Music, Science, and Beyond: Online Courses for In-Person Skills

It’s a digital world — one where a surprising amount of information is available at our fingertips, often for free. Learning a new skill or starting a new hobby once meant we had to find someone local willing to share their knowledge — but not anymore. From blogs, videos, and online courses, if you want to dream it or discover it, a whole new world is just a click away. There truly is no limit to using the internet to discover a new hobby or skill.

There are many reasons humans strive to learn more. Our brains are designed to seek challenges. Sometimes we see someone else doing something fun or exciting and think, “I want to do that.” Other times we find a current hobby leads us on a path of discovery to a new skill. It’s not uncommon for guitarists, for example, to pick up a banjo or a pianist try the accordion on for size. Learning a new hobby is also great for improving our mental health by boosting our self-confidence and self-esteem.

Ready to get started? Vivamost.com presents some great options below:

The Arts

These online learning adventures don’t have to be a solo enterprise, either. For instance, do you have a few friends interested in learning guitar or piano? Take online music lessons as a group. Not only will it be more fun to learn together, but it could also keep things more economical by allowing you all to share instruments. Plus, you’ll hold each other accountable, motivating and inspiring each other to stick with the lessons.

The Sciences

 When you look up at the stars at night, are you mesmerized — but confused — by what you see? Perhaps as a hiker you love looking at trees and flowers but don’t often know the name of the plant that has caught your eye. You can find online courses to deepen your knowledge and experience of astronomy, botany, and so many other sciences. You can take courses that play into your current interests or help you develop entirely new ones. Science is a vast field — from learning how to code a website to learning how to start and sustain a garden, online courses have advice and information, often from professionals, anyone with internet access can find.

The Athletes

Believe it or not, you can also improve your skills outside by taking a few lessons inside. Have you always wanted to play tennis, run a triathlon or understand the mechanics of golf? Online courses can help you in so many ways. First, you’ll be able to watch step-by-step beginner videos. This is particularly helpful for golf, where understanding your swing is crucial to success in the game. Second, online courses can help you feel more confident. Watching videos of triathlon transitions— moving from swimming to running to biking— can help you shake those race day jitters. This is also a fun one to do with friends, as many people participate as a team in relay triathlons, where a different person completes each leg.

Endless Possibilities

The good thing about the internet is that you can find just about anything you want regarding any subject. Want to sew? There’s an instructional video for that. Feel the need to pick up a pen and start drawing? YouTube has tons of clips to help you out. And if you’re inspired to write a novel, there are plenty of resources online to help you get started.

Turning Your Passion into a Career

As you learn new skills and develop hobbies, you may aspire to start a new career. For example, if you love fitness, you can become a personal trainer, coach or even open an ecommerce store selling gear.

If you decide to turn your passion into a profession, even part-time, be sure to start out on the right foot. That means selecting a business structure and registering with your state. For the sake of both simplicity and benefits, many people prefer an LLC. An LLC offers personal asset protection, tax advantages, and it can grow with your business if you should later expand. Plus, it’s easy to file when you go through an online service. Once completed, you can go back to focusing on fun — and make money with it, too!

Learning new skills has a ton of benefits for both kids and adults. Both your mind and body will grow. You can improve memory and critical thinking skills while also boosting eye-hand coordination. Plus, when you learn with friends you are enhancing your social skills, becoming a better sharer, listener, and support.

About the author:

Sheila Johnson left the corporate world and long hours behind to start her own business. She’s seen so much personal success with her health and wellness routine that she wanted to share it with others. By creating WellSheila.net, she hopes that sharing her story will help people put their physical and mental health first.