how to meet people and be around them. For the introverts among us (like me), that can be harder. If you have a creative hobby, find local groups that you can join that will give you some common ground to meet others. Find local groups through virtual organizations like Live Your Legend or NaNoWriMo. Take some classes through your local community college or community group. If you don't know who those groups are, check out listings in your local newspaper or look at their online community postings. Many radio and tv stations also have community calendars that list local group meetings.
While you're at it, visit a group doing something you've never heard of before to find out what they're passionate about. In my local Weaver's Guild, we once had a program presented by 2 ladies who do artful things with wheat. No, really. With wheat. Really elaborate, astounding things. With wheat. Don't believe me? Have a look at this.
There is a whole international organization of people who make art with wheat. Who knew? In our area, there are several local groups of people committed to this art form.
Now, I don't have any interest in using wheat as an art form but these folk do and they were fascinating to listen to and ask questions of. And now I know something I didn't know before. I know people make beautiful things with wheat.
My best friend plays the harp (the big stand up harp). She didn't learn when she was young. She decided in her 60s that she wanted to learn to play the harp so she started asking questions and actually found someone locally who teaches harp. She began to learn and discovered that there are harp conferences all over the United States where hundreds of harpists go to take workshops, meeting other harpists and shop. For harp stuff. Who knew? They even have a "harp parking lot" outside the vendor area. They park their harp and go shop or go eat. Harp parking lots! Don't you love that!!
She now plays locally at her church, at nursing homes and is part of a "harp circle" where a group of people who play the harp (or are learning to play the harp) meet just to play the harp. And, by the way, she's been blind since childhood so she learns by ear and with teachers helping her verbally rather than by showing her what to do or giving her a sheet of music. You can do this stuff, too, you know.
Now she knows people all over the United States who share her love of the harp and I know something new. I know people who have a passion for the harp. The only thing I ever knew before was that Harpo Marx played the harp. I don't play the harp but I hang out with some that do and they have their own vocabulary and sense of the world that no one else has. I like harp people.
The point is, hang out with people who are creative or who embrace a life of creativity. It doesn't matter if you do what they do, creativity crosses boundaries. Your unique perspective (creativity) will inspire them and add something to their knowledge of the world and their art that they didn't have before, just as they can add those things to you.
That's what I love about this stuff! It's infectious and self-replicating and only needs a little nurturing and light to grow.
Need a New Year's Resolution? Why not resolve to discover at least one new thing every month in the new year? Learn about a skill you never knew about before. Watch some movies in a genre you've never watched before. Read a book about someone well known in a field you know nothing about before. That's a resolution you can easily succeed with and your life will be immeasurably enriched in the process.
Take stock of those you spend your time with. Some people are in your life and there's nothing you can do about that. If those people are toxic, it's hard. But you don't have to only spend your time with those people. Search out those who are going to encourage you and help you and be around you without strings.
Easy to say but not always easy to master. For the extroverts among us, you'll know how to meet people and be around them. For the introverts among us (like me), that can be harder. If you have a creative hobby, find local groups that you can join that will give you some common ground to meet others. Find local groups through virtual organizations like Live Your Legend or NaNoWriMo. Take some classes through your local community college or community group. If you don't know who those groups are, check out listings in your local newspaper or look at their online community postings. Many radio and tv stations also have community calendars that list local group meetings.
While you're at it, visit a group doing something you've never heard of before to find out what they're passionate about. In my local Weaver's Guild, we once had a program presented by 2 ladies who do artful things with wheat. No, really. With wheat. Really elaborate, astounding things. With wheat. Don't believe me? Have a look at this.
There is a whole international organization of people who make art with wheat. Who knew? In our area, there are several local groups of people committed to this art form.
Now, I don't have any interest in using wheat as an art form but these folk do and they were fascinating to listen to and ask questions of. And now I know something I didn't know before. I know people make beautiful things with wheat.
My best friend plays the harp (the big stand up harp). She didn't learn when she was young. She decided in her 60s that she wanted to learn to play the harp so she started asking questions and actually found someone locally who teaches harp. She began to learn and discovered that there are harp conferences all over the United States where hundreds of harpists go to take workshops, meeting other harpists and shop. For harp stuff. Who knew? They even have a "harp parking lot" outside the vendor area. They park their harp and go shop or go eat. Harp parking lots! Don't you love that!!
She now plays locally at her church, at nursing homes and is part of a "harp circle" where a group of people who play the harp (or are learning to play the harp) meet just to play the harp. And, by the way, she's been blind since childhood so she learns by ear and with teachers helping her verbally rather than by showing her what to do or giving her a sheet of music. You can do this stuff, too, you know.
Now she knows people all over the United States who share her love of the harp and I know something new. I know people who have a passion for the harp. The only thing I ever knew before was that Harpo Marx played the harp. I don't play the harp but I hang out with some that do and they have their own vocabulary and sense of the world that no one else has. I like harp people.
The point is, hang out with people who are creative or who embrace a life of creativity. It doesn't matter if you do what they do, creativity crosses boundaries. Your unique perspective (creativity) will inspire them and add something to their knowledge of the world and their art that they didn't have before, just as they can add those things to you.
That's what I love about this stuff! It's infectious and self-replicating and only needs a little nurturing and light to grow.
Need a New Year's Resolution? Why not resolve to discover at least one new thing every month in the new year? Learn about a skill you never knew about before. Watch some movies in a genre you've never watched before. Read a book about someone well known in a field you know nothing about before. That's a resolution you can easily succeed with and your life will be immeasurably enriched in the process.
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